'New' Scots vote crucial to independence result
Published: 7:30PM Saturday September 13, 2014 Source: AP
Watch Video RelatedOn the south side of Glasgow, in the heartland of Scotland's Asian community, support for independence from United Kingdom is strong as Thursday'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 last 60 years an influx of Indians, Pakistanis, Bengalis, Chinese, Italians, Poles and others have created new communities which, because of their relative small size, have had to merge with the culture of their adopted country.
Across Scotland, there are some 140,000 people who class themselves as Asian Scots, along with around 30,000 Africans, 7000 from the Caribbean, 55,000 Poles and over 160,000 other non-British EU Citizens eligible to vote in the landmark referendum.
These 'New Scots' represent more than 4% of the population and with the polls putting both sides of the debate neck-and-neck just days before the September 18 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 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.'
He said that when his father first moved to London more than 30 years ago it was hard to fit in, so his family tended to mix only with others from the same background. But when his parents moved to Glasgow, they had no choice but to mix with Scottish people because it was so much smaller than the British capital.
Research by the Center on Dynamics of Ethnicity recently found that minority groups in Scotland are more likely to claim a Scottish identity when compared to minority groups in England deciding whether to choose an English identity. Overall 94% 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 UK are a prominent factor in their decision making. Scotland, with a population of around just 5 million, wants a more open policy to attract new people and talent, while the British government is under political pressure to curb immigration.
However, many European Union nationals currently 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 next general election could result in Scotland being forced to leave the EU if the rest of the UK votes that way.
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