I’m surprised to see how many historians I know have signed a letter which calls to perfect a racist test rather than eliminate it altogether.

The problem with the test is not that it misrepresents the British empire. That is a *structural* problem with UK education as a whole. The problem is that it is part of a larger policy set to deter a certain type of immigrant.

The book itself needs to be historicized: it is part of a much longer immigration policy that was created in the late British empire and deeply shaped by how Britain dealt with political and economic decolonization.

It is also —&that is critical— shaped by the political economy of post imperial Britain and neoliberal Britain. Historians of Britain should know this. In fact, the book to prepare for the test should be part of their curriculum as a historical document for UK students to analyze

Historians should read it like any primary source: that is analyze not only for what is the history that is missing from it but also for what is in it and who is it aimed for.

The historical section has lots of misrepresentations of the British empire. The terrible representation of slavery is part of a larger problematic treatment of Ireland and the Troubles, the empire in the 19thC, the Windrush &immigration that followed, and the Iraq war (!)

But the section is only 1 of 5 parts of the test. The other sections test British values & principles; what is the UK; social and cultural life in the UK; structure of government and law. Here are some nuggets:

Participation in community life appears in various sections as an important part of British life. In the section on the gov&law there’s several pages devoted for it which include: “being a good neighbor” (pls limit how much noise you make) or “helping in schools” (see image)

In the gov&law section there’s a short paragraph on the N. Ireland Assembly which is disconnected from the history of how it was created. Cf. the troubles in p. 55.

The work of gender in the entire test is problematic but: who is imagined to be the immigrant that would read & need to learn that women are no longer expected to stay at home? same goes for the specific detail on the FMG laws (cf w/ the absence of other uk laws)

Shopping and social networking is part of British life on which you will be tested