Jack Crangle, "Migrants, Immigration and Diversity in Twentieth-century Northern Ireland: British, Irish or 'Other’?" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023)

Sep 20, 2024

Jack Crangle, an author focused on national identity and immigration in Northern Ireland, delves into the complex identities of migrants during the twentieth century. He explores how the Troubles impacted immigrants' experiences and the challenges they faced, especially concerning sectarian divides. By highlighting personal stories from Italian, Indian, and Chinese migrants, Crangle reveals the deep-seated issues of belonging and exclusion. He urges a reevaluation of societal structures in light of today’s growing diversity, bridging historical and contemporary perspectives on migration.

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Intro

00:00 • 3min

Exploring Migrant Narratives in Northern Ireland

03:03 • 11min

Religious Identities and Migrant Experiences in Northern Ireland

13:51 • 10min

Migrant Identities in Northern Ireland

23:34 • 16min

Historical Perspectives on Immigration and Diversity in Northern Ireland

39:31 • 2min

Reshaping Identity in Northern Ireland

41:39 • 10min

Addressing questions about what it means to be ‘British’ or ‘Irish’ in the twenty-first century, Migrants, Immigration and Diversity in Twentieth-Century Northern Ireland: British, Irish or “Other”? (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023) focuses its attention on twentieth-century Northern Ireland and demonstrates how the fragmented and disparate nature of national identity shaped and continues to shape responses to social issues such as immigration. Immigrants moved to Northern Ireland in their thousands during the twentieth century, continuing to do so even during three decades of the Troubles, a violent and bloody conflict that cost over 3,600 lives.

Foregrounding the everyday lived experiences of settlers in this region, in this groundbreaking book, Dr Jack Crangle comparatively examines the perspectives of Italian, Indian, Chinese and Vietnamese migrants in Northern Ireland, outlining the specific challenges of migrating to this small, intensely divided part of the UK. The book explores whether it was possible for migrants and minorities to remain ‘neutral’ within an intensely politicised society and how internal divisions affected the identity and belonging of later generations. An analysis of diversity and immigration within this divided society enhances our understanding of the forces that can shape conceptions of national insiders and outsiders - not just in the UK and Ireland - but across the world. It provokes and addresses a range of questions about how conceptions of nationality, race, culture and ethnicity have intersected to shape attitudes towards migrants. In doing so, the book invites scholars to embrace a more diverse, ‘four-nation’ approach to UK immigration studies, making it an essential read for all those interested in the history of migration in the UK.

This interview was conducted by Niall Herron, a PhD student at Queen's University Belfast in Anthropological Studies, researching queer assemblages during the Troubles in NI.

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