A multicultural society is one consisting of people from a diverse variety of national, linguistic, religious and cultural backgrounds.

More than four million non-white Britons live in England, making it one of the most ethnically complex countries in Europe. Almost half of this number lives in London and almost 300 different languages are spoken in all of the capitals schools. Two areas of London have become the first in the UK to have a non-white majority Newham and Brent. Races are mainly of Indian, Pakistani, Afro-Caribbean and Chinese origin. There are a wide range of benefits that these migrants bring with them, many of these are hidden by the smoke screen of the media which brings bad publicity and make big money off small problems which are common place in most cases with white people anyway. A prime example of this is the Indian family in London found to be on benefits- The Sun publicises this story, instantly spreading a widespread bad reputation for the migrants, raising aggression and problems between the natives and migrant races; the only people that benefit off this is going to be the newspaper that made money off the story. This story of the Indian family on benefits however is a very small minority of migrants. Compare the number of white people that stay at home on benefits that could very easily be working and it can quickly be seen that its these people who are the true people living off the system.

The economic advantages of migrants for the UK are great in comparison to the problems they bring. In general they have good work ethics, with some races being more focused than others. They are very willing to work for lower wages making them favourable by many employers who are employing low skilled staff. In many cases, these jobs they are doing are the jobs the natives arent willing to do, the dirty jobs, examples of these jobs are agriculture, catering and hotels. The migrants, the employer, the industry and the prices charged to the customer all benefit. At current Britain is developing a top heavy population pyramid, which is about to boom at the top further more as the 1960s baby boom comes through. The working population to dependent population ratio will therefore drastically increase which could cause taxes to increase as more people live off the state and the people paying taxes reduces. Therefore, the working migrants are a helpful boost for improving this ratio, and could even potentially stop any potential taxation increases. Here are some figures to back up the fact that migrants do add a large value to the UKs economy:

-In 2002, migrants contributed over an estimated 2.5 billion to the economy in just one year -A 1% population increase through migration can lead to a 1.25% to 1.5% increase in Gross Domestic Product -Migrants now account for one in eight of the UKs working population which is estimated to boost economic output by 6 billion These statistics show that migrants arent by any means hindering us when it comes the economy; they are instead greatly helping us. So what economic disadvantages do the migrants bring the UK? Well first of all, as previously mentioned, they can create tension between the natives and themselves when seen as taking the natives jobs. However, these proposed arguments normally arise at times of economic hardship (recession) when unemployment rises. The frustration begins when migrants still seem to have jobs, despite being much lower paid jobs than the natives would ever do and the natives dont. This causes racial hatred and the tabloid newspapers will often feed off this, spreading hatred for these people here doing the jobs no one else wants to do in the first place. The second part of this idea of the migrants taking jobs is the higher skilled workers who come to the country, bringing skills with them. Despite most people thinking of migrants as manual workers, this is not true. The banking and finance sector employ 13% of migrants, followed by 12% in hotel and restaurants. Since we saw a large influx of Polish workers into the UK, the plumbing and building market has seen an increased amount of competition. There have been native plumbers losing out on contracts and work to Polish plumbers as they have built themselves a good reputation of being hard working, cheap and efficient. Thus again giving the natives good reason to have racial aggression against the migrants. A TV programme: Rogue Traders recently investigated this new trend in the UK. They set up 2 identical houses, both with similar problems where the owners needed some plumbing fixed. Hidden cameras were set up round the house to observe the plumber. The Polish arrived on time, got straight to work and finished the job in good time. This was then compared to the British plumber. He arrived late, he spent twice as long doing the job, had a long lunch break halfway through (which he charges for) and then hands the invoice. In comparison, the Polish was largely cheaper, firstly because he spent half the time doing the job and secondly because he charges less per hour. The general public will almost always go for the cheaper option.

Hence the Polish have won this reputation for themselves. The migrants have been known to send money home to their family in order to support them. In some cases this has been up to and over 50% of their wage. In terms of the economy, this is bad as it is taking the circulating money out of the system by sending it to a foreign economy. Finally, there is the issue of migrants taking advantage of the state benefits. A child costs on average, 3000 a year to send to school which is paid for by the government. When migrants send their children to state schools it is therefore the tax money paying for them to be there. The members of the host country will see it as them paying for these migrants to get an education. What they dont see is what was mentioned above, that the working migrants are actually contributing a large amount of money to the government so effectively are paying for themselves. In the majority of cases, migrants are lowly paid so will often be found living in areas of poor housing in major cities within the inner city area. They are also unsuccessful in securing mortgage loans which results in very low owner occupancy rates in these areas. These areas are rough and unattractive, common characteristics include: - high crime rates, widespread graffiti, sub standard living conditions and rough gangs. These characteristics are blamed on the migrant population in these areas, in particular the Asian and Afro-Caribbean population. Ethnic minorities have also been discriminated against when accessing local authority housing; this being another example of taking from the system. However, there are some migrants that arent living in sub standard inner city areas. In recent times, highly skilled migrants have moved into higher end suburban areas where they live a well off life. These people are normally overlooked when looking at migrants. As previously mentioned, education is a large expense for the state. Schools in and around these inner city areas are often found to be dominated by one ethnic group. Being brought up in a home where they speak a foreign language for many of these school children results in special education requirements such as English language classes for the pupils and often for the parents as well. These special lessons affect the schools performance. Entering geography exams where the student is still not fluent in the language is seriously going to damage the results produced. This detracts other potential pupils from the school and also staff. The government has recently announced bonuses and increased salaries for teaching staff willing to teach at some of the inner city under performing schools to try attract better staff. This

along with the expensive extra lessons results in an expensive education for pupils which often arent British anyway. The problem after education for the UK is migrants then leaving the country with the qualifications learnt. So the UK has invested a large amount of tax money into educating this person and then, the country/economy receives nothing in return in terms of income tax received and so on. On the other hand, having many schools with a diverse range of pupils has helped open up the minds of school children. It has encouraged the dissipation of racism which was present in prior generations by allowing the children to experience first hand different races and realise the common urban myths arent true. It also allows children to have a broader knowledge of different cultures, languages and so on. This all helps the next generation of mixed race people integrate into society and be accepted as a British citizen. Healthcare was once a concern among newly arrived immigrants as they had not had the immunization jabs that the rest of the UK population had, making them more susceptible. It was hard to communicate to the migrants that they needed these jabs and also their religions would somehow restrict them. However, as successive generations have had access to better educations and broadened their minds, this has become a rare problem. The language of the migrants is an obvious initial barrier when it comes to making relations with the natives. This can be a problem when trying to find employment as well as it limits the tasks the worker can carry out. When dealing with legal work such as the police, it can take six times longer to fill out the paper work than it would do with a fluid English speaking person. A translator is normally needed which takes time and is costly. These barriers are only short term, and it normally doesnt take any longer than a year for the majority of migrants to pick up enough of the language to be able to communicate freely. Finally, the last social factor is religion. In todays society, this is most probably the largest racial discrimination the native people will have against migrants, particularly when it comes to the Islamists. The recent terrorism attacks and propaganda has scared the general public to an extent and caused them to be weary of minorities. Despite a very small minority of people actually believing in the extreme Islamist laws which leads them to terrorise non believers, these few extremists build up a bad reputation for the rest of the race. Another story the media will feed off encouraging racial hatred.

Leaving terrorism aside, the continuation of the cultures of a race in the host country brings with them a lot of trouble. Shariah law is the Islamic law which has been brought to the UK and in some areas where the Islamists dominate, the law is implemented. There are some ridiculous laws within the Shariah which gives the natives good ammunition for racial hatred. Mosques are the second big argument point brought over. They are often large buildings which dont in most cases fit into the surrounding environment so considered eye sores. This angers natives when they arent granted planning permission for comparatively small plans yet a large, unsightly mosque is granted permission. Some may call the building of mosques a symbol of a multicultural society and other people will call it an invasion. Other migrants who are not such strong religious believers arent much of a problem on the religious side of affairs. The Eastern European, Americans, Afro Caribbeans and Chinese all fit in generally well within the religious aspect of society as they either are Christian or non religious. In conclusion, UK has and still is adapting to a multicultural society successfully. Although the media publicising off a minority of bad stories, the migrants are generally well behaved and as subsequent generations of both native and mixed race people continue in the future, they will know no different and live side by side in harmony. The list of benefits migrant populations bring to the UK are endless and not publicised enough, they out run the problems with ease and as seen in most cases, the UK would be in a slightly tougher situation if the migrants were never there. They boost the economy significantly; 6 billion is estimated and are beginning to become far more important in supporting the non working population of the UK. There are disadvantages to them, with some races being better or worse than others but the majority of these problems are small integration problems which causes a bit of tension with the natives. There are some larger problems which are of concern such as terrorism but this is such a small minority of people, it shouldnt affect the rest of the migrant population because a few people spoil it. Migrants will probably always get themselves some sort of bad reputation amongst some people, partly down to the media, however the benefits should be considered and compared to the problems they do bring. If this were done more by the press, then perhaps integration would be a whole lot easier. What will you do next time you read a discriminatory article about a migrant population?

It is not a surprise any more that the multicultural population is

growing fast. Mediareach has been releasing analysis highlighted with data and facts to bring the attention of UK businesses to this important factor of changing demographics. According to the latest ONS statistics the population has increased by 3.1 million within 10 years. 55% of this 3.1 million increase was attributed mostly to the net migration making the total population 56.1million. The multicultural population in the whole UK is 7.5 million from which 2.5 million are from Europe and 5 million are from outside Europe. The number of illegal immigrants is not included in any of these figures. The unofficial estimate is around 2million*. London has become UKs economic powerhouse, sucking in people and investments and therefore the largest growth of population is in London, mostly in Tower of Hamlets, Newham. East England, and East Midlands and Manchester have also highest percentage growths in populations. From the business perspective these facts pose great opportunities for finding out where to invest and how to connect with this multicultural audience more effectively, thus topping up the revenues. Businesses can no longer afford to ignore Britains multicultural market if they want to strategically grow and increase their market share. We have one of the most diverse cities in the world where this ethnic population has over 300 billion disposable income. When prices are falling and the economy is hit hard, the main strategy is segmentation and precision marketing. One-size fits all approach loses its relevance. In the cities such as London 40% of the population is considered to have ethnic background. The diversity is what defines us more than ever. In fact, cultural media, community messaging and niche marketing is becoming the conduit of the advertisers in-the-know, who have already spotted the value for money and ROI that others are yet to catch onto. We have been arguing for quite a while that the big increase of multicultural population has not happened not just within the last 10 years but over the last 20 years or more. It is just the previous ONS data failed to show the real figure, missing out large number of population groups from the census questionnaire and ONS does not deny this. This is another reason why 2011 figures suddenly seemed record high. Although the figure demonstrates a hike in multicultural population yet is not the actual figure. A number of councils have been arguing that the true figure is much higher as the Councils have more people registered and paying council taxes, than the official figures show.

To add up more analysis on the mismatch for the figures is that in 2001-2009 it revealed that 21 % of UKs population is multicultural, but according to 2011 figure is only 12 % of the UK population. If it is claimed that the multicultural population is growing fast then the current figure cannot be less than before. Further shortcoming that has created hot debates is the actual population figure itself. Number of officials contemplate that the realistic number is between 56.1 to 63 million. Calculating the number of migrants rely on notoriously unreliable international passenger survey. It gives doggy data, at least 15% of these people are the ones who decide to leave. Fifths of those people are the ones who travel across the Irish Sea and do not stay in the UK. Even without deep analysis you can see the errors in the figures. According, to ONS statistics (year ending September 2011) the UK residents who were born aboard was 7.4 million, 5million come from outside Europe, 2.5 million come from Europe. The figures show that the number of children under five have increased, however, the census admits that it missed young people aged 10-19 from abroad too. This figures will become a battlefield and ground for boiling arguments around immigration, however we would like to emphasize on the actual business case from purely what is the most beneficial approach for UKs economy perspective. There is big economic cost to the country of limiting immigration. Last year the Office for Budget Responsibilities has centred assumption that if net inward migration fells to 140.000 (presently 250.000) and remains there over the next five decades. That would require spending cuts and tax rises of 17billion to bring down the national debt to 40% by 2064. However, if it stays on current rate of immigration and it is allowed to continue, that figure will fall to 4.6 billion by 2062. So the Government will have to make serious choice, boil down whether to import growth to the country and businesses through immigration or cut down public spending and raise taxes. The Government has promised to cut down the immigration to the electorate, but is the country and economy is not ready to pay the cost for it? Whatever is the actual figure, all of the analysis indicates one thing

for sure that the multicultural population is increasing fast it is going to become more visible in the near future. Simply accepting those facts would not be enough. Clever business and marketing strategies have to be developed to be able to connect with the diverse population of UK more effectively, taking into consideration their backgrounds and culture.

Britain has always been a multicultural or mixed race society which came about due to invasion by the Saxons, Romans, Vikings and Normans. This all happened before the eighteenth century where Africans were also brought to the UK. However, the policies of multiculturalism were adopted from the 1970s all the way to the 1980s. Britain became a multicultural society as from as early as the 1100s when immigrants from Netherlands first came to Britain. Since then most people from different cultures have made Britain their home, it is thought that about 8% of the population of Britain today are people from other cultures and ethnicities. Britain has always been a multicultural since time in memorial as Saxons, Normans and Romans have lived in Britain since the medieval times. In this day and age, immigration to Britain especially from the commonwealth countries and Britain?s tolerance has seen it being recognised as a multicultural society.

The United Kingdom a Multicultural Society The UK has welcomed newcomers for centuries. It is a mixture of diverse ethnic groups, each with their own distinct culture and sometimes their own language or religion. Afro Caribbean people, for example, arrived in the UK after the second World War.

There are over 1.5 million Muslims in Britain, mostly Asians. Asian, however, can be a misleading term as it refers to all those people with roots or family connections in the former British colonies of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Asian does not always mean that the person is of Indian descent. Not all Asians are Muslim. Some are Hindus and others are Sikhs. These 2 groups celebrate the festival of Diwalli on November 6th. The Irish have come to Britain for many years, looking for work. After World War Two Irish and other European workers were encouraged to take factory jobs. Britain couldnt get enough workers to help rebuild the economy and to work in the new Health Service so employers also looked to former colonies and Commonwealth countries. India, countries in Africa and the Caribbean had been controlled by Britain in the past and had strong cultural links with Britain, including the language. Many arrived in the hope of building a new life for their young families. The descendants of these immigrants are now the teachers, the footballers, the TV presenters, the musicians and the politicians that shape British society. There are numerous ethnic newspapers, magazines, TV programmes, radio stations and internet sites for each community. The largest groups live in and around the capital London and many other groups are concentrated in the industrial centres in Yorkshire, The Midlands and the South East. Ethnic minorities timeline 19th century: Jewish arrivals from Russia/Poland, escaping persecution; Irish people escape from poverty in rural Ireland 1948 50s: Caribbean workers invited to help rebuild post war Britain 1950s-60s: Asians from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh escape poverty 1970s: East African Asians escape persecution and Vietnamese escape war 1980s: Eastern European refugees arrive from war and political unrest

in Romania and the former Yugoslavia. Ethnic groups in the UK (6.5% of the British population are from ethnic minorities) White 53,074,000 (includes Irish, Polish, Italian etc). Black Caribbean 490,000 Black African 376,000 Black other 308,000 Indian 930,000 Pakistani 663,000 Bangladeshi 268,000 Chinese 137,000 Other Asian 209,000 (includes Vietnamese, Malaysian, Thai) Other 424,000 (people who did not think they fitted the above categories) (Figures from 2002)ritish Council - Language Assistant - Essential UK 2002 A Multicultural Society 1. Questionnaire Where do your family originally come from? Have they always lived in your town? Where were your grandparents born? Did they ever move to another town or country? When? Why? Has anyone in your family ever emigrated? Where did they go? Why? 2. Discuss which of the following factors might decide a persons ethnic group? religion sex skin colour language country of origin political opinions 3. Read and find out: Where do black people in Britain originate from? Which country or countries do British Asians come from? When was the main period of immigration into Britain? What is the largest ethnic minority in the UK today? 4. Interpretation Name as many former British colonies as you can. Why are the colonies important in understanding the UK today? Did your country have any colonies? When? Where? What was the main reason for immigration to Britain after the war? Think of 2 other possible reasons for ethnic groups to change

country. Where did most immigrants in the UK decide to live? What parts of your country might attract immigrants? Why? 5. Your country Describe your own ethnic group. Why do you belong to this group? Is your group a minority group in your own country? Describe the different ethnic groups that make up your country. Do you know the numbers for each group? Which are the main minority groups? Where did they originate? When and why did they move to your country? How do they contribute to the life of your nation? 6. Group discussion A group of immigrants or refugees will be arriving in your school soon. What aspects of school life might they need help with? How would you make them feel welcome? Describe 3 things you could do to help them get used to life in your country. http://www.britishcouncil.org/languageassistant-multiculturaluk.htmhe history of multicultural Britain IT Project Team, New York, For centuries people have settled in the UK, either through invasion, Britains expansion into the world, to escape political or religious persecution or in search of better economic opportunities making the UKs record on multiculturalism second to none in Europe. The Celts, who lived in Britain from the first millennium BC, were pushed into Scotland, Wales and Cornwall by the Romans and later invaders and settlers from Northern Europe including the Danes, Norse, Angles and Saxons. The Romans brought the first Black people to Britain; an African division of the Roman army was stationed at Hadrians Wall in the 3rd Century. The Normans invaded in 1066, adding French culture to Anglo-Saxon and Celtic life. A Jewish community came into Britain after 1066, until their expulsion in 1290. Oliver Cromwell allowed their resettlement in 1656. Lombards, Hansa and other

merchants came for trade, and Gypsies arrived in the 16th century. The Muslim population in Britain dates back to the 18th Century when Muslim sailors, known as lascars, serving on British merchant ships began settling in the port cities of Cardiff, Liverpool, Glasgow and London. The largest migration of Muslim communities began in the 1950s, coming mainly from South Asia and settling in inner city London, the industrial towns of the Midlands, and the textile towns of Lancashire, Yorkshire and Strathclyde. As of 2001 there are now approximately 1.6 million Muslims in Britain, making it the largest religious minority in Britain. The climate of tolerance also enabled communities fleeing persecution in Europe to settle in Britain as well as other groups attracted to Britain by the chance of economic security, often bringing new trades or coming to work in new industries. The legacy of the British Empire also attracted immigrants from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in the 1960s to 1980s; they now make up the largest immigrant communities. Many came because of the prospects of work in the textile and other industries. This history of immigration to Britain has produced todays uniquely diverse nation. There is now an estimated minority ethnic population of more than 4 million, 7.1% of the population. The Office for National Statistics projects that the minority ethnic population will almost double by 2020, because of its higher birth rate. Ethnic diversity has enriched British society, it is now home to communities from every corner of the globe. The different communities have helped build today's vibrant Britain and contributed to its economic, social, democratic and cultural development. Prime Minister Tony Blair said, We celebrate the diversity in our country, get strength

from the cultures and the races that go to make up Britain today.'

Around one in three of all Londoners belong to an ethnic minority group. The capital is home to resident communities from over 90 countries. Visitors come literally from all over the world. London welcomes people of every major faith and is home to 40 Hindu temples, at least 25 Sikh temples, and about 150 mosques. The 2001 census contained an optional religious question for the first time. A total of 621,366 people (8.7%) did not answer it. This was the third most popular choice, after Christian (58.2%) and No Religion (15.8%). 1% of Londoners described themselves as Jedi. They have been included in the No Religion figures. At the last census, England as a whole was 87% White British, while London was 59.8%. 3.2% of Londoners consider themselves to be of mixed race. Tower Hamlets has the highest proportion of Muslim residents of any local authority in the country, but even there it remains smaller than the Christian population. One in two black and Asian Britons are under 25. 41% of Bangladeshis are under the age of 16. The average age of members of the UK minority ethnic population is 27. Over the last 200 years various groups of immigrants have arrived in Britain. In the 19 th century Jewish people fled from persecution in Russia and Poland. Irish settlers tried to escape poverty. In 1948 the Windrush brought around 500 Jamaicans to the UK, followed by many more particularly as Caribbeans were encouraged to come to the UK to help rebuild post-war Britain. Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi settlers came in the 1950s and 1960s, followed by people from Vietnam and East African Asians in the 1970s. In the 1980s refugees arrived from Eastern Europe.

Having lots of different cultures, religions and styles has made Britain a country which is very mixed. This mix of cultures and styles has influenced music, art, dance writing and sport.

Over two-thirds of independently-owned local shops belong to people whose families are from another country. About 23% of Britain's doctors and 24% of restaurant employees were born in other countries. Curries and Chinese takeaways are as popular as fish and chips. Sol Campbell, Nasser Hussain and Audley Harrison rank among Britain's best sports stars.

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