Paper short abstract:

Migratory fluxes in London reshape the ethnic and urban landscape and require a constant reflection on their impact on the urban fabric. This photo essay focuses on Turkish speaking communities searching for visible ethnic markers in North London, addressing the issue of integration and seclusion.

Paper long abstract:

Continuous migratory fluxes in London constantly alter and reshape the ethnic and urban landscape of the city, thus requiring a constant reflection on their integration in the urban fabric. Distinctive buildings, representing vestiges of the English heritage and its contemporary power, overlap with those of Black and Minority Ethnic groups, as religious buildings with visible marks and ethnic restaurants, which became an integral part of social imaginary on the City.

Based on a visual research for the International Urban Photography Summer School 2013 at Goldsmiths University of London, this photo essay focuses on the case of Turkish speaking communities, which according to the Home Office's estimations stand for at least 200.000 people, including Turkish, Turkish Cypriots, and Alevi/Kurds with Turkish citizenship, ranging from asylum seekers to economic migrants.

The search aims at portraying how members of these communities carve their spaces in the northern part of London dealing with issues of integration and seclusion, while establishing an interrelation between themselves and other inhabitants. Photos chosen for the essay portray examples of religious markers, ethnic economic activities, and controversial area, dominated by Turkish gangs, since the 1970s.

The output of the research observes how the presence of Turkish speaking communities influenced the recovery of buildings, the shaping of a local "informal economy", and emerging social issues. Conclusive remarks support the use of visual research as a tool for providing insightful perspective for addressing the issue of integration/visibility in multicultural urban spaces.