The first majority choice


A fundamental choice that early East African Asian migrants had to make was about where they wanted to live. The majority chose to live near family and friends and in the process bought or rented houses mostly in the less affluent parts of British towns and cities. With a few exceptions, they are probably still living there thirty or so years later. The majority of Asian families are not much different as far as their capacity to earn a living from a fairly narrow range of jobs and occupations is concerned. They own the same types of houses and work the same long hours as most of their neighbours but what seems to make them visible may be their attitude towards enjoying the material comforts of life and their practice of the sharing of family wealth. This may also sometimes explains their distinct patterns of spending.

The large and extended family structures of the past are proving to be unsustainable. They are rapidly breaking down. Only about 20 years ago young adults, mainly sons, stayed at home when they got married. This was also seen as a demonstration of their respect for the family values that were articulated by their parents. While they were able to cope with the loss of personal freedom and privacy as a result of their decision to remain under the direct control of ageing parents, many are recognising that the cost of raising their own children and paying for their education has spiralled. Until only a few years ago, an 'average' Asian family from East Africa also had notably different views about their children's choice of leisure and employment. For example working in the local McDonald's or Tesco stores was regarded as menial and a low level employment. This type of work was considered to seriously erode the family's image in the eyes of the tribe or 'clan' and even other Asians in their neigbourhood.