Fish and chips the kosher way
The Jewish Museum rises above the political squabbling over immigration with Closing the Door?, says Jenny Clover
Sunday March 27, 2005
The Observer
Closing the Door? Immigrants to Britain 1905-2005 Jewish Museum, London NW1
This exhibition was devised nine months ago but its opening could not be more timely. Immigration has re-emerged as such a political issue in the run-up to the election that the Jewish Museum considered shelving Closing the Door? altogether for fear of it becoming a party political tool. Now, with both Labour and the Tories competing for the 'tough on immigration' label, this refreshingly calm look at immigrants rises above the political squabbling.
It marks the centenary of the 1905 Aliens Act, which was the first peacetime legislation to curb immigration into the UK. Before it was passed, anyone was free to settle here and, after it, you were still free to, as long as you travelled first class. The masses had to go through rigorous medical testing and prove they were able to support themselves financially. (Cynics may wish to note that 1905 was also notable for political campaigning in the run-up to the election of 1906.)
This exhibition sets out to highlight both sides of the debate. Detailed case studies of refugees from all over the world line the walls, while newspaper reports from the past highlight the chilling similarities between Britain's treatment of German Jews in the 1930s and the rhetoric we hear about today's refugees.
Both draw on language about refugees 'flooding' the UK, stealing jobs and spreading disease. A display of faded, original alien identification papers from the 1930s makes the issue very real. There are also emotional video interviews from migrants detailing their journeys to the UK.
A small selection of art by immigrants emphasises what they have brought our country. My favourite was a tiny portrait of childlike simplicity by second generation Briton Chris Ofili.
We are also reminded that it was Jewish immigrants who introduced fried fish to the UK. Initially thought of as an inferior, foreign food, once mixed with chips (an Irish delicacy), it became our national dish of choice, its cosmopolitan origins conveniently forgotten.
This fascinating exhibition, while small, has some hidden gems, using photos, cooking utensils and first-hand accounts to highlight its point. Although it paints a bleak view of the immigration debate - that it is cyclical and tied to party politics - it gently reminds us that the same colourful language used 100 years ago about immigrants whom our society eventually accepted is being used today.