David Cesarani’s chapter “An Alien Concept? The continuity of anti-alienism in British society before 1940” (1993) This chapter discusses, how the construction of the term alien arose, and How within the nineteenth century a visible shift in the attitudes towards aliens took place in Britain. The link between economic, political, and personal ideas of nationality, as well as the large influx in immigrants numbers are all discussed in the possible answer as to why Britain was dived between pro, and anti-alienists.
Cesarani discusses how anti-alien feelings were difficult to describe as one select subject, but rather a large mixture of feelings linked to crime, revolutionary politics, anarchism, and was inseparable with the construction of national identity and internal strains, which was expressed through English literature, preaching the importance of “Englishness”. It was hard according to Cesarani to place anti-alienism within a timeline, to avoid it faliing into the margins of history. He wanted to make it clear that anti-alienist views are located centrally in British society as well as its political culture. Bernard Porter a British historian, was quoted explaining that at the time that Britain believed it had,
“Moral and political superiority over her continental neighbours”
It was clear to Cesarani that Britain was far from innocent of Xenophobia, with evidence of its use of prejudice, stereotypes, and hateful attitudes towards minority groups including Russians, Jewish, Chinese, Germans, and African individuals. Bernard argued that the predominant source of these attitudes in 1870 came from nations who’s way of life and characteristics were different to that of Britain. The mass migrations of the early 1880s saw an influx in opinions and policy-making of the Jewish and eastern European minorities, arguments over housing and employment. The concept of the term alien was used to describe the hostile feelings of those who came from different parts of the world and brought their different cultures, languages, and ways of life. This in turn left many Brits feeling protective over the British nationality, and Cesarani stated that the threat ultimately led to the display of anti-alien attitudes.
By 1992 the first legislation to restrict alien movements appeared, and was linked to the fall of liberal England, as well as the First World War. In 1914 Reginald McKenna put through new aliens restrictions act, which included prohibited areas where aliens could not reside. spy-mania, the Russian revolution, unemployment rises, and the effects of alleged opium smoking, were all targeted events promoting the normalising of anti alien behaviours. By 1929 the act continued to evolve, and adopted more restrictions including that all aliens seeking work, had to obtain permits from the ministry of labour. This established a link between economic conditions and the control of immigration. Another example In 1920 was the fact that police could now close restaurants, places of entertainment, gathering points, and even restrain aliens without a warrant.By the 1930s much of the same stereotypes and negative attitudes remained, blaming immigrants for high unemployment numbers, the spread of diseases, crime rates, and even the damage to property of Englishmen. And lastly by 1940 the press “with column” reported that 64 per cent of the British public deemed laws on aliens as being “too lenient”.
Cesarani concludes that the concept of Anti-Alienism, particularly within the goverments and courts, was directly related to periods of economic struggles, political instabilities and threats from external countries. This was compared to the liberal pro-alienists, who Cesarani links with public confidence and optimism . Anti-Alienist had been a direct link between British national identity, and the fear of Britain’s instability within the global sphere. The public had started to fear the loss of a British Identity, and a feeling of “Englishness” and as a result they turned to anti-aliens views to restrict their movements.