Circumstances

The article “Second Generasians” by Sarfraz Manzoor was published in 2004 in Spotlight, a German monthly magazine.

The circumstances at the time when the article was published are very important, as the article is written as a response to these circumstances.

The writer feels that the new generation of British-Asians are more confident in their cultural identity than the previous generations (p. 135, ll. 15-18). This new confidence is reflected in British culture, which is open to Asian-inspired works. Monica Ali’s novel, Brick Lane, the musical Bombay Dreams, and the BBC and Channel 4’s programme Bollywood Queen (p. 135, ll. 4-11) were all very popular in Britain in 2004.

Historical circumstances are also important, as we learn that the writer’s father “was just one of thousands of immigrants from the Commowealth who left the West Indies, India and Pakistan and came to Britain at the invitation of the government.” (p. 135, ll. 10-14). The immigrants, the writer explains, were invited to Britain “for economic reasons, and it was from an economic standpoint that the new arrivals viewed their new home.” (p. 136, ll. 5-8).

This alludes to...