This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/oct/28/where-is-britains-ellis-island
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Hideously Diverse Britain: Where's Britain's Ellis Island? | Hideously Diverse Britain: Where's Britain's Ellis Island? |
| (5 months later) | |
| We all love George Alagiah; we just have different ways of showing it. | We all love George Alagiah; we just have different ways of showing it. |
| A good many of us recognise him in the street. And he has noticed that when the spotters are white British, they probably hang back for a while; ponder the proprieties of invading his space. Minorities, however, do it differently. He shows us how: smile a foot wide, arms outstretched, booming voice, all forward motion. "Hellooooo Geeereorge. How you doing. Come here; meet my wife. Come meet my mother." These aren't requests; these are givens. | A good many of us recognise him in the street. And he has noticed that when the spotters are white British, they probably hang back for a while; ponder the proprieties of invading his space. Minorities, however, do it differently. He shows us how: smile a foot wide, arms outstretched, booming voice, all forward motion. "Hellooooo Geeereorge. How you doing. Come here; meet my wife. Come meet my mother." These aren't requests; these are givens. |
| It could be tiresome but he doesn't feel it is. "They feel they own me," he says. He is his own success; but he is their success. He is their forward motion. If he is doing well, they are doing well. But the opposite is also true. If he does badly, they do badly. More joy in this encounter perhaps, but undoubtedly, more pressure. | It could be tiresome but he doesn't feel it is. "They feel they own me," he says. He is his own success; but he is their success. He is their forward motion. If he is doing well, they are doing well. But the opposite is also true. If he does badly, they do badly. More joy in this encounter perhaps, but undoubtedly, more pressure. |
| If am seen as a success, says George, that's really only half of the story. My family came to Britain from Sri Lanka via Africa, and worked hard. But they could have worked hard to no effect. The other essential element was Britain. "I am what I am not just because my family worked hard, but because of the opportunities we had in Britain," he says. | If am seen as a success, says George, that's really only half of the story. My family came to Britain from Sri Lanka via Africa, and worked hard. But they could have worked hard to no effect. The other essential element was Britain. "I am what I am not just because my family worked hard, but because of the opportunities we had in Britain," he says. |
| The alchemy of successful migration. Why don't we talk about it? After all, the Americans use the same materials to concoct a sustaining narrative. They have Ellis Island: "America's Golden Door", through which passed more than 12 million immigrants from 1892 to 1954. Now it stands as a museum of migration. Where's our Ellis Island? | The alchemy of successful migration. Why don't we talk about it? After all, the Americans use the same materials to concoct a sustaining narrative. They have Ellis Island: "America's Golden Door", through which passed more than 12 million immigrants from 1892 to 1954. Now it stands as a museum of migration. Where's our Ellis Island? |
| George isn't just being wistful. There's method here, for as he speaks in the plush dining room of an accountancy firm overlooking the Thames, the plan of those who have invited him is to garner financing and support for Britain's own Museum of Migration. Led by the former immigration minister Barbara Roche, the initiative is in its early stages. There would be an educational charity and a museum crafted within shipping containers, capable of being transported around the country. The project has initial funding. Ultimately, it needs £3m. But that would be money well spent. High time we celebrated ourselves. | George isn't just being wistful. There's method here, for as he speaks in the plush dining room of an accountancy firm overlooking the Thames, the plan of those who have invited him is to garner financing and support for Britain's own Museum of Migration. Led by the former immigration minister Barbara Roche, the initiative is in its early stages. There would be an educational charity and a museum crafted within shipping containers, capable of being transported around the country. The project has initial funding. Ultimately, it needs £3m. But that would be money well spent. High time we celebrated ourselves. |
| guardian.co.uk today is our daily snapshot of the top news stories, sent to your inbox at 8am |