Who am I? … a question, perhaps, as old as time itself.

This is the question that award winning

filmmaker and journalist Irene Baque so enthusiastically engages in the documentary ‘I'm part of

Windrush and am returning to Jamaica after 50 years’. This powerful story is based on an original

investigative piece written by British Journalist Amelia Gentleman which highlighted the

mistreatment of the Windrush Generation and was depicted on the YouTube channel of The

Guardian news agency which has been popularized for its investigative journalism, documentaries

and explainers about international problems. This thought provoking and emotional documentary

transports the viewer along the protagonist’s journey of self-discovery; from wrestling with post-

colonial identity brought about via the betrayal of the British government, to the impact of systemic

racism experienced by an entire generation of African descended Caribbean people. The filmmaker

invites the viewer to journey with protagonist Paulette Wilson as she embarks on a 10,000 mile

roundtrip, fraught with emotional and thought provoking content, that ultimately leads the

protagonist from her ‘home’ in England to her birthplace of Jamaica in an effort to reconnect with

a past both familiar yet foreign.

After living in the United Kingdom (UK) for fifty-two years, Paulette was left reeling from the

news that she was classified as an illegal immigrant by the British government. The first few

minutes of the documentary recaps Paulette’s reaction to the news and her journey to prove her

legal status with the assistance of her daughter Natalie. At that time, Paulette along with many

other migrants faced deportation since they could not provide sufficient evidence to satisfy the

UK’s then policies on ‘Hostile Environment’. These policies sought to make life unbearable for

migrants living in the UK with the hopes that it would force them to leave on their own. The latter

half of the documentary follows Paulette’s trip back to Jamaica, her country of birth. There, she
sought to connect with her past and regain her cultural identity by reconnecting to a family long

forgotten.

The film sought to capture a personal account of the experiences of someone who was a part of

the Windrush scandal which saw thousands of people classified as illegal immigrants. Baques

manages to captivate the viewers in the very first moments of the documentary by showcasing a

very distraught Paulette as she questions her own identity. The scene was so raw and emotional

that you are left questioning your own sense of self. Leary and Tangney (p.69) state “Identities

are the traits and characteristics, social relations, roles, and social group memberships that define

who one is”. In that regard we can ascertain that identity itself is multifaceted and can be influenced

by a number of factors. For Paulette and so many others that were wrought from their homes with

the promise of a better life, England the “mother country” was revealed to be unforgiving,

disrespectful and unwelcoming to those invited ‘home’. to the UK in search of a better life their

identities were assimilated to British culture. Her perception was she was British because Jamaica

at that time was under British governance. However, like so many others who sought a better life

in the UK they were met with an unwelcoming populace.

Who exactly is the Windrush Generation? The documentary answers those questions albeit

vaguely so. The Windrush generation refers to people who arrived in the UK from different

Caribbean countries between 1948 and 1971(BBC News). The name ‘Windrush’ was bestowed

upon this group as homage to the ship that brought in the first group of migrants to England’s

shores. In the film their arrival was introduced in a series of black and white segments that were

incorporated throughout the film. It was also used to briefly depict Jamaican culture. This

showcased the artistry of the filmmaker and was a lovely contrast between the past and present
times. It is sure to peak the viewers interest about this group and raise questions about the reasons

for migration which is another aspect the film does not cover.