The second-generation Irish: a hidden population in multi-ethnic Britain

This research investigates the assumption that the second-generation Irish population in Britain, that is those born in Britain to one or two Irish-born parents, has assimilated into the ‘white’ majority. The assumption has had important implications both for the Irish community and for wider popular and theoretical understandings about ‘race’ / ethnicity / national identity in Britain. In particular it has contributed to the ‘myth of homogeneity’ of white British society. The study explores the complex texture of second-generation Irish experiences through an examination of the range of identities claimed and social positioning of the second generation relative to the migrant generation. It employs qualitative methods, including focus groups, semi-structured interviews and also timelines, whereby each interviewee provides a record of demographic, socio-economic and health indices over three generations of the family. Regional and national variations are explored through fieldwork in five English and Scottish locations (London, Glasgow, Manchester, Coventry and Banbury). The research aims to provide a detailed picture of the ‘hidden’ population of the second-generation Irish, to develop a framework to explain hybridities of identity amongst this population, to make a substantial contribution to understanding multi-ethnic Britain by challenging the singular focus on black / white difference and to make policy recommendations relating to the Irish community