White Chapel

This East London neighborhood that has served as an immigrant gateway for centuries. Today, it's predominantly shaped by its Bangladeshi community, which forms the largest ethnic group at 40% of residents. Muslim residents comprise 43% of the population, with 22.6% speaking Bengali.

Since the sixteenth century, the area has experienced distinct waves of immigration. Immigration – principally Huguenot (French), Scandinavian, German, Irish, Jewish, Bengali, Somali, and from the rest of Britain.

From the 1880s through the 1970s, Whitechapel was the heart of London's Jewish community. By 1914, 90% of all Jews in England lived in the crowded streets of Whitechapel, Spitalfields and St George's, mostly Eastern European refugees who worked in the textile industry.

The transformation began in the 1970s with Bangladeshi immigration, accelerated by Bangladesh's declaration of Independence in 1971 and the casualty-heavy conflict which spurred mass migration. Most came from the Sylhet region of Bangladesh.

Today's Whitechapel features the East London Mosque, one of Europe's largest mosques, and Bengali station signage, reflecting a thriving community that has achieved significant political and economic integration while maintaining its cultural identity.