For my British Life & Visual Media course, we often take field trips and guided tours to have a better grasp on British culture. For one of our classes sessions, we took a tour of Brick Lane which is a long street located in East London. Since the first time I went there I was instantly captivated by its history and display of culture. I’ll be talking about why I love this area so much and the historical context of how it became the way it is today.
For my British Life & Visual Media course, we often take field trips and guided tours to have a better grasp on British culture. For one of our classes’ sessions, we took a tour of Brick Lane which is a long street located in East London. Since the first time I went there I was instantly captivated by its history and display of culture. I’ll be talking about why I love this area so much and the historical context of how it became the way it is today.
Its neighboring towns of Spitalfields and Shoreditch, Brick Lane is known for its diverse community and display of street art on almost every wall. A lovely man named Pete was giving our class the walking tour of Brick Lane, while also telling us his own experience of previously being homeless in East London. It was great hearing such impactful testimonies from a native Brit, and it was nice to see that he conquered that obstacle and got back on his feet. The amount of art and murals on this street was IMPECABLE! As an artist I love seeing stuff like this and the entire time I was quite mesmerized.
Britain takes a lot of pride in their multiculturalism and Brick Lane definitely seemed to be a living example. I had done some research on Brick Lane and its origin and found an abundance of information specifically about its ethnic community!
After hearing Pete’s multiple stories of Brick Lane’s history, one theme seemed to be prevalent in not only its origin but how it remains now: cultural coexistence. In the late 18th century, loads of people were fleeing persecution searching for a place to live. Brick Lane’s affordable housing and readily available manual jobs paved way for opportunity of a better life especially for immigrants. Irish, Jewish, and Bangladeshi people made up most of its immigrants and created hubs of palpable culture. Brick Lane’s ethnic make-up is made up of 39% Bangladeshi people which is not only the majority, but they outweigh the White British population by 8%. Now that I know more historical context behind its Bangladeshi community and the ways that they’ve had to battle gentrification, I’ve had a larger appreciation for its quirks. The street art and constant showcasing of the town’s culture has made it become one of my favorite places to go!
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The safety and security of Drexel students is a priority for the University. As part of the efforts to support Drexel students that are studying abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of Global Engagement has conducted a rigorous review of programming and provided additional support to participating students with customized pre-departure orientations and regular check-ins during the required self-isolation period and the term.
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