to want to move from the Asian district?

[Onestonetogo]

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[Onestonetogo]

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[Lizzylou]

I don't think it is rascist, you want to live somewhere where you feel included and be part of a community.
My friend recently moved her 7yr old out of school as he was one of only 3 non-asian children in the class. She was really worried about it, but her son felt excluded and she didn't want him to feel that way.
YANBU

[Hecate]

No, yanbu. You are not wanting to move because your neighbours are Asian (which would be very unreasonable!!). You are wanting to move because you have not been able to become friendly with your neighbours, despite you trying to make friends with them (I assume), being part of a close community is important to you and you feel isolated. That's not unreasonable at all.

[amner]

I dont think YABU as long as you think you're sure you'd be happier in a more multicultural area . ie its not just asians you dont want to live next door to.

Are houses selling where you are ? If not its probably best not to make a rash decision.

I have a similar experience myself, although we would hardly consider ourselves living in a ghetto (quite the opposite in fact leafy ££ houses). I live in a cul de sac of 6 houses in a very nice part of the country. Half of the houses are owned by a muslim family. They are very nice, but keep themselves to themselves. We have been invited to weddings etc. but there's just something .........

[LyraSilvertongue]

I don't think you're being racist at all - you just want to live among people where you have at least the language in common.
You're not saying you want to move because one Asian family has moved into the street - that would be racist. Not wanting to feel like the odd one out isn't.

[Onestonetogo]

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[Bluebutterfly]

Although this issue does highlight why alot of immigrants may feel very disinclined to to move into established "British" neighbourhoods - it must be very difficult to choose to be the odd one out, culturally and socially. Does it mean that real "assimilation" is just not possible?

[amner]

Possibly... you are right Onestop. But I dont know what the answer is really.

Like yourself, I dont consider myself racist either. My neigbours are fine, language is fine, but we dont have that neighbourly thing that I thought we would have when we moved here.

And if anybody is wondering... we moved in here in the full knowledge that half the houses were owned by an asian family. It didnt matter to us then one jot.

Maybe if we were to move on now I'd think more closly about it. Which I think is quite a big change in my attitude and not particularly for the best.

[MumeeeeeeIneeeeedyouuuu]

Doesn't sound racist, I don't think I'd like to live somewhere I felt uncomfortable and uninvolved in.

[Hecate]

That is also true, Onestone. What about making more effort to make friends? Language barriers - well, if the people that are struggling have someone to talk to in English - won't that help them to learn? you could learn other languages too - hello, how are you, etc. Showing an interest in another persons language and culture is very flattering and a good way to break down barriers.

Re men in one room women in another...I've experienced this too. My dh is from Kenya and I have been to gatherings where the men and women seperated. It was odd at first, because I'd never experienced it, but you just have to accept it as another, equally valid way of doing things. (As it happens, the women at those gatherings were not over friendly to me, they didn't want me there, but that's another story! )

[Onestonetogo]

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[amner]

No. I dont think so. Not in the foreseeable future anyway.

I like where I live. I like my house and I like my neighbours.

Maybe its ..'better the devil you know'

[bergentulip]

Why is it patronising to learn Urdu? Surely it shows someone who spekas Urdu that you are trying to make an effort and break a cultural/language barrier?

If someone speaks to me in English here in Holland, it is not necessary, I speak fluent Dutch, but they do it to appear friendly and accepting.
Vice versa, when I start speaking Dutch, people are delighted and instantly warm up a bit!

[bergentulip]

FWIW, I'd rather be the odd one out in an area with a lot of one other nationality or culture, than live in a totally 'white middle class' area.
I'd feel a lot more uncomfortable with that. It all feels so unnatural to me, and a bit Stepford Wives. - and I am supposedly 'white middle class'....zzzzzz......

[zoggs]

It is hard when your family stands out for being different.

I would love to move to an area which reflects our heritage but it is difficult to get the right balance because increasingly there are areas which are perceived as exclusively White or Black or Asian.

There are understandable reasons why certain groups of people have come to live in a particular area but what concerns me is that there are elements of racial segregation. I don't know what the answer is.

Onestonetogo, I don't think you are being racist but moving to a "non-Asian" area does not necessarily mean you will happen upon a wonderful community spirit. Some of our (white) neighbours are vile to each other.

[bergentulip]

Why do people just want to live in areas that 'reflect their heritage' though? I find that so booooo-ring. If I felt out of place somewhere, I'd assume it was my own fault for not trying to integrate a bit more. You just have to know the right way to start chatting and get to know eachother.

Language can be a huge barrier, but with a lot of good will I am sure it cannot stop one another being good neighbours to eachother...

[Onestonetogo]

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[zoggs]

Sorry to bore you bergentulip but I think it is important to feel that you belong in your own community and being neighbourly works both ways. Yes, sometimes (rarely) I do feel out of place but no amount of trying harder is going to get us an invite from the family over the road if they happen to be BNP voters.

Where you live is part of your identity and if your neighbours think you are different some (a minority I hope) may treat you differently. Some may avoid you, others may over compensate by being extra welcoming. I remember one neighbour who was absolutely desperate for his DD to be best friends with my DD just to prove how integrated and liberal he was. Imagine his horror when his DD said she didn't want to play with my DD because her hair was too frizzy. I did find his attitude a little patronising but he got his come-uppance.

[zoggs]

Onestonetogo, totally understand how you feel about being a minority. You are not being racist. Live where you feel happy.

[Mercy]

Ok, so it's a street not a district.

When I was a child we were the only family with an Asian father in our street (and in fact the district).

What about your dc school? Your and/or your dp's workplace?

[bergentulip]

Yes, good point Zoggs.
If you live amongst a bunch of small minded idiots, it's hard to feel at home.

[zoggs]

Hope I haven't made it sound like we live under siege with neo-nazis marching past. I'm generally quite happy here.

But like Onestonetogo I would like us to live in a mixed area (and that would reflect our heritage precisely). We are in one of the largest UK cities but it is hard to find an area which isn't labelled as full of one race/religion/ethnicity or another.

Yes, be a good neighbour but family comes before that and if you're not happy or it doesn't feel right than don't feel guilty for putting your loved ones first.