07 Nov Latin Elephant
Elephant and Castle is renowned for its modern developments, such as the iconic Razor tower, and the well known night club The Ministry of Sound. But one thing that stands out above both of these things is the sheer amount of Hispanic influence present in the area. From food to clothing, there are many different traders specializing in Latin American themed products, both traditional and with a western twist.
Photo from Citymetric.com: Two Latin businesses within Elephant & Castle
It is almost impossible to walk around Elephant and Castle without seeing at least 1 of the 150 Latin owned businesses in the area. With almost 9% of the population of Elephant and Castle being Latin American, or of Latin descent it is clear that there are many businesses to cater to their cultural traditions and desires. The Latin Minority in Elephant and Castle is a perfect example of the great diversity within the city of London. London is no doubt the most diverse city in the country, but how did this level of cohesion come about? The Deputy Mayor of Southwark, Councillor Barrie Hargrove stated that immigrant integration was “integration was tough at first, it took people a while to get used to each other” but after London got used to influxes of immigration “it became natural”. The future for Elephant and Castle is looking bright, with many new projects currently being built, as well as a great number of future projects planned within the area, making it a great attribute to the ever-changing City of London.
