Evan

The myth of sovereignty: British immigration control in policy and practice in the nineteen-seventies Abstract. This article explores how British immigration control policy was carried out during the nineteen-seventies to filter immigration, while addressin

Marinella Marmo and I discuss the British response to the Ugandan Asian ‘crisis’ as part of this article:

academic.oup.com/histres/arti...

Many South Asians were originally brought to East Africa in earlier decades to assist in administering the growing British Empire, before decolonisation in the 1960s.

The Ugandan Asian crisis reveals how colonialism created migration patterns over a century and reverberated for decades beyond.

The majority of the Ugandan Asians arrived in the UK, but thousands also went to India, Canada, USA and Pakistan, as well as other places around the world.

The expulsions forced many Western countries to recalibrate their immigration systems to adequately deal with refugees from the Global South.

On 4 August, 1972, Idi Amin announced that he sought to expel Uganda’s Asian population, aiming to do so with 90 days. Many had UK colonial passports but the rights of these passport holders had changed in the 1960s. This led to a diaspora of approx 80,000 people seeking refuge across the globe.

Cover of Manchester: Looking for the Light Through the Pouring Rain by Kevin Cummins, with photograph of silhouetted Morrissey possibly on a rooftop

Having recently filled my new book shelves after being in storage, I’ve decided to take a photo of an unpacked book a day. Going across my shelves, left to right, unit by unit.

Day 28 - Manchester: Looking for the Light Through the Pouring Rain by Kevin Cummins

Join me for another each day.

Handily I wrote this piece a few years back about the British ninja panic, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and its social history here:

tribunemag.co.uk/2021/04/when...

Colleagues: Does anyone know what's going on with this "Documents of the Soviet Era" website?! It used to feature a navigable digital archive with Cheka documents, but now it appears as though there isn't any content? Spasiba!

sovdoc.rusarchives.ru/sections/org...

The Australian President of the World Ninja Society, based in Perth, did call for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to be banned.

bsky.app/profile/evan...

Some have asked whether there was a similar response to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Australia. There was a concern about TMNT in Australia, with worries about screen violence, consumerism and playing in the sewers.

This article from the SMH from May 1990 highlights the concerns.

Very sorry to hear, André.

The Australian Broadcasting Tribunal conducted an inquiry into whether the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV show constituted advertising. The inquiry received 27 submissions, but eventually concluded that it was not considered advertising.

There were several mentions of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Parliament. Independent Senator from WA, Jo Vallentine, sought to introduce a bill that would prohibit violent television aimed at kids, citing TMNT as well as He-Man and Inspector Gadget.

parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/dow...

At the same, the Australian President of the World Ninja Society was offering a 'Dial-A-Ninja' service to combat racist attacks in Perth, when the extreme right was highly active. Vashti Fox wrote about this in her chapter for our book.

www.routledge.com/Histories-of...

The Australian President of the World Ninja Society, based in Perth, did call for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to be banned.

Similar to the UK, the Australian Capital Territory Police did voice concerns about children playing with dangerous weapons after watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Two articles from the Canberra Times further demonstrate that there were concerns about the violence displayed in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show and a warning from the NSW Water Board for kids not to play in sewers.

Some have asked whether there was a similar response to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Australia. There was a concern about TMNT in Australia, with worries about screen violence, consumerism and playing in the sewers.

This article from the SMH from May 1990 highlights the concerns.

Cover of ‘Book’ by Björk

Having recently filled my new book shelves after being in storage, I’ve decided to take a photo of an unpacked book a day. Going across my shelves, left to right, unit by unit.

Day 27 - Book by Björk

Join me for another each day.

Starting off as something to do on my commute, this thread actually encapsulates a lot of my thoughts about doing history and history as a field, rather than thoughts about historical events/actors. It was fun to do and glad that people have engaged with it.

🧵

When I was doing my PhD, the most relevant study of the late CPGB years was an unpublished thesis. I spent days in the Manchester University library photocopying it and making notes!

I feel you had that meme ready to go

a man stands in front of a crowd with the words " are you not entertained " on the bottom ALT: a man stands in front of a crowd with the words " are you not entertained " on the bottom

I have obliged.

60. Historians of migration should read Paddy Hillyard and Imogen Tyler for a better understanding of control, management and policing of migration and migrant communities.

59. Historians of Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand should be paying more attention to the historiography of southern Africa.

58. If you invite someone to contribute a chapter or article to a volume, please be clear about what you want them to write about. The most frustrating ones for me have been writing something after being invited but only with a general theme given.

57. Podcasts and newsletters can be great tools for precariously employed historians to get their ideas/research out there, but they need time, labour and perseverance and can be extra demands on those who are stretched thin on precarious incomes.

56. The 1970s are the most hectic decade.

55. Historians love a block quote when writing because it provides context.

Historians ignore block quotes when reading.