Immigrants

VOCABULARY

Source: www.statistics.gov.uk

The majority of the UK population in 2001 were White (92 per cent). The remaining 4.6 million (or 7.9 per cent) people belonged to other ethnic groups.

Indians were the largest of these groups, followed by Pakistanis, those of Mixed ethnic backgrounds, Black Caribbeans, Black Africans and Bangladeshis. The remaining minority ethnic groups each accounted for less than 0.5 per cent of the UK population and together accounted for a further 1.4 per cent.

In the 1960's many people came to Britain with British passports from former overseas territories and colonies. The colonies became independent, and sometimes independence resulted in clashes between ethnic groups, for instance in East Africa between groups of an Indian/Pakistani background and the original black population. The Indians could use their British passports, which they had got as commonwealth citizens, to emigrate to Britain, thus getting away from racial persecution. In the 1990's many people fled from trouble spots around the world. A lot of them tried to get into Western Europe, either as asylum seekers and/or in some cases as illegal immigrants. In the beginning of the 21st century there are fairly big muslim populations in many Western European countries. This has led to "culture clashes" and "clashes of civilizations" when the groups of new-comers and the original population do not understand each others' cultures and life styles.

The standard of living is much higher in Western Europe (European Union) and the surrounding Arab, Iranian and African areas. Gross domestic product (BNP) per capita (hoved/indbygger) in central and northern parts of the EU is about 30.000 $ per capita, whereas in for instance Morocco it is only about 1000 $ per capita. Unemployment and other social problems are massive in these neighbouring areas. It is no wonder then, that on top of the asylum seekers there is also a number of "economic" migrants who want to enter the "promised land", the European Union.

In North America there is a parallel situation. The wage level south of the Rio Grande is a fraction (about 1/8 to 1/10) of that north of the border. Consequently many Mexicans - and other groups, for instance Central Americans - want to leave poverty and unemployment behind and move north to try and get a bit of the American dream. It is estimated that there are millions of Latin American migrants living illegally in the USA.

Grammar exercise: Find the expanded tense (udvidet tid) forms in the text below. Explain why expanded tense is used:

"Don't, don't, don't, don't quarrel with me," she moaned, and laid her head on his shoulder. "All the others have been quarrelling all day. Everybody's been quarrelling. They're all worried about money. Mrs Hutchinson's mother is dying of cancer in Florida and they don't have enough money to send her to the Mayo Clinic. At least, Mr Hutchinson says they don't have enough money. And some woman in this building is having an affair with the handyman- with that hideous handyman. It's too disgusting. And Mrs Melville has heart trouble and Mr Hendricks is going to lose his job in April and Mrs Hendricks is horrid about the whole thing and that girl who plays the "Missouri Waltz" is a whore, a common whore, and the elevator man has tuberculosis and Mr Osborn has been beating Mrs Osborn." She wailed, she trembled with grief and checked the stream of tears down her face with the heel of her palm.

Find adjectives and adverbs in the text below. How does the authour use these words stylistically:

The Westcotts were going out for dinner that night, and when Jim came home, Irene was dressing. She seemed sad and vague, and he brought her a drink. They were dining with friends in the neighbourhood, and they walked to where they were going. The sky was broad and filled with light. It was one of those splendid spring evenings that excite memory and desire, and the air that touched their hands and faces felt very soft. A Salvation Army band was on the corner playing "Jesus Is Sweeter" Irene drew on her husband's arm and held him there for a minute, to hear the music. "They're really such nice people, aren't they?" she said. "They have such nice faces. Actually, they're so much nicer than a lot of the people we know." She took a bill from her purse and walked over and dropped it into the tambourine. There was in her face, when she returned to her husband, a look of radiant melancholy that he was not familiar with. And her conduct at the dinner party that night seemed strange to him, too. She interrupted her hostess rudely and stared at the people across the table from her with an intensity for which she would have punished her children.

It was still mild when they walked home from the party, and Irene looked up at the spring stars. "How far that little candle throws its beams," she exclaimed. "So shines a good deed in a naughty world." She waited that night until Jim had fallen asleep, and then went into the living room and turned on the radio.