Shared Black Identity

Can we still speak of a shared ‘black’ identity, inclusive of people of Asian as well as African descent? Discuss the contribution of this term to debates on contemporary ethnic identities.

“An identity gives us a location in the world and presents the link between us and the society in which we live in” (Woodward, 1999:1). In contemporary society, an individual’s sense of identity provide the answer to the question ‘Who am I’? An individual’s identity also provides the foundation for their social and political concerns “An identity gives us an idea of who we are and how we relate to others in the social world”. (Woodward, 1999:1).

The ethnic identity of an individual has become a significant source of identity, especially in present day ‘multicultural’ Britain, with groups of individuals originating from differing cultural and religious backgrounds. The American Civil Rights movement led to many individuals of contrasting non-white groups, identifying themselves with an oppressed, non-white minority with differing cultural and ethnic backgrounds, different from the indigenous white population.

Consequently leading to the term ‘black’ being adopted has an ‘umbrella’ to “capture the commonalities in experience of racial and ethnic exclusion” (Mason, 2000:17); however the use of this term has become highly contested in British society over recent decades. In the United States of America the term ‘black’ has been used to describe those of African descent however in Britain, especially in the 1970’s and 1980’s, the term has been applied to those individuals who are non-white and not of African descent, namely those of Asian origins (India, Pakistan and Bangladesh).where as the term “Asian” has always referred to people of South Asian origin, such as Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. It has tended to exclude the Chinese population” (Song, 2003:99). For the indigenous white population of Britain, the idea of ethnic identity is less politicized than that of ‘black’ identity; in Britain it tends to be the norm when an individual is ‘white’. The idea of ethnic identity becomes actively important on rare occasions, such as sporting events, when individual’s shows acts of patriotism in support for the English, Welsh or Scottish national teams in sports such as Rugby.

The usage of the term ‘black’ to identify individuals and populations has experienced fundamental transformations over recent decades; usage of such a term still remains highly contested. In many discourses the word ‘black’ symbolizes negative aspects of social life but social movements have done much to challenge such discourses, placing an emphasis on the beauty of being ‘black’, popular cultures such as lyrics within musical songs have expressed the beauty associated with being ‘black’ providing a simple and meaningful political statement for which the ‘non-white’ population of Britain can become united in achieving equality against the sometimes ‘oppressive’ white population.

According to Song (2003), the idea of a shared ‘black’ identity is best represented through non-governmental organizations such as the Organization of Women of African and Asian Descent (OWAAD), the idea of a shared ‘black’ identity provided a unifying basis for Asian and African Caribbean women in their efforts to develop a Black Feminist perspective, highlighting the inequalities experienced by non-white middle class women. This idea of a shared ‘black’ identity was influential in “constructing common political strategies to confront patriarchal practices, racism and class inequalities” (Song 2003: 100)

However the idea of a shared ‘black’ identity gives ...

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However the idea of a shared ‘black’ identity gives the idea of a monolithic ‘black’ population, with common cultural attributes. During the period of decolonization migrant workers immigrated to the United Kingdom forming a fraction of the working class population, These migrants from the colonies and ex-colonies of Britain, had a collective aspiration for economic growth, coupled with a sense of a communal English language, these migrant workers were able to consort with each other in the inner-city housing estates that had been vacated by white populated, who were sceptical of their new ‘unwelcome visitors’. ‘Black’ became a political colour, a source of identity to those who had experienced undifferentiated racism. A shared ‘black’ identity in contemporary society gives the impression of a homogenous group of individuals.

The term ‘black’ has been used inconsistently in present day society; it is usually used to refer to those solely of African descent, only sometimes included to refer to those of Asian origins, this has led individuals with family roots in the Indian sub-continent to “now reject the generalized use of the label” (Gillborn and Gipps,1996:8).

The make-up of the African Caribbean and Asian population in Britain has become varied in modern day Britain; Anwar (1999) stated that Britons of South Asians totalled over 1.7 million compared to that of fewer than 8,000 people in 1955 (cited in Song, 2003:100), social experiences have created a ‘collective understanding’ however a sense of division has occurred between the diverse ethnic and religious groups comprising of Asian descent. The broad category of the term ‘Asian’ ignores the differences in political, economic and religious profiles in these different communities, an example of this can be shown in the education system, where different levels of attainments is experienced between Indian and Bangladeshi pupils. “Indian pupils are shown to achieve results marginally better than their white peers…Bangladeshi pupils were less likely to achieve five or more higher grades and more likely to leave school without qualifications” (Gillborn and Gipps, 1996:23).

Contemporary scholars have argued against the idea of a shared ‘black’ identity, Modood (1997) has criticized way in which the symbolic domination of ‘blackness’ and ‘whiteness’ is portrayed in society. He argues that the term ‘black’ portrays an essentialist identity for ethnic minorities; it symbolizes a monolithic, homogenous group of individuals. Moodod also argued that the ‘non-white’ population possesses many diverse identities. In a contemporary society it can be said that a greater emphasis is placed upon ethnicity and cultural upbringing rather than that to dwell in the significance of a collective ‘black’ identity.

This idea has been highlighted by the increasing number of young second-generational Asian youth identifying themselves as British Muslims, as opposed to other identities, such as Pakistani. The revival of Islam as a world religion has led to many scholars such as Jacobson (1997), arguing that religion has become a source of identity that crosses over different cultures and ethnicities. “Islam is important…because it is about how you think, not what country you are from” (Jacobson, 1997:245 cited in Abercrombie et al, 2006:239). The idea of Islam as a sense of identity unifies people has one entity.

The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre, however, have only increased the differing forms of racial abuse experienced between communities of African and Asian descent. The widespread presence of Islamaphobia has depicted certain sections of the Asian population with religious fanaticism and ‘backwards’ methods following the debate, on whether Muslim females should be allowed to where veils in contemporary society, this is contrasted by a fraction of the Asian population in Britain are depicted has being hard-working individuals. This differs from the way in which those of African descent are racially stereotyped has deviant individual’s involved in criminal activity.

In the revolutionary political climate of the late 1960’s and early 70’s, the idea of a shared ‘black’ identity had a greater significance, however in a less radicalized political climate the emphasis has been placed on a cultural understanding and individuality therefore weakening the sense of a shared ‘black’ political identity. Increasing racial and ethnic tensions have led to the fragmentation in the notion of a shared ‘black’ identity. The Birmingham riots at the start of the twenty-first century have only highlight such issues. A major problem with the inclusion of those of Asian descent in a shared ‘black’ identity, is partly due to a fraction of people within the Asian population identifying themselves as not being ‘black’, recent discourses have associate the idea of ‘black’ identity being associated with those of African descent, Evidence have shown that an increasing number of African Caribbean people have placed on emphasis the skin-colour of an individual has a strong source of identity.

The idea of a shared ‘black’ identity has evolved over recent decades, with a greater emphasis being placed upon, economic religious and cultural factors has a source of identity. New ethnic identities are emerging among younger members if minorities groups in Britain, leading to generational clashes between parents and children. This idea of new ethnic identities is best highlighted in the form of some young Islamic women, who have associated themselves with a different identity, to that of their mothers. An increasing number of individual within the Asian population share a dual identity, in which they inherent an Asian identity and adopt a British one. This has led to individual having the ability to interact between two different cultures, for example one is able to identify themselves has British when abroad but in Britain, a greater emphasis is placed on their cultural background. Hall (2002) has described the idea of ‘black’ being a constructed identity. The process of identity is a continuing process always altering. (Cited in Mason, 2000:28)

The emergence of hip-hop in popular culture has lead to a younger generation of Britons adopting a similar fashion taste and speaking the same language in the form of colloquial speech, this has only challenged the characteristics attributed with a sense of identity.

The evolution of new ethnic identities, suggests that the notion of a shared ‘black’ identity has ‘evaporated’ in contemporary society, whilst a shared ‘black’ identity provides a based for political change, it constructs an idea of a homogeneous social group. The notions of a shared ‘black’ identity developed out of the collective experience of oppression and disadvantage. In a political climate where Asian and African Caribbean people face diverse forms of racial abuse and inequalities, “such differences undermine the legitimacy of the notion of a collective ‘Black’ identity”. (Song, 2003:103). The emergence of differing levels in achievement among ethnic groups have led to a shared ‘black’ identity becoming fragmented, with individuals forming new ethnic minorities, with minority groups “constantly redrawing and renegotiating their boundaries…all against the backdrop of historical events and contingencies” (Song, 2003:103). Those of the Asian descent have rather placed a greater significance on cultural factors when identify their ethnic identity, therefore the idea of a shared ‘black’ identity is not an essentialist as in previous decades. Racial discrimination in society still persist today, ‘Black’ still remains a political colour, it providences the foundation for ethnic minority to become united to eradicate the stigma of racism in all its form from society. However ones need’s to take into the increasing amount of diversity within ethnic minority groups.

Bibliography

Abercrombie, N and et al, (2006) Contemporary British Society, Polity

Booth, H (1988) Identifying Ethnic Origin: The Past, Present and Future of Official Data Production, Gower

Gillborn D and Gipps C (1996), Recent Research on the Achievement of Ethnic minorities Pupils: Report for the Office for Standards in Education. London: HMSO

Mason, D (2000), ‘Race and Ethnicity’ (2nd ed), Oxford University Press

Modood, T (1997), The Politics of Multiculturalism in the New Europe: Racism, Identity and Community, Zed Books

Song, M (2003, Choosing Ethnic Identity, Polity

Woodward, K (1997), Identity and Difference, Sage Publications

http://www.guardian.co.uk/race/story/0,11374,1653120,00.html