Ghanaians in the United Kingdom
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2009) |
   File:Jeanette Kwakye cropped.jpg   Notable Britons of Ghanaian origin: Freema Agyeman, Paul Boateng, Dizzee Rascal Jeanette Kwakye, Lethal Bizzle, Idris Elba | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| London, Manchester, Liverpool | |
| Languages | |
| English, Fanti, Akan, Dagbani, Ga, Dangme, Ewe, Gonja, Gurunsi, Nzema, Hausa, others | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Islam, Traditional Beliefs | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Ethnic groups of Ghana, Black British, Africans in the UK |
Ghanaians in the United Kingdom (also Ghanaian British[1] or British Ghanaian[2]) is a term that refers to Ghanaian immigrants to the United Kingdom and their descendants. They are one of the largest Black African groups in the country.
History
Early
Although modern Ghana gained independence in 1957 (and was the first Black African country to do so from the British), people from that region have been arriving and living in Britain since at least the mid–16th century. At that time there were many Africans living and working in London, free rather than enslaved people, some of whom were based at the royal court. Even Shakespeare, it is rumoured, sought the company of an African lady, Lucy Morgan.
In 1555 John Lok, a London merchant and Alderman, brought five Africans from the town of Sharma, in what is today Ghana, to London to be trained as interpreters in order to assist England’s trade with the western coast of Africa.
From that time onwards economic links were established between West Africa and England. At first, the English were most concerned with acquiring gold from the region that came to be known as the Gold Coast. Pepper and other spices were also much in demand in Europe, and in 1562 John Hawkins organised the first voyage to West Africa to acquire African captives. By the middle of the following century English traders and financiers had become increasingly concerned with trafficking in human cargo from the Gold Coast. England’s relationship with West Africa would be largely determined by the trafficking of human flesh for the next two centuries.
The enslavement of Africans on the Gold Coast led to some of their being brought to England as enslaved personal servants. It is difficult to establish the place of origin and the number of people brought to London in this way because one of the characteristics of slavery was the renaming of those enslaved.[3]
Besides a number of Ghanaians' arriving in Britain during the 16th-18th centuries, a number of Britons went to the Gold Coast and married Ghanaian women. A number of Scots and Englishmen married Ghanaian women in local customary marriage ceremonies and had children who became successful, such as Gold Coast mulattos as James Bannerman and Robert William Wallace Bruce. Most Scottish and English settlers left Gold Coast after it won independence. Thus many Ghanaians are of Scottish and English descent.
Modern
Modern-day Ghanaian migration (which by far has led to the largest number of Ghanaians coming to the UK) developed in the 1960s due to economic crisis in the country, and by the 1980s and early 1990s, 10-20% of Ghanaians were living outside Ghana (Peil, 1995). Households often sent a family member to a wide range of destinations in Africa, the US, the Middle East and Europe with their migration tending to be temporary - with the aim of supporting their family and diasporic communities, improving their standard of living and ultimately acquiring enough capital to establish a business in Ghana.[4]
Culture
Music
Ghanaian music and musicians have a strong influence on the overall Ghanaian British community as well as British music in general, from traditional Ghanaian music to hip-hop and grime, the UK has produced many fine artists. The Ghana Music Awards UK began in 2002 with an aim to promote and award the best achieving Ghanaian British musicians.[5] By the 1980s, the UK was experiencing a boom in African music as Ghanaians and others moved there in large numbers, immediately they made their presence felt in the form of local gigs and carnivals, and to this day Ghanaians and other African groups prevail as the most successful ethnic groups in the UK R&B and rap scene. Rapper Dizzee Rascal is a household name in the UK and US and has won numerous awards, Lethal Bizzle, The Mitchell Brothers and Sway DaSafo have also received numerous nominations and awards (including the MOBO Awards, Mercury Prize and BET Awards). Another notable Ghanaian British musician who chose to stray away from the typical hip-hop scene is Rhian Benson, who now lives in Los Angeles and is noted for being a Singer-songwriter, composer, instrumentalist and record producer who performs mainly jazz and soul music.
Other
Miss Ghana UK is a beauty pageant that has been up and running since 1995, it aims to highlight Ghana's rich cultural heritage and how it contributes to an ever more multi-cultural UK society. Attendances per show have soared to over 3,000 and the competition is seen as one of the most important events in Ghanaian British calendar uniting Ghanaians across the UK. The most recent winner is 24 year old Nicola Sackey.[6]
Demographics
Population
The 2001 UK Census recorded 56,112 Ghanaian-born people living in the UK.[7] More recent estimates by the Office for National Statistics put the figure at 92,000 in 2008.[8] Despite this, it is estimated that 1,500,000 people are registered with the Ghanaian High Commission in London.[9]
Distribution
Ghanaians in London can be especially found in the boroughs of Southwark, Lambeth, Newham, Hackney, Haringey, Lewisham, Croydon and Brent. Specific districts of concentration include Dalston and Brixton. Outside London, there are large populations in Manchester and Birmingham. One of the most important places for interaction and the purchasing of culturally appropriate foodstuffs is Queen's Market, Upton Park.[10] [11]
Economics
63.70% of recent Ghanaian immigrants to the UK of working age are employed (compared to 73.49% for British born people regardless of race or ethnic background). 17.19% of recent immigrants are low earners, which is pay less than £149.20 a week (compared to 21.08% for British-born people), and 3.13% are high earners, which is more than £750 per week (compared to 6.98% for British-born people). The percentages for settled immigrants are slightly different, 69.51% are employed, with 15.04% being low earners and 5.31% high earners.[12]
Notable individuals
See also
References
- ^ Ghanain British
- ^ British Ghanaian
- ^ History of Ghanaians in London
- ^ The experiences of Ghanaians in London
- ^ The 4th Ghana Music Awards UK 2006
- ^ The Miss Ghana UK Website
- ^ "Country-of-birth database". Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 2009-09-29.
- ^ "Table 1.3: Estimated population resident in the United Kingdom, by foreign country of birth, 60 most common countries of birth, January 2008 to December 2008". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-09-29.
- ^ Arthur, John A. (2008). The African Diaspora in the United States and Europe: The Ghanaian Experience. Aldershot: Ashgate. p. 159. ISBN 0754648419.
- ^ "Ghanaians in London."
- ^ Diaspora Report, Oxford University
- ^ BBC Born abroad - Ghanaian Economics
Bibliography
- Herbert, Joanna. Experiences of Everyday Racism Among Ghanaian Migrants in London (2008).[1]