Beyond Banglatown

Produced by: Beyond Banglatown

Subject: Citizenship Geography History PSHE RE

Topics/keywords: Asian Bangladesh Diaspora Discrimination Discussion Displacement Diversity Generations Geography History Identity Integration Irish immigration Jewish immigration Jewish migration London Long history of immigration Migration Personal story Resources Settlement Asian immigration South Asian migration

Age range: KS2 (ages 7–11) KS5 (ages 16–18) KS3 (ages 11–14) KS4 (ages 14–16)

Summary:

Brick Lane has been described by many as the ‘heartland’ of the Bangladeshi community in Britain, representing five decades of the struggle to belong and be recognised as part of the global city of London and the wider multicultural nation. Perhaps the most visible testament to this presence is ‘Banglatown’ – the short stretch of Bangladeshi-owned curry restaurants, cafés and other retail spaces that crowd the southern end of Brick Lane.  The story of Bengali Brick Lane is a lens onto a vibrant but little-known history of the East End, of London, of Britain and its former empire – which is one strand in the tapestry of modern multicultural, post-imperial Britain. It is a story, too, of the street itself, and its iconic place within London and Britain’s history of migration.