Perspectives

Historical Perspective

The poem “Remember the Ship” by John Agard discusses immigration in relation to the immigrant ships that came to Europe, particularly from John Agard’s perspective of a Caribbean immigrant coming to the United Kingdom.

The British Nationality Act 1948 created the status of “Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies” for people born in the United Kingdom and all British colonies. In effect, the act created a shared form of citizenship for all countries that were once part of the British Empire. Because of this, many people living in British colonies immigrated to the United Kingdom so they could settle and work in the country, filling labor shortages created by the Second World War. People arriving in the United Kingdom from Caribbean countries during that period were na...