GLASGOW, Scotland — On the south side of Glasgow, in the heartland of Scotland’s Asian community, support for independence from the United Kingdom is strong as this week’s referendum nears.
Colorful displays of “Yes” posters outnumber those backing the “Better Together” campaign. Talk on the street is of opportunity and a chance to create a fairer country more welcoming to immigrants.
Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city and its most ethnically diverse. Over the past 60 years, an influx of Indians, Pakistanis, Bengalis, Chinese, Italians, Poles and others have created communities that, because of their relative small size, have had to merge with the culture of their adopted country.
Across Scotland, there are about 140,000 people who class themselves as Asian Scots, along with about 30,000 Africans, 7,000 Caribbeans, 55,000 Poles and 160,000 other non-British EU citizens eligible to vote in the landmark referendum. These “New Scots” represent more than 4 percent of the population. With the polls putting the debate neck-and-neck just days before Thursday’s vote, their views could be critical.
Alyas Hamidi, 21, was born in Glasgow and regards himself first and foremost as a Glaswegian. In public with his friends, he is a Scot, but at home — where English is rarely spoken with his parents and grandparents — he is Iranian. He identifies with both places and said he wants his adopted homeland to embrace independence.
“I was the only Iranian boy in my class, and apart from a few rude comments over the years, I’ve never felt my background was a problem for anyone,” he said. “I’m proud to be Scottish. I’ll be voting yes.”
Research by the Center on Dynamics of Ethnicity, based at Glasgow University, recently found that minority groups in Scotland are more likely to claim a Scottish identity when compared with minority groups in England deciding whether to choose an English identity.
Overall, 94 percent of those from ethnic communities born in Scotland identify as being Scottish rather than British — likely giving independence forces a boost.
For many ethnic minority voters, contrasting attitudes on immigration between Scotland and the rest of the U.K. are a prominent factor in their decision-making. Scotland, with a population of about 5 million, wants a more open policy to attract people and talent, while the British government is under political pressure to curb immigration.
However, many European Union nationals living in Scotland fear they will have problems if an independent Scotland is refused entry into the EU. Many are also concerned that a referendum on EU membership promised by Prime Minister David Cameron after the 2015 general election could result in Scotland being forced to leave the EU if the rest of the U.K. votes that way.
Despite fears about Britain eventually leaving the EU, Monika Macko, 37, who moved from Krakow, Poland, 11 years ago, is leaning toward what she thinks is the safer choice: No to independence. “I have not been convinced there is a need for Scotland to separate from the rest of the U.K.,” she said.