UK Asians 'do not feel British'

[Orang Utan]

Traitor

I never felt like a Yorkshireman - I was never welcome there, even though I was born there. Such a lovely place.

 

[JTG]

Orang Utan, yesterday:

 

[London_Calling]

As an outsider observant I would say that your sense of humour is typical "British"

salaam.

salaam to you, you mad sheep chaser

 

[muckypup]

They should all learn from the English who move to 'Wales', all of whom learn the language and settle in as equals at once.

Very good example.

Astounding how selective the perceptive, or rather how exclusive the perspective of division is.

When I have to point out the very obvious, that people choose to overlook, its hard not to let a tone of bitter sarcasm to creep in.

 

[tbaldwin]

The word Asian has always seemed a lazy catch-all term, applied to people born in Europe/Britain, regardless of country of origin or religion. Asia is huge and diverse, yet it is usually only applied to people from India/Pakistan. It probably won't change until people stop using the term about themselves, and until the BBC stop using phrases like Asian Nation.

It is a bit lazy. But aernt we all?
Australians talk about people from China,Vietnam and Japan as Asian. But usually when people in the UK talk about Asians they mean people of Indian,Bangladeshi or Pakistani origin.

 

[untethered]

It is a bit lazy. But aernt we all?
Australians talk about people from China,Vietnam and Japan as Asian. But usually when people in the UK talk about Asians they mean people of Indian,Bangladeshi or Pakistani origin.

Technically, Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans are "south Asian". Vietnamese, Korean etc. are "south-east Asian". There are 1.2 bn Chinese, so "Chinese" will do for them. Australians and New Zealanders are "Antipodean". Then there are the people from the Middle East who are also in Asia but are often Arabs, Turks or Persians.

 

[Gromit]

Very good example.

Astounding how selective the perceptive, or rather how exclusive the perspective of division is.

When I have to point out the very obvious, that people choose to overlook, its hard not to let a tone of bitter sarcasm to creep in.

I couldn't work out if he was being sarcastic or not and the reason why I can't work it out is that the two welsh speakers I worked with are both english.

Welsh learner of the year is nearly always english as well for for some reason.

 

[CyberRose]

I think I feel British because of what I have in common culturewise with the Scots, Welsh and Irish, southerners. I'm Northern English, because I have as much in common with southerners as I do with the Scottish etc. I feel Yorkshireish, English, British and European!

 

[Gromit]

When I was young I considered myself British, Welsh, European in that order.

Now I consider myself Welsh, British (reluctantly), European (barely) in that order.

Funny how things change.

 

[skyscraper101]

Technically, Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans are "south Asian". Vietnamese, Korean etc. are "south-east Asian". There are 1.2 bn Chinese, so "Chinese" will do for them. Australians and New Zealanders are "Antipodean". Then there are the people from the Middle East who are also in Asia but are often Arabs, Turks or Persians.

It does kinda annoy me too, Asia covers such a large area but uses of the term 'Asian' in Britain all too often refers to South Asia like India & Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka with no mention of Indonesia, Japan, Mayasia and China.

I also find it interesting how different places in the world use the term 'Asian' - take America for instance. When the film 'Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle' came out it was marketed as starring "that Asian guy from 'American Pie' and that Indian guy from 'Van Wilder.'

 

[Groucho]

Of those polled 84% were satisfied with life in Britain and almost half thought they have more opportunities here....

Three-quarters of the British Asians felt their culture was being diluted by living in the UK and nearly half believed white people did not treat them as British.
A total of 59% of the British Asians polled felt they were British, compared to 73% of white people.

So the headline could be 'Most British Asians consider themselves British'. or 'More than one in four White British folk do not consider themselves British'.

 

[CharlieAddict]

When I was young I considered myself British, Welsh, European in that order.

Now I consider myself Welsh, British (reluctantly), European (barely) in that order.

Funny how things change.

for me it was welsh, chinese and british.

now i'm chinese, welsh but never british.

 

[audiotech]

It is a bit lazy. But aernt we all?
Australians talk about people from China,Vietnam and Japan as Asian.

I've heard Australians use the term "slant eyes" to talk about people from China, Vietnam and Japan.

 

[rhys gethin]

I couldn't work out if he was being sarcastic or not and the reason why I can't work it out is that the two welsh speakers I worked with are both english.

Welsh learner of the year is nearly always english as well for for some reason.

He was being sarcastic, because the proportion of settlers who learn the language is extremely low. It is, nevertheless, a very welcome development that so many English people do learn Cymraeg nowadays - and an excellent lesson to the Cymry di-Gymraeg who can't be bothered. As Muckypup says, perceptions are very selective on all sides.

 

[TAE]

I certainly feel more european than british.

 

[derf]

that's the thing...we are not the same.
to say we're the same eliminates the fact we are different with varying ethnicities - political, religious, race or otherwise.

and your first sentence contradicts your last one...

We are the same in so many ways. The differences just makes us more interesting. So you and me are not the same colour and your politics are shit. Does it really matter ?
I'll still buy you a drink but now you will have to forgive me drinking orange juice.

 

[CharlieAddict]

We are the same in so many ways. The differences just makes us more interesting. So you and me are not the same colour and your politics are shit. Does it really matter ?
I'll still buy you a drink but now you will have to forgive me drinking orange juice.

identity is beyond skin.

but i can forgive you for having crappy daily express politics and for drinking orange juice.

give us a shout when you're in town.

m

 

[ramjamclub]

How foreigners are classified in Holland

A different perspective of how the Dutch see foreigners.
Allochtoon

 

[lewislewis]

He was being sarcastic, because the proportion of settlers who learn the language is extremely low. It is, nevertheless, a very welcome development that so many English people do learn Cymraeg nowadays - and an excellent lesson to the Cymry di-Gymraeg who can't be bothered. As Muckypup says, perceptions are very selective on all sides.

Take Plaid Cymru for example, the party is full of 'English' people- however you don't have to be born inside Wales to be Welsh, you can just learn the identity and commit to it, Welshness is non-genetic if you like.

I don't know what feeling 'British' means- basically the things I can think of are the Olympics teams, the Royal Family, the British Empire, the BNP, nothing that gets me going! The only sense I am British is in the fact I come from the British Isles which is a geographical term.

 

[nino_savatte]

I think I feel British because of what I have in common culturewise with the Scots, Welsh and Irish, southerners. I'm Northern English, because I have as much in common with southerners as I do with the Scottish etc. I feel Yorkshireish, English, British and European!

The concept of "Britishness" is relatively recent and is bound up with the subjugation of the Scottish and Irish people (and their respective acts of union).

I'm willing to bet that you have nothing in common with the Scots or the Welsh and are a sassenach through and through.

 

[likesfish]

if your going to set yourself as a separate community as immigrants helps if you've got a bob or two
see the brits on the costa
does'nt really work if your at the bottom of the economic ladder though

 

[roddes]

ive allways felt like a bitter yorkshire men but never british! i would neve r want to, you have the worst cultur,the worst food and you ant even natives of this set of island's. but then again yorkshire acts like its not apart of the uk anyway

 

[STFC]

ive allways felt like a bitter yorkshire men but never british! i would neve r want to, you have the worst cultur,the worst food and you ant even natives of this set of island's. but then again yorkshire acts like its not apart of the uk anyway

Unlucky for you that you have to live in such an awful place.

Of course you could always....no, no, I'd better not.

 

[tbaldwin]

I think I feel British because of what I have in common culturewise with the Scots, Welsh and Irish, southerners. I'm Northern English, because I have as much in common with southerners as I do with the Scottish etc. I feel Yorkshireish, English, British and European!

I feel Southern English cos i have more in common with Asian people from London than i do with people who put ferrets down their trousers.

 

[Fruitloop]

The crap supposition behind all of this is that nationalism is the answer to the problems of social cohesion, terrorism etc. Not accidentally, since to admit that these problems don't in fact stem from a lack of 'feeling British' would require confronting what the causes actually are, which is something the govt and media have been singularly unwilling to do so far.

 

[citygirl]

there's a BIG difference between *feeling "british"* and feeling as though you fit in somehere...even the most english of muslims are feeling out of place here now, because they DO stand out...and there's always a stick to beat them with...unfortunately

 

[Prince Rhyus]

there's a BIG difference between *feeling "british"* and feeling as though you fit in somehere...even the most english of muslims are feeling out of place here now, because they DO stand out...and there's always a stick to beat them with...unfortunately

Spot on with the first point.

As for the second point - especially in relation to female Muslims, it depends on whether they wear any headgear (veils, scarves, niqabs, hijabs etc) or not. If they do, then IMO they are making a political and a religious statement that makes them stand out.

People are free to make such statements in what they say, do or wear but the right to make such statements also comes with the responsibility of accepting that there are going to be some consequences of making such statements. (It's a shame that the mainstream media seem to be immune to the consequences of the statements that they make )