ABSTRACT
The unity of identity is usually associated with a state of being which is rooted in some long-standing essence which establishes the distinctiveness of an individual or a group. National identities are widely understood as grounded in a heritage which stretches back into the mists of time. A politics of representation had developed where people were far more aware of the kinds of complexities created by the interweaving of class, race, ethnicity and gender. The public debate about British identity has been shaped by the controversy over immigration and the changing character of British society. The rapid growth of the British Bangladeshi population has been accompanied by its highly concentrated geographical location. The growing Bangladeshi engagement with British urban life has coexisted with close ties to the country of origin. The anthropological tradition clearly reflects important aspects of the everyday life of British Bangladeshis and other ‘ethnic minorities’.
