Playing the Ethnic Card: Politics and Segregation in London’s East End

This article takes a critical look at the exploitation of difference and at the impact of political forces of various kinds on ethnic segregation. It examines both external forces and forces from within ‘communities’ themselves through the case history of Bengali settlement in the East End of London. It assesses the different, though interacting, roles of immigration legislation and resource allocation, community and separatist politics, populism and multiculturalism, and brings the story up to date with an account of the incorporation of faith groups in local governance and of the wooing of the Muslim vote in the context of ‘the war on terror’. This understanding is presented as a necessary first step in combating ethnic division and focusing instead on social equality for all ethnicities.