Stories of Racism and Resistance: A Narrative Analysis of Stories Told in the UK Windrush Generation and Descendants of the Windrush Generation

The Windrush Generation (WG) and their descendants continue to experience adversity in the UK, including racism and the Windrush Scandal, with such adversities absent from psychological research literature. Intergenerational trauma is a psychological concept explaining that adverse experiences can be transmitted from one generation to impact subsequent generations. There has been limited consideration of the ongoing impact of adverse experiences that span multiple generations, such as experiences of racism within Western Europe. This paper utilised a narrative research design to study the narratives of members of the WG and those of their descendants in the UK. Eight expert by experience co-researchers were involved in developing the project from design through to dissemination. Eight participants, including four members of the WG and four descendants, completed semi-structured interviews in which they told stories in the context of Windrush. These stories were analysed utilising a narrative analysis framework, looking at content, structure and performance. Collective trauma and racism were apparent in the stories told, yet tended not to be spoken about by the WG to subsequent generations. Instead, emphasis was given to communicating strength and resistance. Implications for policy, healthcare and supporting communities to heal through narrative and liberation practices are discussed.