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Episode 2

From seismic strike action to era-defining political change: Kavita Puri hears the stories of British South Asian life in the noughties.

British South Asians and the noughties: too British or not British enough? For almost a decade Kavita Puri has been charting the social history of these communities in post-war Britain. Many of the pioneers arrived with as little as £3 due to strict currency controls.

Kavita hears stories of strike action from a group of Indian women that brought Heathrow to a standstill and about how life changed for British South Asians after the 7/7 terrorist attacks in London. She looks at the latter years of Blair's premiership and how questions about Britishness became very public as the rhetoric around multiculturalism soured. And she explores lesser-known - but no less significant - stories of quiet rebellion and accommodation, as the second generation came to terms with life in Britain in the 21st century.

Producer: Ant Adeane
Editor: Hugh Levinson

Historical consultants:
Dr Florian Stadtler, University of Bristol
Dr Edward Anderson, Northumbria University
Professor Gurharpal Singh, School or Oriental and African Studies

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Mon 18 Apr 2022 21:00

Broadcasts

  • Fri 15 Apr 2022 11:00
  • Mon 18 Apr 2022 21:00