| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:provocative article in Telegraph re Acton | |
| Posted by: | Fraser Pearce | |
| Date/Time: | 06/02/13 12:37:00 |
| To my mind, it’s about assimilation, not simple immigration, colour or time clocked in a country. My Egypto-Sudanese in-laws, for example, made a concerted effort to assimilate when they came to Europe in the seventies. Their children - my wife and brother-in-law - thrived. I think we’ve benefited from something similar in Indian immigration to the UK. --- The estate where I grew up in the seventies was mostly West Indian, with the children of white Irish immigrants like us being the minority. My black, brown and white friends all spoke the same language, dressed the same, listened to similar music, shared similar names. There was an easy cultural affinity that transcended colour or where your Mum and Dad were born. A couple of years ago, I took my wife and children back to see where I grew up. I doubt we saw a single unveiled woman. A group of bearded young men stood at the estate entrance and evidently weren’t happy with our presence. It was intimidating and unwelcoming. It seemed as though people were deliberately setting themselves apart. To my mind, this is perhaps the biggest change between Then and Now. |