Commonwealth diaspora

The Commonwealth diaspora is the group of people whose ancestry traces back to countries in the Commonwealth of Nations, a group mainly consisting of former British colonies.^[a]

Commonwealth nations

History

Colonial era

See also: Indian diaspora § European Colonial rule (to 1947), and British diaspora

The Indian diaspora is substantially based in former British colonies; this influenced India to retain Commonwealth membership^[2]

The British Empire enabled a substantial amount of commercial migration; for example, 1.5 million Indian merchants are estimated to have gone abroad in the 19th century.^[3] Preferential access to trade with other British colonies, as well as new commercial opportunities unlocked within India by railways and markets established by the British, influenced this migration flow.^[4] Indian migrants played a significant role in the expansion of the British Empire, though at times involuntarily, as in the case of many indentured servants or exiled criminals.^[5]

Contemporary era

See also: Modern immigration to the United Kingdom § British Empire and the Commonwealth, and Windrush scandal

In the aftermath of World War 2 and the rapid breakup of the British Empire, Britain invited Commonwealth citizens to immigrate to Britain as part of the post-war rebuilding of the nation.^[6] Many of these immigrants faced significant racism.^[7][8] Restrictions on Commonwealth migration to Britain later emerged with the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962.^[9]

Intra-Commonwealth migration began to slow down in general, as recently liberated countries began to develop a greater sense of national identity and desire to limit foreign influences in general.^[10]

Recent decades

See also: Hong Kong diaspora

The Commonwealth diaspora in Britain in particular has been identified as a potential asset, allowing Britain to make economic and other connections to other Commonwealth countries, which has been a particularly relevant topic of discussion as Britain charts its post-Brexit future and decides which groupings of countries to focus on working with (such as with the European Union).^[11][12][13]

Immigration between Commonwealth countries, which makes up half of all Commonwealth migration, has played a significant role in linking Commonwealth countries together economically and culturally.^[14]

The British royalty have previously hosted events commemorating this diaspora.^[15]

Culture

See also: Commonwealth culture

Language

See also: Commonwealth English

The English language has played a role in facilitating migration within the Commonwealth.^[16]

Sport

The South Asian diaspora playing cricket in Toronto, Canada.

Various groups in the Commonwealth diaspora, such as Caribbean diasporas,^[17][18] have been noted for being bound together by the sport of cricket,^[19][20] as well as introducing cricket to a number of countries, such as Canada and the United States.^[21][22]

See also

• Colonial diaspora
• American diaspora