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Over
the last 50 years Leicester has become home for people from countries
all over the world. Victims of war, repression and economic migrants
have all settled in Leicester, in the process enriching the daily
life of the city.
We
have five very different stories to tell about people who chose
to come and live in Leicester.
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| Halina
Zawaozka |
Escaping
Hitler and Stalin
Halina Zawaozka
left Poland when it was partitioned by the Nazis and Russians in
1939. Halina's route to Leicester was a long one and included time
in Zambia. Read the BBC account of the invasion
of Poland in 1939. Hear
Halina's story. 
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| James
O'Dwyer |
Looking
for work
Jim O'Dwyer was one of thousands of young Irishmen who left home
to search for work in England in the late 1940's. Fifty years later
the tables are turned as the Celtic Tiger hosts English migrant
workers. Read more about the exodus
from Ireland over the centuries and how the tide has turned.
Join Jim as he
looks back in time.
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| Val
Fisher and son |
Coming
to the "Motherland"
Val Fisher from Grenada came to fulfil a dream to train as a nurse
and help Britain cope in the 1950's. She told us about the dark
and dank England she found. Find out more about immigration from
the Caribbean through the BBC
"Windrush" project. Val
recalls darker days.
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| Priya
and her brother |
Evicted
from Uganda
In
the early 1970's Idi Amin began evicting Asians from Uganda, forcing
many to leave with only the clothes they were wearing. Atul and
Manisha were among the thousands who were forced to flee. Use the
BBC timeline to study Ugandan
history. Hear their daughter Priya's
story.
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| Jawaahir
Daahir |
Fleeing
from civil war
Asylum seekers from civil wars across the globe are now living here.
For Jawaahir Daahir the ongoing war in Somalia meant she had to
seek safety for her children. She came to Leicester 1998 for the
short term but can't see any quick return to her beloved homeland.
Read more about the the trauma
of the war and UN involvement. Hear
how Jawaahir coped.
All
of our contributors joined us to share their experiences over a
meal made up of food from each culture. Polish poppy seed cakes,
potato bhajis, soda bread and jerk chicken were on the menu as stories
were exchanged and new friends made.
Do
you have world links? Can you tell us your story and send us a photograph
to share with rest of Leicestershire and Rutland? Send
us an e-mail.
You
can hear "Coming to Leicester" in the Spring on BBC Radio
Leicester and also on BBC Leicester.
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