Britain’s Windrush veterans: the battle to be British

It’s been seventy years since 492 passengers disembarked from the Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks. Invited to Britain as part of the first generation of workers from the Caribbean, some went on to serve in the armed forces. Over the decades they served in conflicts around the world as British citizens - or so they thought.
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In the Afro Caribbean centre in Peterborough veterans meet up and play dominoes - and reflect on a Britain that has seen so many of their generation faced with deportation and their immigration status questioned. Warning - this report contains offensive language.

Пікірлер: 134

  • @rufdymond
    @rufdymond5 жыл бұрын

    Well I'm black and was born in England in 1962, I am a child of that Windrush generation but I have never felt British even at 57 years of age and living in England my whole life. Growing up in the 60s and 70s was so traumatic, the beatings, being spat on , abuse, intimidation and beatings by police those things stay with you. It was always made clear to me growing up that I wasn't wanted here and its clear that even in 2019 nothing has changed. Oh, its more sophisticated now but the underlining message is still there....your're not wanted.

  • @louise-yo7kz

    @louise-yo7kz

    4 жыл бұрын

    Well said👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

  • @leval1000

    @leval1000

    4 жыл бұрын

    Blackbeard You could say the same about Americans, Australians and South Africans. You guys in Europe talk so much like you’ve only ever stayed in one continent. You guys stole other lands.

  • @antoniomonteiro3188

    @antoniomonteiro3188

    4 жыл бұрын

    Good,feel,same

  • @Rem1Gnova

    @Rem1Gnova

    4 жыл бұрын

    Blackbeard he was born here, he shouldn’t have to leave just because some people are scumbags

  • @crackajacka87

    @crackajacka87

    3 жыл бұрын

    As a white English man in his 30's my experiences on racial behaviour in England seems that most English dont see black people negatively and most racial abuses is directed at Indians or muslims than on black people and I grew up in a poor family with poor friends and had some black friends growing up and yes, racism still happens but that'll happen where ever you are in the world, if you look, act or dress differently to someone else, people will use that as a means of attack or will associate them with a certain group and tbh, I'm proud of the black british we have and see no problems with them at all. The police are cunts especially if you grew up poor and look poor because they'd associate that image with criminals and sadly, many blacks are poor and some turn to crime like white chavs do and so the police are unjust towards these groups purely based on looks rather than actual evidence and that will never go away sadly.... Change will be slow as we adapt with the differences but prejudice will never go away and it's something we are all built to do, you have all judged others based on appearance and this is the truth. I have been judged and called names in my past with people who knew no better and even though it wasn't because of the colour of my skin it was for other features that I have no control over like for having a big nose or big lips or because of my slightly bucked teeth. People are dicks and it's best to ignore them.

  • @BritishJamaican777
    @BritishJamaican7776 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for posting and highlighting this.

  • @wendyalexander5342
    @wendyalexander53426 жыл бұрын

    Teresa May screwed them so much. Thank you for showing this. They had British Citizen on their passports! When did it change? They come from a British Commonwealth and ARE British citizens. Just as Puerto Ricans are here in the States.

  • @averyhamilton960

    @averyhamilton960

    4 жыл бұрын

    The problem is that in most of these Caribbean countries constitutions when they were going Independent is that you have a time frame that you have to file for British citizenship, if you don't then after that time frame past they will give u the nationality of the country u were born in.

  • @grahamt5924

    @grahamt5924

    4 жыл бұрын

    They never applied for a british passport.

  • @jo-annprovidence-harris545
    @jo-annprovidence-harris5456 жыл бұрын

    My uncle Louie😊

  • @vickymc9695
    @vickymc96956 жыл бұрын

    I hate that the torrys are doing this.

  • @louise-yo7kz

    @louise-yo7kz

    4 жыл бұрын

    Hey

  • @louise-yo7kz

    @louise-yo7kz

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@analogeit 🤜🏾

  • @ThulishaW

    @ThulishaW

    Жыл бұрын

    FYI it's Tories

  • @NorbieGonthemic
    @NorbieGonthemic Жыл бұрын

    I landed in Southampton 1961 at age 14. Does that make me a part of the Windrush generation? 🤔

  • @sarahaugustus5288

    @sarahaugustus5288

    3 ай бұрын

    yes

  • @bellabenson07
    @bellabenson076 жыл бұрын

    What an incredible piece of moving journalism! Well done Channel 4 News. ☯️☮️💖

  • @oriel229

    @oriel229

    5 жыл бұрын

    You've never had to live alongside the fuckers.

  • @nicoledaniels8936
    @nicoledaniels89364 жыл бұрын

    I love hard-working respectable black men! This is so sad blatant racism!

  • @omalone1169

    @omalone1169

    4 жыл бұрын

    Peace unto it needs to be realised and remembered that the Windrush Horror highlighted between 2014 and 2019 speaks to The Racial Contract subjecting nonwhite bodies to this epistemic closure and ideological violence along with the accompanying policing (surveillance). It is this context of captivity that has to be challenged for it creates this condition of global terror: “the only workable method of controlling immigration from the Commonwealth without either bringing such immigration to a virtual standstill or ostensibly discriminating against immigrants on a basis of colour [...it] would apply equally to all parts of the Commonwealth, without distinction on ground of race and colour, in practice it would interfere to the minimum extent with the entry of persons from the ‘old’ Commonwealth” Source www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jun/16/windrush-scandal-the-long-betrayal-archived-documents-david-olusoga cambridge.academia.edu/omalone1

  • @goldenoatie

    @goldenoatie

    9 ай бұрын

    You've met such a person?

  • @grahamt5924
    @grahamt59244 жыл бұрын

    What I dont understand is why they never got a British passport after all these years. Have they never traveled anywhere in 6o years.

  • @chuckemeade

    @chuckemeade

    3 жыл бұрын

    They should have been citizens automatically.

  • @chuckemeade

    @chuckemeade

    3 жыл бұрын

    They were born British citizens.

  • @grahamt5924

    @grahamt5924

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@chuckemeade they where born British, until Jamacia voted to leave the empire. At this point, those people born in Jamaica had to make a decision about which citizenship they wanted. These people did not decide for some reason.

  • @ijumaainjabulo5983

    @ijumaainjabulo5983

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@grahamt5924 The fact that they never left Britain for Jamaica showed which choice they made.

  • @tomtom-yj8yq
    @tomtom-yj8yq4 жыл бұрын

    I'm still wondering WHY? why did Britain do this?

  • @gettygets872

    @gettygets872

    4 жыл бұрын

    For the same reason they enslaved us for 400 years ! Power, hate, subjugation, insecurities, greed... and on and on.

  • @tomtom-yj8yq

    @tomtom-yj8yq

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@gettygets872 yes, this is true...this is true!!! they NEVER did stop this race hate...I started looking into my history and realised that Europe and America now make more money by raping Africa...than they did during slavery!!! I'll NEVER forgive...so I have started to hate now too, I don't want to...I have to.

  • @joansolomon1194

    @joansolomon1194

    Ай бұрын

    Do what? Precisely?

  • @Nathan.Manchester
    @Nathan.Manchester6 жыл бұрын

    Thankyou so much Channel 4 for highlighting this issue when do many others just ignored it - a well deserved like from me 👍👍

  • @MaaaM79
    @MaaaM796 жыл бұрын

    Has the Queen ever acknowledged them?

  • @lenks1018

    @lenks1018

    5 жыл бұрын

    nope

  • @msjapan112

    @msjapan112

    4 жыл бұрын

    Prince Charles did.

  • @chuckemeade

    @chuckemeade

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@msjapan112 Charles never gets credit for being the forward thinker he is.

  • @chuckemeade

    @chuckemeade

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@M.M0709 Prove it.

  • @chuckemeade

    @chuckemeade

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@M.M0709 Everything you don't agree with or dislike is not necessarily fake news, where is the proof?

  • @ancupola1994
    @ancupola1994 Жыл бұрын

    A very moving and accurate documentary. Theresea May has so much to answer for.

  • @luvthetruth4ever955
    @luvthetruth4ever9554 жыл бұрын

    I know the Queen and/or Monarchy is just a figure head in UK. However, it's high time that this beloved Queen utilize her authority in a matter such as this. I wonder what would happen if the Queen or Crown Prince should step up to the Government about her royal subjects from the commonwealth, who came to the call to serve and protect. Will she tell them to stop this inhumane actions? It's time for the Queen to do her part, after all, she was there when her subjects were called and it was her they came to serve. The Queen is needed to intervene in this matter.

  • @thomasreed49
    @thomasreed497 ай бұрын

    But they should be prouder coming from sub-Saharan Africa I can never understand these people that want to play their British

  • @Ray-qi2wf
    @Ray-qi2wf Жыл бұрын

    But yet we still love em

  • @m.k.s.7417
    @m.k.s.74172 жыл бұрын

    1 OF THE many reasons, I feel, that 'we'/'us': "P.O.C.": Should_ -surely; = "boycott the military!!"!!

  • @TexRose956
    @TexRose9566 жыл бұрын

    What I saw was very informative. Had to stop due to annoying background music and could not hear testimony.

  • @jamaicantillidie6626
    @jamaicantillidie66267 ай бұрын

    Those people of the Windrush Generation were properly subjugated and stewed to subjugated perfection.

  • @philliplyn2692
    @philliplyn26923 жыл бұрын

    Loving this one thanks for sharing very information blessed love to all knowledge is power hopefully everyone pays attention keep up the good work 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲

  • @peterbradshaw8018
    @peterbradshaw80183 жыл бұрын

    I absolutely love Una Marson. Her poetry is divine. Love her, love her. love her ! 14:05. First black woman at the BBC.

  • @London_miss234

    @London_miss234

    2 жыл бұрын

    I’ve bought Una Marson’s biography and a book of poetry. Excellent.

  • @MichelleNo1738
    @MichelleNo1738 Жыл бұрын

    This is so heartbreaking to hear their accounts ! Racism is absolutely so nonsensical it’s crazy to fathom that people view others as less than because they are a different skin colour !! We are all humans ! Black people are not aliens with different body parts ! We all are the same ! Different shades different features ! It’s heartbreaking to think about this which still happens today in 2022 !

  • @annrrf1464
    @annrrf14644 жыл бұрын

    The fashion was so respectable in those days

  • @likelylikewise
    @likelylikewise4 ай бұрын

    My heart bleeds for these people - classic Britain, sell a lie to decent people, use them & disrespect them.

  • @benbow7
    @benbow76 жыл бұрын

    Free Speech Free Press Free Tommy

  • @MrUnkownUnknown

    @MrUnkownUnknown

    Жыл бұрын

    @benbow2 Rats like you, are the type to claim you care about the elderly, and those who fought in WW2, or people from that generation in general, but still lack even a small amount of empathy, for these people, and the way they were treated by the government.

  • @bluefilmsltd
    @bluefilmsltd4 жыл бұрын

    Interesting.

  • @dunique26
    @dunique264 жыл бұрын

    If a person fights for a country they need to b seen as a citizen. How dare u use these men, have them risk they lives and u say they not citizens.

  • @janetoliver4266
    @janetoliver42662 жыл бұрын

    My uncle said when a lady showed him the mattress on the floor for a bed, he said if he could have rolled up his pants foot and walked back to Jamaica, he would have but he couldn't, very sad.

  • @goldenoatie

    @goldenoatie

    9 ай бұрын

    Exactly. He never went back. The welfare office was closer.

  • @bennettstephenson9090
    @bennettstephenson90904 жыл бұрын

    can people understand that anywhere in the world you born that's the place is home. so most of these people great Britain is not their home.you must first recognize your home that the place is your home

  • @MrUnkownUnknown

    @MrUnkownUnknown

    Жыл бұрын

    @Bennett Stephenson What does your incoherent comment mean? They've lived here, longer than the place they were born.

  • @antoniomonteiro3188
    @antoniomonteiro31884 жыл бұрын

    Bro,European,poeple,go,same,way

  • @thetempter9023
    @thetempter90234 жыл бұрын

    When that woman was upset saying that they sang rule Britannia but now we treat our enmies better then the Carribbean such a sad affair really..

  • @cassc7393

    @cassc7393

    3 жыл бұрын

    My mum, she is very patriotic and very passionate.

  • @ijumaainjabulo5983

    @ijumaainjabulo5983

    3 жыл бұрын

    She should have been ashamed of singing that song. But when you're so eager to be accepted by whites....

  • @thetempter9023

    @thetempter9023

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@ijumaainjabulo5983 what? I mean it's upsetting that she considered it a place she could call home and actually probably valued the country more then the people living there. But was still treated badley is a damn shame really Should have been welcomed with open arms.

  • @ScruffySandra
    @ScruffySandra2 ай бұрын

    The choice is simple to anyone who isnt happy in England. Leave

  • @arjanstafa1969
    @arjanstafa19695 жыл бұрын

    What

  • @sullivanthetaz
    @sullivanthetaz4 жыл бұрын

    Pierce I am glad to see you and your team stand up for what is right. Deporting these people is disgraceful. I know you are not racist but many still are and shame on them!!!

  • @maebell7515
    @maebell75154 жыл бұрын

    Name calling sons of Lucifer.

  • @maebell7515

    @maebell7515

    4 жыл бұрын

    **********************************************************

  • @scottthompson7329
    @scottthompson73294 жыл бұрын

    As "British" as this Englishman is Zulu.

  • @mauricealexander3834

    @mauricealexander3834

    2 жыл бұрын

    Brit- ish The real covenant- man

  • @akanibaone7082
    @akanibaone70824 жыл бұрын

    They should stand for their right to stay there because they built Britian, but not to fight for being British, embrace being African be proud of your heritage.

  • @grahamt5924

    @grahamt5924

    4 жыл бұрын

    The whole point is that they never took up a British citizenship when they where given the choice to. Just like Brexit now. People are having to choose where they want to be citizens. The reason for this is that the people in Jamaica wanted to be independent of Britain. At that point those who where British had to choose to be either Jamacan or British. These people decided to remain Jamacain and are now treated as foreign citizens.

  • @MrUnkownUnknown

    @MrUnkownUnknown

    Жыл бұрын

    @Akani Baone Britishness, is also their heritage.

  • @nicoledaniels8936
    @nicoledaniels89364 жыл бұрын

    COMMUNITY!!!!!

  • @dewolff6937
    @dewolff69376 жыл бұрын

    🤢🤢

  • @randyrustybuts9566
    @randyrustybuts95664 жыл бұрын

    The median of 18 reasonably representative samples gives us an IQ of 80 for Jamaica. This is also consistent with Samms-Vaughan (2005 ), one of the more recent and methodologically robust studies, which shows an average IQ of about 81.3 Mar 2013

  • @goldenoatie

    @goldenoatie

    9 ай бұрын

    Read the bell Curve.

  • @magdalenethomas6130
    @magdalenethomas61304 жыл бұрын

    Shame on England

  • @winstonsmith4156
    @winstonsmith41563 жыл бұрын

    We were never asked.

  • @CatrianaAbram
    @CatrianaAbram4 жыл бұрын

    I never knew about this until yesterday. I just assumed Jamaican people moved there. ☹️

  • @anonymousanonymous870

    @anonymousanonymous870

    4 жыл бұрын

    That's why people need to research before attacking others Because of their skin color or backgrounds

  • @gettygets872

    @gettygets872

    4 жыл бұрын

    How yuh mean ? They did move there, after being recruited to go, just like how to this day nurses are recruited from Jamaica to go there. The problem is that they were recruited under the pretence that they were British. They were given the title "British subjects", then the rules were changed on them without proper notification. Many of them thought that "British subject" was the same as British citizen because they were given British passports before independence. The Crown used and discarded them, just like they did during slavery. The Crown and Theresa May are a damn disgrace !

  • @lulusmith4877
    @lulusmith48779 ай бұрын

    This is shocking they way the people of the windrush generation were treated and still being treated as second class citizens . They are very hard working people full of Pride and hope. 😮😢

  • @joansolomon1194
    @joansolomon1194Ай бұрын

    Don't you ever get tired of lying?

  • @BIuey
    @BIuey5 жыл бұрын

    It really make me sad how on earth they going to send this people back they haven't done anything wrong!!! In fact they have the right to live in England they serve the country and help to shape England after world war.. me 1st is a very dangerous word why called great and United if people don't accept human being?!.

  • @Dirtymoney8

    @Dirtymoney8

    4 жыл бұрын

    They were used, they served their purpose so they dont need them anymore.

  • @goldenoatie

    @goldenoatie

    9 ай бұрын

    The only thing they shaped is welfare payment graphs and crime statistics.

  • @henrytan5588
    @henrytan55882 жыл бұрын

    The British should pay reparations and set up houses in Kingston for those awarded compensation for retirement once in pension age. It is too expensive in the UK so with awards sum then they can have a good life with a right to return to the UK anytime.

  • @UpTheMags74
    @UpTheMags746 жыл бұрын

    Nothing like a bit of identity politics my cup spillith over.

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