Though Merthyr is 99% white, it's a town comprised of many people whose families hail from other countries. These mostly trace back to the 19th century, when the ironworks and coal-mines drew in thousands from England, Ireland and , to a lesser extent, Spain. Italian and Jewish people have settled here for a century, though few of the latter remain. Today it is the Polish workers who have been attracted and we even have a Polish
grocer's on the High St.

   There has definitely been racial tension in the past, notably the animosity shown towards the Irish when they arrived, because they were seen to be taking lower wages and replacing local workers. However, the race riot described in Des Barry's novel 'A Bloody Good Friday' didn't happen in Merthyr, according to a reliable source, but in Cardiff and the writer has transposed it here.

  Whilst teaching at a Merthyr Comp. for 20 years the worst form of racism was always the anti-Irish variety, venomous as a result of the war in N. Ireland and the Provos actions in England. 'Irish' was long equated with the word 'stupid', as in the phrase 'Tha's Irish, tha is!' There was some anti-Englishness directed at individual pupils who had moved here, but by far the most prevalent form was totally unquestioned anti-gypsy racism ( which is also depicted in Des Barry's book). 'Gypo!' was the worst possible insult.

   Ironically, this was even more pronounced at a middle-class school where I taught for nearly 10 years and which was far more ethnically diverse. The attitude towards gypsies there was scathing and I could find no pupils (as I did in Merthyr) who defended them.

   In the wake of yesterday's demo against the EDL/WDL in Cardiff, it is vital to counter such racism at every opportunity. It's important to remember the changes it has undergone as well.  The glib propaganda which daubs them all as 'Nazis' fails to comprehend the link between their Islamophobia and the mainstream 'war on terror'. Like the  Loyalist paramilitaries in N.Ireland, these groups see themselves as defenders of a way of life ( a barely definable 'Britishness') against the perceived onslaught if Islam. Prince Harry's comment about 'ragheads' is merely the upper-class manifestation of this bigotry.

   I was particularly sickened in my final year of teaching , when three pupils in Year 7 (instigated by one whose brother was fighting in Afghanistan) began a chant about bombing the Taliban. I explained to them that many innocent civilians had been killed in that country as a result of the war there, but it made little impact. It's no accident that EDL membership is so high in the armed forces.

   In the 80's in Merthyr we faced down the National Front on the streets. They were allowed to sell their abnoxious newspaper in the shopping precinct and the then Labour Council failed to do anything about it. It was up to local activists, Cor Cochion Caerdydd and quite a few members of the SWP to directly confront them with our chanting, singing and speeches.

   I recall how ugly it got. Once a large ball-bearing was hurled at us from a balcony , only just missing! Eventually, several of the fascists walked towards us in the precinct. It was like 'High Noon'! We held firm, sang loudly and they retreated. Soon after, they gave up selling their paper and never returned again.


     IMMIGRANT  NAMES

 

Think of all the names

our names, your names –

how far they have travelled,

what histories they contain

 

Welsh-speaking Englands once from England,

the Viazzanis and Sidolis

of rugby, boxing and cafes,

the Barsis of music and footie

 

the Foleys and Mahoneys,

Councillors, planners , Church-goers –

those from Spain like Lozanos,

Juan the Elvis impersonator

 

Flooks the one-time jeweller

and Burns the teacher,

those Jewish people

buried on a hillside not far

 

our own friends the Ruzkowskis,

Poles who fled the war,

who went to work down mines,

who ended with too many wreaths

 

the Patels and Singhs

of hospitals and surgeries

and those always-open groceries

we take for granted nowadays

 

think of all those names,

once afar, now near –

proud immigrant names

such a part of Merthyr.