Debris and Lodging
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Asian Dub Foundation's "Debris" is an observation of British imperialism and how that prompted the migration of South Asians to the UK. The line that encompasses the entire essence of the song is:
"We're only here 'cos you were there, Consequences of your global pillage."
The last portion of this — global pillage — is in reference to all of the extraction of resources that was committed in colonized nations across the world, and by extension, also led to the dispersion of many individuals from those countries. These people, in search of greater opportunities, began to migrate to desired positions, such as nurses and ship workers, and even then, they were still exploited and often ended up homeless in London. This song is increasingly relevant now as even today, those who do not adopt the culture prevalent where they live are seen as outsiders or people burdening the state and taking from those who were there originally. Asian Dub Foundation does a good job of reminding people that the multiculturalism that is so rampant is due to imperialism from the past. It is important to highlight these issues as migrants are seen as scapegoats in many Western countries for economic topics such as the housing crisis, but as ADF says — "the fruits of our labour were used to build your nation," — showing that their entire country is built on oppression, and blaming those who were oppressed is not the correct way forward.
Both ADF and Visram explore this theme of persuasive migration, whether explicit or not, where inhabitants of a country are prompted to move abroad. Visram explores this concept through many types of migrants including nurses, footworkers, and even entertainment troupes. While what ADF referred to was less explicit, Visram provides specific examples and context for what took place. In many instances, South Asians would be brought to the UK under the pretense that they would be serving a family, but if that family were to require their services no longer, or if their caretaker died, they were abandoned and left to roam the streets or seek refuge in lodging houses. These houses played a large role in the formation of racialized communities as they became a gathering place for all of those who were displaced, and even then, they were exploitative, requiring 16 shillings a week for overcrowded rooms with up to 50-60 ayahs in one house. These lodging houses not only continued to exploit these communities but also created a sort of systematic segregation as immigrant communities all sought shelter there.
This trend continued for the lascars, where Indian sailors lived in poor conditions and lodging houses scattered across seaport towns such as Cardiff. Gilliat-Ray and Mellor continue this theme of exploitation (and lodging houses) but focus mainly on Indian, Yemeni and Somali seamen. Being from colonial countries, they were recruited as members of nations with "strong merchant shipping traditions"; however, the reason for their employment was less honest. British labourers were less and less willing to work on steam vessels given the rough work, so external recruitment was required.
In terms of Islamophobia, the primary difference between that against the Yemeni and Somali lascars versus the modern day is that this early racism primarily stemmed from economic factors. While the Muslims coming for their jobs initially was not a problem as they were undesirable, this changed following WWI, as Gilliat-Ray and Mellor mention:
"Muslims began to feel the sharp end of prejudice with calls that they should "go home." The tensions that arose led to violent race riots and attacks on boarding houses inhabited by Muslim seafarers in 1919.
This shows that the tensions during the prominence of the Yemeni and Somali lascars were driven by fear of competition for jobs, while in the modern day, there is a significant focus on the cultural and religious differences and consideration of these communities as the "other."
External Source Referenced: https://www.exodus2013.co.uk/the-lascars-of-london-and-liverpool/