Revisiting the Asian gang: continuity, change and transformation

The Asian Gang (2000) was the first ethnographic study of Asian youth identities in Britain. Based on 5 years research, the study broke new ground in exploring the experiences and identities of a small group of Bangladeshi Muslim descent young men, then aged 15-19 years, living in London.The fifteen years since this original fieldwork have seen dramatic shifts in the understanding of Asian youth identities, set against a backdrop of social and political transformation.The 2001 'riots', the events of September 11 2001, and of July 2005, and the ongoing War on Terror, has seen an increased focus on Muslim youth and broader questions of integration, citizenship and multiculturalism. The current research revisits the original participants of The Asian Gang to trace their experiences over the past 15 years.These young men are now in their early 30s, most are married, and have diverse and divergent social, economic and religious experiences and identifications. Building on her ongoing relationships of the past 15 years, and using in-depth interviews, Dr Alexander will provide an intimate and unique picture into the experiences of these young men, exploring processes of continuity, change and transformation in the lives of 'the Asian gang'.