Since 1999 El Carnaval del Pueblo has added a new face to the diverse and multicultural landscape of London. This year it has been cancelled due to refurbishment. Carolina Ramirez reports

Months ago in the City Hall building, during the launch-event of an important research report whose title suggested the end of the long-lasting invisible character of Latin Americans, the Deputy Mayor of London highlighted the contribution made by this group to the ‘cosmopolitan’ character of London.

This contribution has become tangible, it was said, through the amenities and services that we can enjoy today. Just take a walk on the streets of Lambeth or Southwark – two of the boroughs with a major concentration of Latin Americans - and you will be able to see, hear, smell and taste the various ways in which Latin Americans have daily shaped our lived experience of the city.  

Nevertheless, regardless of these palpable signs of their presence, we should not naively assume that the issue of invisibility has been overcome. This is a matter that has acquired renewed relevance today when one of the social scenes where Latin Americans have been able to engage with the city (and acquire visibility) on their own terms has been abruptly cancelled.

As many Londoners may know – particularly those of Latin American ancestry – including the residents of Lambeth and Southwark, El Carnaval del Pueblo has been ‘suspended’ this year due to refurbishment and development in Burgees Park. To understand the relevance of this festival and, consequently, the disappointment and concern that its interruption has brought to the community formed around it, we need to go beyond our idea of it as a simple ‘multicultural spectacle’.

El Carnaval del Pueblo has been since 1999 a central space for Latin Americans to meet and it has provided an opportunity to make room for them, as there are many Latin Americans who still remain largely hidden in a structural invisibility. This is for the most part relevant to those who have arrived in the UK during the last decade and who largely (but not exclusively) participate in this annual event.

According to research made in conjunction by Queen Mary University, LAWRs and the Trust for London, more often than not these newcomers perform invisible jobs (they are noticeable in the cleaning and catering industry) and report experiences of abuse and exploitation in their workplace, as well as various constraints on their daily well-being, such as language barriers, exclusion from public health services, low quality accommodation and overcrowding, amongst others.

Conversely, the interactions and practises implicated in cultural activities, such as El Carnaval del Pueblo, offer alternative means of social support for them, as well as a way of emotionally dealing with their on-going experiences of exclusion and dislocation. Likewise, as some of us were able to appreciate in-situ at last year’s festivities, the carnival also provides a platform for the diffusion of some of the initiatives targeted at them by varied NGOs, charities and other civil organizations.

More importantly, this involves a form of appropriation that – by developing a multi-sensory engagement with the scene - does not exclude but incorporates the wider social and physical context of London, namely the city dwellers and their material setting. Hence, this event, which is seemingly a merely entertainment-based event, and which as such is often devalued as a means of social empowerment, might be able to positively allow individuals to renegotiate their sense of belonging to the UK as part of rather than separate from the rest of society.

Let us return to the launch event mentioned above, in which Latin Americans’ contributions to the multicultural landscape of London was celebrated by some of the authorities. It is crucial that the often straightforward discourses that (rarely) emerge ‘from above’ go hand in hand with our capacity and willingness to provide and, more importantly in this case, maintain the meaningful spaces that some groups have progressively generated for themselves as well as for the broader public. This is not to say that El Carnaval del Pueblo is the magic solution to deal with issues of migrants’ sense of belonging and integration. Instead, it is to say that in order for Latin Americans to become ‘no longer invisible’ it is vital for them to go forward and not backwards in the creation of environments that allow Latin Americans to actively embrace their cultural background as well as the wider environment that they occupy at present.

The Chinese community is one of London’s oldest communities. The first immigrants arrived during the 17th century when Britain started to trade with China. By Nadine Carle and Tiija Rinta

They first Chinese settled around Pennyfield and Limehouse Causeway near the docks. At this time, houses were not allowed to be built within a 3 mile radius from the City of London. However, in 1666, the Great Fire destroyed 13,000 homes and so the area where China Town is nowadays was starting to be built to accommodate for the loss. Because of this, the first incarnation of China Town took place in Limehouse in the 19th century when a number of Chinese people came over to the UK in search of work. Soon enough a number of Chinese cafes and restaurants could been seen around the area.  Laundrettes were another common business venture for the Chinese.

Post-war years saw the decline of the East End China Town, however, when the shipping industry began to take over that side of London after Limehouse was destroyed in the war. The invention of high street laundrettes brought a loss to the Chinese community as well, and soon the Chinese moved on from the area.

After the early part of 19th century, different waves of Chinese immigrants had settled in different parts of London. There were approximately 2000 Chinese in the UK in the 1950s.  When the British soldiers returned to the UK from the war in the Far East, they were keen to continue eating exotic Chinese food in London. Since there were only a few Chinese restaurants in the West End at this time, the Chinese picked up on the idea and started opening restaurants in the area that is now known as China Town. The new restaurant workers were mainly farmers from Hong Kong who had settled in Soho and Bayswater.   The new China Town grew and, in the 60s and 70s, it was known as ‘the Imperial City’, with the intention of making a point to the Chinese out of the UK on how the Chinese had their own ‘town’ in the centre of London.

Collaboration between restaurants, shop and cafe owners was also started up so that the needs and the wants of the community could be facilitated and China Town promoted. Other business, such as translation and interpretation services, were soon started up. Soon enough a number of massage and acupuncture places were also seen.

Since the 80’s, Westminster City Council has transformed Chinatown to make it a major tourist attraction. An example is the first public celebration of the Chinese New Year, which  took place in 1985. Today, the Chinese are the fourth largest Asian community in London, with over 100,000 people, and China Town continues to evolve.

Chinese cuisine

There are so many Chinese restaurants in London that choosing one can sometime be overwhelming! Here are a few suggestions of Chinese cuisine with a twist.

Yauatcha, on Broadwick Street, is a modern and stylish place that serves exquisite dim sums all day as well as beautiful French style patisseries and macaroons.

For a real treat, try Hakkasan on Hanway Place (W1) or in Mayfair. The acclaimed restaurant offers inventive modern Chinese cuisine in a refined atmosphere.

Ping Pong is a chain of modern tea houses serving dim sums all day. There are over a dozen restaurants across London. 

Cha Cha Moon is a funky modern noodle bar in Soho, on Ganton Street. Created by Alan Yau (who also created Wagamama but no longer owns it), Cha Cha Moon is a fun and cheap eat.

Jenny Lo’s Tea House is a small colourful café near Victoria, on Eccleston Street, which serves original dishes at a very good price. 

Horoscope: The Year of the Rabbit

The Chinese annual cycle follows the moon, and so the Chinese New Year normally takes place in February. The current year is the Year of the Rabbit.

The Rabbit symbolises such characteristics as creativity, compassion, and sensitivity. Rabbits are friendly, outgoing and prefer the company of others, they also prefer to avoid conflict. Rabbits believe strongly in friends and family. Their serene nature keeps Rabbits from becoming visibly upset, which is why they tend to keep these feelings inside. When they don’t express these feelings, such feeling can cause Rabbits to become ill. Sophisticated, well-mannered, and stylish, those born under the Sign of the Rabbit enjoy leaning about cultural issues and learning about people from other countries. Rabbits are most comfortable being at home, which are often well organised.

Rabbits are articulate and good communicators, which is why friends and acquaintances seek out their advice. Good careers for Rabbits include: writer, actor, fashion designer, therapist, public relations, or teacher. Rabbits tend to give more of themselves than they should in relationships, which can lead to unrealistic expectations and unhealthy situations.

India, as anyone who has travelled there would agree, is a magical and fascinating country to visit. This vast country has many diverse aspects. Its geography extends from the mountains of the high Himalayas to the jungles of Burma, the deserts of Rajasthan to the hills around the Deccan plateau of the south and the Ghats along the coast.
By Cristina Vaccaro