Balti Britain: A Journey Through the British Asian Experience

Weaving an informative travelogue with an illuminating autobiography, this account combines the history of Asians in Great Britain with the author’s personal recollections. From the arrival of the first Indian in 1614 to the young extremists in Walthamstow mosque in 2006, this portrait conveys a vivid and rich chronicle of a people’s past. The author’s own life is also explored, describing his carefree childhood in Pakistan, his family's emigration to a racist Britain in the 1950s, and his adulthood straddling two cultures. Authentic and strikingly honest, this record also considers vital questions such as Are arranged marriages a good thing? Does the term "Asian" obscure more than it conveys? Do Vindaloo and Balti actually exist? and Is multiculturalism an impossible dream?