Aston: a transitory place?

It has been observed many times: Aston is not a permanent residence for the people living here. They are migrants who come and go. Aston is just a stepping stone for them, it is said. Once they have settled in this country and are doing reasonably well, they move on to more spacious and greener places.

This did not just happen once, but at least two times in living memory. The Irish were the first migrants to come to Aston. Only a few of them are left now, mostly elderly people. Their children who received a good education landed jobs elsewhere and that is where they went. The next group that came in and by and large replaced the Irish were the Afro-Caribbean people. A good number of them are still around, but it is also obvious that many of them are no longer here. They have been replaced by people from Pakistan and somewhat later from Bangladesh. Right now, these two groups constitute the majority of the population of Aston.

A disadvantage of a shifting population is that a high sense of belonging is absent. No pride in the neighbourhood of Aston is expected from transients. As soon as they have an opportunity they will move on to more prosperous and peaceful neighbourhoods. We have a kind of vicious circle here. Community participation is low in Aston, because people look for their future elsewhere, outside the neighbourhood. As a result, little is happening in terms of community activities, which in turn is not enticing for people to stay on. And so community participation remains low.

It is as though your steering wheel is blocked on a roundabout, preventing you to take one of the exits. Still, there are signs that counter such an understandable feeling of pessimism. Every day I am walking the streets of Aston and what I see is not just decay and neglect. No, on the contrary, in every street there are residents busily refurbishing their homes. They are not just working on the interior but on the exterior as well, changing the portal or beautifying the facade. Can it be true that these people intend to make their houses into their permanent homes? It looks like it and I sincerely hope that it is the case. After all, the permanent residents can be relied upon to take a keen and very much needed interest in their neighbourhood.

Ton