Sunday 17 March 2013

No really.. where are you from?

Immigration debates

It does sounds odd to me at times when I hear an Bangladeshi, or Indian or African, state things like we need to curb immigration.. we need to know whose coming in and who's going out.. 'our services are creaking..' he said. In a fairly strong non English accent.

It sounds odd because of the history of immigration with regards to Blacks and Asian people, and the racist policies that were imposed to deal with it.
It sounds odd, because many of these people, despite in some cases, great wealth.. are not really accepted.. or are they?
hmmm are they really seen as British?.. not in the eyes of many I suspect.

I was born here, but most people on meeting or seeing me ask where I'm from. Even if I say I'm born here, they wont have it.. 'yes, but where are you from?.. I don't mind.. I recognise what they're saying.. whether they realise it or not, they are actually saying as a black person I am not English.
I cannot look as I do and not be black Caribbean African (or whichever way round you want to spin it)
Yet, my mum would disagree.
But not only my mum...In fact.. in the Caribbean I was called the English girl throughout my entire stay. Not so in Africa. ( where many people seem to know a girl 'round the way' who looked just like me)

Blacks and Asians here in the U.K, I feel may have been slightly bamboozled with the immigration debate..
Many new immigrants are European.. and not black. As Europeans.. they are welcome to come along.. creaking services or not... outside of the E.U , and no such luck.

So are our immigration policies racist, or not?.
When people talk about immigration who are they talking about?.. which people are the 'problem'.. and which are not?
Is the concern economic?.. even when many people speak of a loss of culture/ white culture (whatever that may be) smelly foods stuff, language, schooling, and odd holidays?
Immigrants work and pay taxes.. lots. they contribute to the public purse.

Somebody please tell me in a ll honesty, what this immigration debate is really about.. because often it appears contradictory, and slightly insincere.

1 comment:

  1. a murky one, as one is not always privy to another's world view when "bloody foreigners" are discussed. Eastern Europeans vs. Indians vs. Africans? the right-leaning want those that look like them, the capitalist lot want those that will provide the cheapest labour. and of course the tad insincere politicos whip up the faux angst to get more votes. when someone, British of whatever race or colour, spouts on immigration I challenge them outright. are you talking hard numbers here or is this what you read in the Sun?

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