How has the Windrush Generation Shaped British Culture and Society?

On the 22nd of June 1948, HMT Empire Windrush arrived at the docks of Tilbury, Essex from the Caribbean carrying 1027 passengers of which over 800 were from the Caribbean and 496 were from Jamaica. This was catalysed by the British Nationality Act of 1948 which was passed into law by the post-WW2 Labour government allowing the use of migrant workers from the commonwealth to rebuild both the crippled economy and industry in post-war Britain. The act granted all commonwealth citizens the right to work and live in Britain. After the war, Britain was left with 1.7 million damaged and 70,000 destroyed houses. In addition, 1.5 million people left Britain between 1945-60 which subsequently caused the working population to drop by 1.38 million between 1945-46. The Windrush Generation refers to the immigrants who immigrated from the Caribbean during this period of crisis and rebirth for Britain, up until the Immigration Act of 1971 which restricted immigration. When assessing the extent at which the Windrush Generation has shaped British culture and society, the main three factors to consider are the impacts on the British economy and industry, the impact on political rights for minorities in Britain, and the impact on British culture such as music and food. When considering these factors on the extent to which the Windrush Generation shaped British culture and society, it’s clear that the Windrush Generation had a significant impact on British culture and society which still prospers 76 years later.

Post-WW2, the British economy and industry were significantly aided by the immigrants of the Windrush Generation. For example, the UK needed workers in the transport sector, especially in London, with its growing popularity and convenience for the public. 3,500 people from Barbados migrated specifically to work for London Transport. However, they were only paid a wage of £7 10 shillings a week when the national average was £11 10 shillings in 1956. This demonstrates that despite the mass recruitment and need for migrant workers from the Windrush Generation, they still faced open discrimination including pay discrepancies. Despite the discrimination though, the workers were integral in catalysing the growth of the transport industry in Britain with London Transport being the largest employer in the 1950s with 100,000 employees. This enabled workers in other industries to reach job vacancies further from their home, contributing to the rebuilding of the British economy and industry post World War 2 and ultimately demonstrating the significant role the Windrush Generation played in shaping the economic rebuilding of Britain. Another example of economical and industrial development influenced directly by the Windrush Generation was the recruitment following the establishment of the NHS on the 5th of July 1948 by the Labour Government. By late 1965, 5,000 Jamaican nurses were working for the NHS and by 1977, 12% of all student nurses and midwives in Britain were recruited overseas, with 66% of those from the Caribbean. This demonstrates the integral role of the Windrush Generation in establishing the status of the NHS in Britain, building the foundations which allowed the healthcare service to prosper, ranking as the number one healthcare system in the world pre-covid in 2017. The NHS gives free medical access to all British citizens resulting in its establishment as one of the most important institutions in the nation's history, improving people’s health and livelihood which is conveyed clearly through the difference of life expectancy in the UK in 1950 which was 67.66, compared to 2020 which was 81.15. Therefore, the Windrush Generation’s crucial involvement with the establishment of the NHS was the catalyst for the high life expectancy, shaping today’s society. 

A final example of economical and industrial development influenced directly by the Windrush Generation was their mass involvement in factory work, producing crucial resources for Britain, such as steel, coal, iron and food. Thousands of vacancies left after the war were filled by the Windrush Generation with the majority being male Jamaicans. This exemplifies the paramount involvement of the Windrush Generation in shaping the culture and society of Britain as these ‘undesirable’ jobs in factories were integral to the rebirth of the British economy and industry through the production of important resources. This allowed others who would have been working low paying factory jobs to contribute to the flourish of culture in 60s Britain. In conclusion, the Windrush Generation’s contribution to the economy and industry of post-war Britain was integral in shaping Britain’s culture and society for years to come. The establishment of the NHS, which utilised the recruitment of Caribbean migrants, laid the foundations for the greatest healthcare system in the world pre-Covid, playing a crucial role in raising the life expectancy in Britain from 67.66 in 1950 to 81.15 in 2020. The transport sector was the largest employer in 1950s Britain; it increased the distance in which workers could travel, subsequently providing more jobs to the people of Britain. Finally, the workers in factories contributed to the integral production of important resources such as steel, coal, iron and food which were all crucial for the rebuilding of Britain post-WW2 which allowed the society and culture of Britain to naturally advance and prosper.

British culture was and still is directly impacted by the Windrush Generation, shaping music, food and media in Britain. For example, Calypso, Reggae and Ska, three alien genres of music for Britain, were brought overseas by the Windrush Generation. These genres were not simply a new combination of sound and instrumentation but messages of unity, identity, and resistance, resonating with both the Windrush Generation as well as the wider British population. These genres were also a vessel for political issues of racism and inequality whilst simultaneously celebrating Black British identity. This is demonstrated by artists such as Linton Kwesi Johnson and Steel Pulse who became influential figures of the British music scene in the 1970s, incorporating the genres of reggae and dub to address social issues at the time. The impacts of the Windrush Generation on British music culture can still be seen today with the emergence of the extremely popular genre of UK grime which takes direct influence from the political nature of Reggae, Calypso and Ska. Its popularity is evident by the fact that UK grime artist Skepta has 3,902,263,039 streams on Spotify. Another example of the Windrush Generation shaping the culture of Britain is through media representation. Caribbean, and more specifically Jamaican culture, was brought over with the Windrush Generation and became a staple within Britain. However, Jamaicans were commonly negatively stereotyped as marijuana smokers and criminals in the media such as in the 2002 movie ‘Shottas.’ This has seen a change in more recent years with positive Jamaican representation on British kids tv shows such as Rastamouse, which aired from 2011-2015 on CBeebies, which introduces a new generation to the Jamaican culture in Britain. This demonstrates the Windrush Generation shaping British culture as it is positively represented in media to children, exposing a new generation to the culture brought to the nation by the Windrush Generation, promoting a multicultural society. A final example of the Windrush Generation shaping the culture of Britain is through the food brought over as part of the Jamaican culture. For example, in the 1970s, the Black and White Café in Bristol and the Mangrove Restaurant in Notting Hill became well established restaurants as well as community hot spots for discussing social issues. Many Jamaican delicacies such as curry goat, jerk chicken, rice and peas were sold at these restaurants and have become staples in British cuisine. This demonstrates the Windrush Generation shaping British culture with the introduction of new foods and restaurants brought over to the nation gaining mass popularity within the country and becoming normalised as part of British eating culture. In conclusion, the impact of the Windrush Generation had on shaping the culture and society of Britain was significant with extreme influence over popular new music genres of today such as grime which has gained much popularity anywhere else in the world. Also, the influence the Windrush Generation had on their culture being represented through media. The existence of Jamaican culture that thrived in Britain contributed to this change of representation, moving away from cultural appropriation as well as the political action of members of the Windrush Generation who preached cultural equality within Britain. Finally, food brought over by the Windrush Generation gained mass popularity within Britain and became staples in popular British cuisine. The Windrush Generation forever shaped how food, music and media representation existed in British society.

Finally, the Windrush Generation forever shaped the politics in Britain, fighting a losing battle against discrimination and striving for change. When arriving on the shores of Britain, the migrants faced discrimination in the workplace, as well as from landlords which made finding a home near impossible, and from racist groups such as the Teddy Boys who infamously attacked immigrants during the Notting Hill Riots in 1958. One way the Windrush Generation shaped politics was through activism which battled discrimination in Britain and led to legislative action. In 1963, the Bristol Boycott saw an organisation founded by Roy Hackett and led by Paul Stephenson, catalyse a boycott of the Bristol Omnibus Company due to their discriminative colour bar policy. This is one of the main reasons for the passing of the Race Relations Act of 1965, which was the first British Legislative to address racial discrimination and outlaw discrimination on the "grounds of colour, race, or ethnic or national origins." This then led to the passing of the Race Relations Act of 1968 and Race Relations Act of 1976, which focused on eradicating discrimination in housing and employment. It was members of the Windrush Generation who led the Bristol Bus Boycott, catalysing the first of many legislators that focused on eradicating discrimination in Britain, demonstrating direct shaping of British politics. Another monumental influence on British politics were activists like Claudia Jones. Born in Trinidad in 1915, Jones moved to the US in 1924 as a child and witnessed discrimination against her race and gender which led to her becoming an activist for women and migrants. She came to the UK in 1955 as part of the Windrush Generation after being exiled from the US for associations with the American Communist Party. She came to Britain with the same activist beliefs campaigning against discrimination in the workplace, housing and against racist immigration policies in Britain. In 1958 she established the West Indian Gazette, the first public Black newspaper, which preached social equality. The paper would cover topics such as anti-Black violence, racial harassment and prejudice anti-Black violence, racial harassment and prejudice in Britain. After the chaos of the Notting Hill Riots in 1958, Claudia Jones helped in the founding and launch of the Notting Hill Carnival in 1959 as a way of celebrating West Indian culture and uplifting the Black British communities. The Carnival today is the second largest street- festival in the world. This demonstrates that through activism, Claudia Jones helped shape the way that discrimination is handled in the UK, promoting equality and an end to discrimination whilst simultaneously promoting Caribbean culture. In conclusion, the Windrush Generation had a significant influence on the politics in Britain, with activists such as Claudia Jones fighting against discrimination and events such as the Bristol Bus Boycott catalysing the legislation that sought to end discrimination in Britain, not just against Caribbean migrants, but any migrant who came to Britain.

In conclusion, the Windrush Generation had a crucial influence on the shaping of British culture and society. In post war Britain the contribution of the Windrush Generation was significant in the rebuilding of Britain's economy and industry, enhancing the growth of culture and society in the UK. The Windrush Generation also brought over their culture which became synonymous with British culture with food and music as well as media appropriation. And finally, the most influential way that the Windrush Generation shaped British culture and society was through activism against racism and discrimination, directly causing the first of many legislators that actively tried to end discrimination.

by Will Provis, Clevedon School