ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book traces the reasons for mass migration from Mirpur and the factors for labour demand in the textile industry in the North West of England. It reviews the literature on migration from Mirpur and shows that insufficient attention has been paid, by previous academic accounts to the political causes of migration from the region. The book focuses on relationships at work and sites of resistance. In particular, the mobilisation of the Mirpuri/(Azad) Kashmiri males workers around issues of Eid and extended holidays highlights their agency in the face of harsh structural constraints. The book deals with the contemporary labour market in Oldham and provides a sad indictment of the state of the sons of mill workers. It highlights some of the insights that the empirical sections can provide to a theoretical understanding of the labour market status of racialised groups.
