When the new migrants arrived in Britain from the
Caribbean, it was relatively easy for them to get unskilled
jobs, but hard to find somewhere to live because of a
great housing shortage, after the war. They found harsh
conditions where they were often poorly treated.
Things to discuss with a partner:
Look at the images of the passengers on the slides and
from the gallery of the Windrush Foundation website at:
http://www.windrushfoundation.org/gallery-2/ and
select one image.
• List everything you can see in the photograph
• Can you describe what the people are wearing and doing?
• Where do you think it was taken and why?
• What does it tell you about this period of history?
• How do you think they might be feeling at this point of
their lives?
Research
The post war period of the late 1940’s was a time of tremendous change around the world. Ask your pupils to find out what they can about other events that were happening during this period, and record the information on a large timeline around the classroom
Tell Your Story
There are many reasons why migration occurs, but there is always a story for everyone involved. Karen McKenzie, Head of Human Rights at the Commonwealth Secretariat has commented, “Many people migrate to escape crushing deprivation or to seek out economic opportunities and earn a better living. Othersmove to complete their studies or to join their families.” She added: “For a significant number of people migration
is not a choice, but rather something they are forced into
against their will. Some are fleeing conflict or scaping
persecution, others are leaving behind the devastationof natural disaster or are victims of trafficking.”
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