I find myself properly reviewing this novel as we commemorate Windrush day. I initially gave this 3.5 stars on Goodreads, but after re-reading and analysing this to write about it for a uni assignment I felt I truly appreciated it. I compared this novel to Othello, analysing race, culture, and gender/gender roles and I felt before I didn’t really know what Windrush was or meant but I had a gist of what it is until I actually researched, read articles, archives, interviews that I truly found out not only what it meant but the impact and effect it still has to this day.
Sam Selvon’s The Lonely Londoners is an insight into 1950s London where the post-war saw immigrants making that arduous journey across the ocean to come to Britain in hope of a better future. The plot is continuously moving from character to character, and we get an insight into how these migrants settled in London and what their life is like. The Windrush generation was allowed to come to England visa-free to help out because of the effects of the war so they saw an opportunity whether that be financial or because they are fleeing from war-torn countries. They saw England as a beacon of hope, of prosperity and this sense of hope, never wavers in these characters we follow. Their illusion of Britain is this sense of place where dreams come true is quickly shattered when they realise the harsh reality of actually living there.
When I was re-reading this novel, I found the portrayal of London so vivid and the characters Selvon portrayed almost Dickensian in nature. It was hard to read but heart-breaking to read about the daily racism they faced. They were discriminated against by their race, class, and gender, and it is such a deep account of exactly how they were treated. Reading this again became vivid because of the current immigration issues I read the other day an article on how people are still being discriminated against and are judged by their accent and dialect and racism is very much still alive because the study suggests that those who didn’t speak English fluently are being treated differently to those who do. The citizens in the novel were being treated as second-class citizens and there are people today who still feel the same. The novel is timely. It has heavy themes of identity, belonging, memory and migration but for me, the best thing about this novel is the sense of hope. In this big city where the characters face alienation and isolation and loneliness there is hope, hope for a better future, hope for change, and hope that their children and families or friends will have a better future than them and that is what makes this novel so special. They endure hardship and struggle, discrimination, there are cultural clashes and regardless of their background, they are all generalised as the Caribbean amongst all this what remains is hope. The dialect when you are reading comes alive. It is such an insightful read that should be made a compulsory read, educates you and gives such a vivid portrayal it is a must-read. Everyone needs to pick up this novel.
The Windrush generation refers to people who made the journey from Caribbean countries that were a part of the Commonwealth to come to the UK during the 1940s through to 1971. They made their journey in the HMT Empire Windrush marking the beginning of post-war mass migration. They came on the premise that they will be greeted with employment and housing and the health and social care however due to the 2018 scandal what came to light was the opposite. Not only did they face discrimination, and racism but they were threatened with deportation, blocked from accessing the health and social care and were made unemployed and homeless despite the hard work, paying taxes and all they left behind. In 2012 the Home Secretary promised a 'hostile environment' for illegal immigrants. Stopping migrants from receiving access to the NHS, welfare services, employment, bank accounts, driving licence, and rented accommodation, unless they could prove their right to be in the UK. These requirements were made even more stringent in 2016, and consequently, hundreds of those from the Windrush generation found they had not got paperwork to prove they had lawfully been in the UK for years. In 2010 a Home Office whistle-blower revealed that thousands of landing card slips recording Windrush immigrants' arrival dates in the UK had been deliberately destroyed. These arrival slips could have proved essential evidence for the Windrush generation's right to remain in the UK, as they would have confirmed that they had moved to Britain before the 1971 Immigration Act was passed.
I think why the Windrush generation means so much to me is because my own parents went through it so I can relate to it more because I see how it still affects them. Their parents (my grandparents) used the opportunity to come to England from Pakistan for economic reasons but also because they knew if they could allow their children a better future, and better opportunities they would take it. I always used to ask them about their experience, but they wouldn’t speak about it except they said just be grateful we got this opportunity, and it is that has been drilled into me, be grateful, be grateful. And I am don’t get me wrong but the Windrush scandal in 2018 makes me question exactly what should I be grateful for? For the fact that they invited the commonwealth countries to help them for economic reasons and then they treat them like this. It is heart-breaking to find out how the UK treated the Windrush generation and that it has been happening for so long. It yet again highlights institutionalised racism, and it has been 30 years of these racist immigration laws. I am glad of the compensation being given to those who were taken advantage of, and I am glad there are still questions being raised and mistakes we are learning from and rectifying. The Windrush generation deserved more, deserved better so let us commemorate this day for them for those who travelled all those miles for a better future. Today we mark Windrush day!
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