For Sivanandan, what is the relationship between colonialism, the free market, immigration, and race?
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Sivandan unravels the links between colonialism, the free market, immigration, and race in the U.K. post World War II. At first, immigration laws let the free market decide how many immigrants were needed for economic growth. The free market ‘welcomed’ cheap labour from Britain’s colonies and determined what work they would do. Coloured immigrants ended up getting jobs that white people did not want to do. They had a low status, and everyone made money off their situation. Discrimination and racism ensured that the white working-class and the low-status immigrants would not try to destroy the system created by the higher classes. The state ensured the alienation of coloured immigrants, dividing the labour movement.
There are similarities with the status of Indian immigrants to the U.S. during the 20th Century. Working-class immigrants were excluded from rights and citizenship laws. Most of them had low-status jobs and were violently discriminated against. Mubarek Ali Khan and J. J. Singh, two Indian men of the elite, tried to change the status quo to make them eligible for U.S. citizenship in 1945. However, they argued by presenting a list of accomplishments by Indian scholars, scientists and engineers. They only fought for high-status Indians, reinforcing the class system and devaluing the majority of Indian immigrants. In both contexts, coloured immigrants ended up with low-status jobs. Racism and classicism in the country ensured their low status and prevented them from having rights.