Reader

Caryl Phillips’ essay “The Pioneers: Fifty Years of Caribbean Migration to Britain” was published in the UK, in his 2001 collection A New World Order: Selected Essays. Consequently, the main readers of the essay are British people who purchased the book –  those particularly interested in the topics usually discussed by Phillips, including multiculturalism and the experiences of immigrants.

The content of the excerpt in your textbook reveals that Phillips targets various categories of readers. The main category is represented by immigrants who moved to Britain and their descendants. For example, he mentions both Caribbean migrants and Indian ones: “…when the first Caribbean migrants stepped off the ships in the 1940s and 1950s.” (p. 31, ll. 21-22); “So how should Britain define itself as a nation? A synthesis of Indian takeaways…” (p. 32, ll. 23-24)

Often, these categories of people are mentioned with words of praise, showing the writer’s appreciation for the way they managed to change British culture for the better: “Like all great pioneers in the face of much adversity and innumerable obstacles, they stayed true to their dream.” (p. 33, ll. 26-28); “This pioneer generation should take heart in their achievement…” (p. 32, ll. 15-16)

However,...