ABSTRACT
The term institutional racism is not without difficulties but, in drawing attention to the structural, rather than the personal, nature of the opposition which Blacks and Asians encountered, it serves an important function. The history of many minority groups, characterized by a sense of group consciousness, that traces their origins to immigration, whether directly or through descent, has also been widely ignored. There is no general study of the Irish in Britain which carries comprehensive detail on the second and third generations of Irish descent. Before embarking on 1971 Immigration Act survey, however, it is important to set the scene by examining contemporary developments, concentrating on the years since 1979, the period of Thatcherism. Later surveys, including the 1985 Labour Force Survey and the 1987 annual report of the Commission for Racial Equality, continued to draw attention to the persistence of relatively high levels of unemployment among Blacks and Asians.
