Immigrants in Britain are often viewed as just that - 'immigrants'. Their experiences as migrants are sidelined in favour of discussions about assimilation and integration - how 'they' adapt to 'us'. This book refocuses debates about migration by following the experiences, memories and perceptions of three migrant groups in Britain: the Polish, Italian and Greek-Cypriot populations. In tracing some of the key themes of migration narratives, Kathy Burrell illustrates that the act of migration creates enduring legacies which continue to influence the everyday lives of migrants long after they have moved. The book is structured around four key themes. The first is the migration process itself. Burrell highlights the important contrast between voluntary and involuntary migration, examining the different memories and legacies of migration. The second theme is the national, (as opposed to ethnic) identities of the groups studied. The author demonstrates how national consciousness survives the upheaval of migration and is perpetuated through the recognition of national histories, myths and traditional rituals. The third theme is a memory of the homeland. The author traces her respondents' memories and experiences of their national territory, focusing particularly on the transnational connections that are established with the homeland after migration. Finally Burrell considers community, analyzing her respondents' experiences of community life and the shared social and cultural norms and values that underpin it.

Since the 2004 enlargement of the European Union over half a million Polish migrants have registered to work in the United Kingdom, constituting one of the largest migration movements in contemporary Europe. Drawing on research undertaken across a wide range of disciplines - history, economics, sociology, anthropology, film studies and discourse analysis - and focusing on both the Polish and British aspects of this phenomenon - both emigration and immigration - this edited collection investigates what is actually new about this migration flow, what its causes and consequences are, and how these migrants' lives have changed by moving to the United Kingdom. As the first book to deal with Polish migration to the United Kingdom, Polish Migration to the UK in the 'New' European Union will appeal to scholars across a range of social sciences, whose work concerns migration and the migration process.

Since the 2004 enlargement of the European Union over half a million Polish migrants have registered to work in the United Kingdom, constituting one of the largest migration movements in contemporary Europe. Drawing on research undertaken across a wide range of disciplines - history, economics, sociology, anthropology, film studies and discourse analysis - and focusing on both the Polish and British aspects of this phenomenon - both emigration and immigration - this edited collection investigates what is actually new about this migration flow, what its causes and consequences are, and how these migrants' lives have changed by moving to the United Kingdom. As the first book to deal with Polish migration to the United Kingdom, Polish Migration to the UK in the 'New' European Union will appeal to scholars across a range of social sciences, whose work concerns migration and the migration process.

Immigrants in Britain are often viewed as just that - 'immigrants'. Their experiences as migrants are sidelined in favour of discussions about assimilation and integration - how 'they' adapt to 'us'. This book refocuses debates about migration by following the experiences, memories and perceptions of three migrant groups in Britain: the Polish, Italian and Greek-Cypriot populations. In tracing some of the key themes of migration narratives, Kathy Burrell illustrates that the act of migration creates enduring legacies which continue to influence the everyday lives of migrants long after they have moved. The book is structured around four key themes. The first is the migration process itself. Burrell highlights the important contrast between voluntary and involuntary migration, examining the different memories and legacies of migration. The second theme is the national, (as opposed to ethnic) identities of the groups studied. The author demonstrates how national consciousness survives the upheaval of migration and is perpetuated through the recognition of national histories, myths and traditional rituals. The third theme is a memory of the homeland. The author traces her respondents' memories and experiences of their national territory, focusing particularly on the transnational connections that are established with the homeland after migration. Finally Burrell considers community, analyzing her respondents' experiences of community life and the shared social and cultural norms and values that underpin it.

The first study of how migrants view their own history and how migrant history is viewed by British society, this book addresses themes of vital importance to contemporary history, and covers every aspect of the migrant experience. Who are the migrants that have flocked to Britain since the nineteenth century? How do they understand their experiences? "Histories and Memories" is the first work of its kind to examine this question from the perspective of the migrants themselves, and the way in which historians and popular culture have recognised them. In so doing, it explores a wide range of ethnic groups and experiences from racism to Britishness, self-perception and the role of memory in migrant history. This original, incisive book breaks down disciplinary and intellectual boundaries to address themes of vital importance to contemporary history.