Almost half the people displaced worldwide are under 18, yet their voices are rarely heard. This book records the experiences of children arriving in Britain from Hitler’s Europe in the 1930s to those escaping war in Ukraine in 2022. It follows the journeys of
war-traumatised children from Mogadishu to Mile End and from Syria to a Scottish isle. Some followed their parents to the ‘motherland’ from the former British Empire. Others came independently to escape forced marriage or military conscription.
These powerful testimonies shed light on children’s motivations, trials and achievements, including in adult life, providing critical insight into how the British – both individually and collectively – have welcomed or shunned child migrants. Importantly, Eithne Nightingale links these stories with contemporary issues such as the Windrush Scandal and Britain’s Illegal Migration Act 2023.
Situated in its historical and political context, Child Migrant Voices in Modern Britain makes vital reading for those studying modern British history, migration and human rights as well as those working with child migrants. It will also appeal to a general audience interested in inspirational life stories.
For more information on the book, related events and to watch award-winning films on child migration see childmigrantstories.com.
By:
Dr Eithne Nightingale
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
Spine: 25mm
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9781350332614
ISBN 10: 1350332615
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 04 April 2024
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
List of Illustrations Acknowledgements Introduction Researching Child Migration 1. “If Then, Why Not Now?”: Blanca Stern (nee Schreiber) and Necha (Natalie) Gluck (nee Dux) who arrived from Austria, aged 8 and 10 respectively, in 1938 2. No Man’s Land: Duncan Ross who arrived from India, aged eight, in 1956 3. Precious Cargo: Argun Imamzade who arrived from Cyprus, aged fourteen, in 1964 4. Following Mum to the ‘Motherland’: Richard Lue and Roberta who arrived, aged 7 and 8 respectively, from Jamaica in 1964 5. “I Much Prefer Roasted Rat”: Maurice Nwokeji who arrived, aged nine, from Nigeria, in 1970 6. The Battle of Brick Lane: Six young people who arrived from East Pakistan subsequently Bangladesh, aged eleven to sixteen, between 1969 and 1973 7. A Pakistani Scot with a Mid-Atlantic Drawl: Zohra who arrived from Pakistan in 1975 8. Out of her depth: Linh Vu who arrived, aged seven, from Vietnam in 1979 9. A Child Soldier Who Knew Too Much: Henry Bran who arrived, aged seventeen, from El Salvador in 1981 10. “Caught in a Flow of Water”: Eylem Binboga who arrived, aged twelve, from Turkey in 1987 11. Love of the Motherland: Ahmed Ali, originally from Somaliland, who arrived, aged eleven, via Djibouti in 2004; Said who arrived, aged sixteen, from Somalia in 2012 12: Girl Power – finding a talent and following a dream: Bilqis who arrived from Yemen in 2005 and Nimo, aged fifteen, who arrived from Somaliland, in 2009 13: Chapter 13: On Her Own: Mariam who arrived, aged sixteen, from Guinea in 2006 14: “Home is Where the Love Is”: Yosef, originally from Eritrea, who arrived aged sixteen, in 2011 15. Seeking Sanctuary on a Scottish Island Syrian children who arrived from Lebanon, aged six – sixteen, on the Isle of Bute, Scotland in 2015 16“We will win”: Mariia who arrived, aged thirteen, from Ukraine in 2022 Conclusion: “If I had a magic wand”: Final thoughts and insights
Eithne Nightingale is a Postdoctoral Research Assistant at Queen Mary University of London and V&A Museum of Childhood, UK. She is the co-editor, along with Richard Sandell, of Museums, Equality and Social Justice (2012). She is also an award-winning writer, photographer and filmmaker, and is currently involved in producing multi-media content on child migration (www.childmigrantstories.com) and experiences of home during the Covid-19 pandemic (www.stayhomestories.co.uk).
Reviews for Child Migrant Voices in Modern Britain: Oral Histories 1930s-Present Day
This is a superb piece of committed scholarship weaving together, through oral history, a powerful range of child migrant voices from the 1930s through to the present day. When the British government is treating young asylum seekers and others with disdain, it is crucial to restore their humanity; Eithne Nightingale’s book does with care, subtlety and compassion * Tony Kushner, James Parkes Professor of History, Parkes Institute, University of Southampton, UK * Drawing on know-how and contacts from a career working in adult education and museums, Nightingale’s sensitive collation of stories is remarkable for the sheer diversity of the experiences it details. -- Sarah Birch * Hackney Citizen * Child Migrant Voices in Modern Britain is a thorough and well-researched oral history, which provides academic context to the stories of child migrants. The book compiles the voices and lived experiences of a diverse group of child migrants to the UK, preserving stories that might otherwise be lost to time. * Whitechapel *
