EUTopia Peak Event Report: University of Warwick

 EUTopia Peak Event Report: University of Warwick

The topic of labour migration was certainly a thought provoking one. With the United Kingdom being an island territory, international migration from overseas seemed a logical place to start. When classifying the term Europe in history, it is important to also consider those countries that were under colonial governance and hence made up part of the British state. Therefore, for some of us, the topic of migration from the British Caribbean was one that was close to home. On the other hand, engagement with Latin American studies at Warwick prompted some of our historians to research the movement of peoples from a variety of South and Central American countries.

The initial research process

With the EUTopia summit being a predominantly legal history event, we began by accessing unique source material at the University of Warwick Modern Records Centre which offers a plethora of translated legal documents for us to analyse. As historians, an important part of our research also included considering the changing nature of scholarly research over time (known as addressing historiography). Varying approaches were taken towards the projects which included oral history, case study specific research and also looking at the Windrush narrative as a historical expression. Despite the broad range of topics covered, the study of labour migration to Great Britain in the mid Twentieth Century has helped us all to uncover the harsh treatment received by immigrants regarding their citizenship status today.

The Peak Event

Upon arrival in Ljubljana, we were all taken aback by its beautiful, natural landscape and scenery. We all thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the city led by Professor Škrubej - in particular the views from Ljubljana Castle. Furthermore, we would also like to thank the students from the University of Ljubljana who were fantastic hosts, extremely accommodating and remarkably knowledgeable. The peak event was certainly a brilliant experience for us all to connect with European students across the continent whilst also learning extensively about legal history (a strand of history we were not entirely familiar with before). 

Our presentations

- Migration and Settlement in the UK in the 1960s: An Oral History of the Guyanese Experience 

In the context of the Windrush generation, Guyana is a relatively unknown country. As my grandparents migrated from Guyana to the United Kingdom in the late 1950s, I thought this project would be a great opportunity to incorporate their journey and experiences into a wider narrative. 

To do this I centred my project around an oral history interview conducted with my grandparents two weeks before the peak event. I had prepared for this interview by doing research into the socio-political and cultural implications of Caribbean migration to the United Kingdom following the depletion of the post war labour force and the emergence of a welfare state.

Some interesting comparisons between the Guyanese experience and that of other Caribbean migrants included the racism both verbally and conveyed through the media. Although this was a sensitive topic for me, it is important that us as historians engage with the mistakes of the past to question the overwhelmingly positive connotations of the Windrush years today.

From a legal perspective, the constant question of granting immigrants citizenship was shaped by a right wing political ideology highlighted with Enoch Powell’s ‘River of Blood’ speech in 1968. The lack of legal action taken to protect immigrants like my grandparents resulted in a ghettoisation of non-white communities.

My favourite section of the project was engaging with the cultural aspect of the growing West Indian communities in the United Kingdom. From delicious and flavoursome cuisine to excelling at cricket against an all white opposition, Caribbean culture has certainly shaped life in a multicultural Britain today.

Ash Fowkes-Gajan

Our other presentations at the peak event included:

Mayukha Rodrigo: Windrush Generation Migration from the Caribbean to the UK

Jola George: Gender and Migration from Latin America to the UK (1970s-1990s)

Nia Belcher: The Experience of Chilean Refugees Following the 1973 Coup

Yinka Aresa: Surrogacy as Labour 

The EUTopia experience this year was so unique because it was a pleasure meeting students from across Europe. Our hosts from Slovenia were wonderful and enthusiastic both within their presentations and during our time out in the evening. We all also wanted to thank all of the other European students that attended the peak event to whom we will keep in touch with in the future. Finally, many thanks goes to Professor Doyle who arranged this trip for us and guided us through our research process and Professor Dhondt for his insightful questions and interesting takes on legal history.

Ash Fowkes-Gajan

Mayukha Rodrigo

Jola George

University of Warwick