Multicultural Narratives and the Construction of Identity: The British Jewish Experience

Abstract

The impact of multiculturalism on minority integration has been widely researched. Most studies have, however, focused on new migrant groups and less is known about the impact of multiculturalism on the identities of other longer-established minorities, such as Jews. This paper analyses the relationship between changing forms of citizenship and the evolution of Jewish identities in Britain. Drawing on qualitative research in the Jewish community in Leeds, the paper explores how the identities of Jewish immigrants were once streamlined to fit an assimilationist agenda and how the emergence of British multicultural citizenship enhanced and legitimated the renegotiation of their identities, thereby enabling the pluralisation of Jewish selves. It then considers the relevance of this case to contemporary debates about multiculturalism in Britain.

The authors are grateful to Caroline Nagel for her constructive criticism and helpful editorial contributions, and to two anonymous referees.