Bradford Multiculturalism

Population by Ethnic Group

• White 78.3%
• Asian - 18.9%
• Mixed Ethnic Background - 1.5%
• Black - 0.9%
• Chinese - 0.2%
• Other Ethnic Groups - 0.2%

Reasons for Diversity

Bradford became an important international centre for the textile industry in the 19th century. There was lots of immigration as people came to work in the mills - especially white workers from Europe

From the 40s - 60s, the government encouraged immigration to meet labour shortages. Immigrants came to Bradford to work in the textile industry (where there was a high demand for workers). Many people came from Pakistan, the Caribbean and East Africa.

Around 70% of the ethnic minority population in Bradford is Pakistani - largely due to chain migration

Economic - Bradford's employment is 76%, but only 40% of ethnic minorities men and 23% of ethnic minority women are employed

Housing - Ethnic groups are concentrated in specific areas. Pakistanis live in the Manningham Area, where overcrowding is a problem

Racial, Ethnic and Religious Tensions - Relations between ethnic groups are generally good but in 2001 there were riots after a demonstration by the Anti-Nazi league against the National Front

Education - some schools in Bradford, with a mix of children from different ethnic backgrounds, have to have specialist langauge staff to help teach students who can't speak English