| Page Views: 4,522 Last Visit to Bradford: - I Live Here | My Hometown of Bradford by Amara - last update: Nov 15, 2005 |
INTRODUCTION | My own design to show the Diversity of Bradford |
"Assalam alaikum"
This is the greeting used by Muslims meaning ‘peace and blessings to you’. In the last few years the Asian population of Bradford has managed to get itself negative coverage in the news when media described riots as ‘Bradford running amok’. Truth is, these riots were based in a single area of Bradford called Manningham.
FAMOUS BRADFORDIANS
Famous names from the Bradford district include: Timothy West, Prunella Scales, Dennis Healey, David Hockney, J.B Priestley, Barbara Castle, Margaret Mcmillan (who proposed the compulsory schooling for underclases and diminished child labour such as 'chimney sweeps'), Mohammed Ajeeb (the first Asian Lord Mayor in the UK)Snooker champ Joe Johnson,...together with Gareth and Nichola Gates, a number of well-known rock bands such as New Model Army, Terrorvision and...err...Smokie. Perhaps the most famous former inhabitants of the Bradford district were the Bronte sisters (Emily, Charlotte and Anne)
WHO AM I?
I am of Asian origin, my grandparent’s generation immigrated to Pakistan from Afghanistan so tracing back my roots my ancestors originate from Afghanistan.
My parent's generation play a significant role in shaping the history of post-war Bradford and the colourful multi-diverse multi-cultural Bradford. So how was life like for the Asian community during that time?
Let me tell you first about the history of Bradford itself then the emigration, the time leading to the riots and current Bradford: |
| Government was faced with a severe labour shortage |
|  | HISTORY Founded sometime around the time of the Norman Conquest, the original village of Bradford sprang up around the "Broad Ford" crossing Bradford Beck at church bank, by the site of Bradford Cathedral. At the turn of the nineteenth century, Bradford was a small rural market town where wool spinning and cloth weaving was carried out in cottages and farms. By 1841 Bradford was thriving with thirty-eight mills. Pending the industrial revolution, in the late eighteenth and nineteenth century, Bradford played an important role in producing goods to help the cost of the World Wars.
These famous mills are the reason my forefathers emigrated to the UK, Bradford’s booming industry and new mills needed labourers. However these weren’t the first emigrants. German merchants came and built flourishing businesses. Central and Western Irish were the biggest migration. By 1902 multi nations including Italians, Jewish émigrés, Poles, Ukrainians, Latvians,Estonians, Hungarians, Austrians added to the effort for Bradford’s involvement in the Wars.
It wasn’t till 1950’s when my parents generation arrived, as well as Afro-Carribean immigrants, Bangladeshis, East Africans, and Dominicans. My father has told me many an interesting story of the way they lived in their somewhat diverse and strange surroundings. He tells me how he and other young men with him and faked their details to be old enough to work in the mills. Their hours and conditions of work was gruelling and after a hard day’s work they came home to single flat houses which they shared sometimes six to seven members in one flat. Changes in the emigration laws led to these men bringing their wives and families to settle with them. The small community stuck together as they came to terms with their strange surroundings. Today, as you walk in the Asian populated areas of Bradford the community is still strong and communal. |
MANNINGHAM RIOTS The notorious Bradford riots are a product of the struggle of the Asian youth today as they try to identify who they are. Their parent generation enforces their own principles, yet these people have had their upbringing as multi-dimensional cultures. The cultural and ethnic mix has imposed huge challenges over more than forty years.
On a Saturday morning in the early summer of 1995, I was watching my favourite soap ‘Brookside’ when my uncle phoned to say that in the area of Manningham where he lived, a largely Asian Muslim populated area, had been torn by rioting. Not all of Bradford’s Asians were ‘running amok’, this was western media’s usual blowing out of proportion tactics. The tension had been building for a very long time community activists had gone through great pains to improve the living standards in the very rundown area of Manningham. Furthermore, many complaints had been made and community activists from all faiths and races tried to rid the its growing prostitution problems. The majority Muslim populated area were appalled by this problem. For those who are unaware, as a Muslim woman this sort of vice so close to our homes and young children was hugely demeaning to us. I can never forget the strange irony of the vision of walking in Manningham at that time where there was a great divide of women like me, who were modestly covered and then the very scantily clad vice women.
The prostitution gave rise to further problems such as drugs and violence. On one occasion a pimp threatened a group of activists with a gun. Police were sceptical of the vigilantes and feared it would spark violence towards the vice girls. After a café frequently used by the prostitutes was bombed, conflicts between Asian youth and the police broke out and this led to the infamous riots.
Since then the city has had many changes to improve. The commission highlighted many aspects that needed addressing such as education.
I took this picture when I had a jujitsu grading and we rented a hall in a school called Carlton Bolling College whose mainstream students are of the ethnic minorities. I was impressed with this art. It is made from clay and decorated with pebbles. It demonstrates a Muslim prostrating in prayer. The element of the Muslim religion is humility - especially towards God.
It shows there is an improvement in the Asian youth who are helping to build better prospects for themselves.*
ME AS A BRADFORDIAN
As you can see from my life as a young Asian, and from the pictures there is a clear mix of a strong Islamic identity Asian and Western characteristics,– )or more accurately the friendly Yorkshire lass in me! So now when you see an young Asian person during your visit to ‘Bradistan’ as we affectionately call it. Please rest assured not all of us are necessarily a shoe bomber or carry a machete in their pocket - mine is kept down my bra! …………Just kidding! | | | A student's work at a school in Manningham |
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> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]
| Pros: | "Multi diverse cultures in one city!" | | Cons: | "Not a great place for retail/designer shops - more for charity and 'pound' shops!" | | In A Nutshell: | "Worth a visit during festivals to sample the unique amicable people" |
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 Comments for Amara about Bradford | | | | |
virgomani Thu May 22, 2008 12:37 UTC
Hi Amara, Its Imran from Pakistan. You don,t seem to visited Pakistan properly..... I invite you to take a copmrehensive trip to Pakistan. Waiting for your response. By the way dont take any wrong meaning of my invitation. Take care Allah Hafiz | Bokhari76 Fri Dec 21, 2007 06:14 UTC
Thanks for your eCard Amara. Eid Mubarak & Happy New year wishes for you. | craic Thu Oct 25, 2007 23:29 UTC
oh hi - you are a really old member - bet yu have seen some changes | fabrice Tue Nov 21, 2006 09:25 UTC
if you were the 45th member to sign in , you are really here from the very beginning , there must be 600 000 members nowadays |
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