how different were the attitudes to race and immigration in the interwar years compared to attitudes in the years 1945-79

oint 1: Scale and Visibility of Immigration

Point:
The scale and visibility of immigration after 1945 led to more widespread and structured public and political responses compared to the interwar period.

Evidence:

• In the interwar years, immigration was limited, with small numbers of Black and Asian communities mainly in port cities like Cardiff and Liverpool.

• Post-1945, the arrival of large numbers from the Caribbean (e.g. Empire Windrush in 1948) and South Asia made immigration a national issue.

• Immigration numbers increased significantly through the 1950s–70s.

Explain:
Increased numbers after 1945 led to greater public awareness, media attention, and political debate, whereas in the interwar years, immigration was a more localised issue with minimal government focus.

Counter:
While post-1945 immigration was more visible, racist attitudes and social tensions existed in both periods, particularly during economic hardship.

Link:
The post-war period saw immigration become a central public and political issue, unlike the more limited and localised concern of the interwar years.

Point 2: Public Attitudes and Racial Tensions

Point:
Public attitudes to race became more polarised and institutionalised in the post-war years due to larger migrant populations and increased competition for housing and jobs.

Evidence:

• Interwar racial tensions existed (e.g., 1919 race riots in Liverpool and Cardiff), but were sporadic and less organised.

• Post-1945, hostility became more common and organised, e.g., Notting Hill riots (1958) and rise of far-right groups like the National Front in the 1970s.

Explain:
After 1945, resentment among working-class communities grew due to economic pressures, and migrants were often scapegoated for housing shortages and unemployment, fuelling racial hostility on a larger scale.

Counter:
However, both periods show how economic insecurity often intensified racism, suggesting a degree of continuity in public responses.

Link:
While racism existed in both periods, post-1945 attitudes were more systemic and nationally visible, due to larger migrant populations and sustained economic competition.

Point 3: Government and Legislative Responses

Point:
Government responses to immigration were more developed and interventionist in the post-war period.

Evidence:

• Interwar policies, like the Aliens Restriction Act (1919), mainly targeted political radicals and were limited in scope.

• Post-1945, governments introduced major legislation:

  • British Nationality Act (1948) gave Commonwealth citizens free entry.

  • Commonwealth Immigrants Acts (1962, 1968) imposed restrictions.

  • Race Relations Acts (1965, 1968, 1976) attempted to tackle discrimination.

Explain:
In the post-war years, the state actively shaped immigration policy and began addressing racial inequality, which marked a shift from the largely passive or exclusionary policies of the interwar era.

Counter:
Early race relations laws were limited in effectiveness, and some restrictions (e.g., 1968 Act) were themselves racially motivated, suggesting that government policy could both help and hinder integration.

Link:
Compared to the limited and reactive approach of the interwar period, post-1945 attitudes triggered comprehensive government responses, showing a major change in how immigration was managed.

conc

Point:
Attitudes to race and immigration changed significantly between the interwar years and 1945–79 due to the greater scale, visibility, and political salience of immigration in the latter period.

Evidence:
Post-war immigration provoked sustained public debate, policy responses, and visible racial tensions that were not as prominent during the interwar years.

Explain:
This reflects a shift from localised and often overlooked attitudes to a national conversation involving law, politics, and society.

Counter:
However, some elements—like racial prejudice tied to economic anxiety—remained constant across both periods.

Link:
In summary, while some underlying racial attitudes persisted, the scale, visibility, and policy complexity of post-1945 immigration make it markedly different from the interwar year