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Racism against south Asians in the UK

380 replies

ArtfulKoala · 12/07/2025 13:01

This is a very hard thread for me to begin. I’ve been intending to do it for months but felt unable to do so. I was born in the UK but I am of south Asian origin. My parents and grandparents emigrated here. We are five generations British and counting.

I feel that racism and racial suspicion towards brown skinned people has absolutely gone off the scale since Reform gained a foothold in mainstream politics.

At first it was the little things - being subjected to an extended bag check when entering a museum when white visitors walked straight in or were casually asked to just open the large section which wasn’t really checked. This is especially the case at places like Kensington Palace and the Imperial War Museum. For reference, I am talking about a small handbag 15cm by 25cm probably smaller than their own guidelines state. At Kensington Palace, it actually got to the ridiculous stage where the checker was asking me to open more and more zipped sections down to a 5cm one until there was literally nothing left to open and she was effectively asking me to open non existent ones!
There is an incident every time we are out ( me and my teenagers). People loudly talking about us standing right next to us talking about how we are entitled just because we have been directed to the front of the queue by staff as one of us is disabled.
Yesterday, we got on a damned train with cold, vegan salads from m&s and it started immediately. A white couple complaining loudly about “the smell” when there was none because they judged us by how we look and decided our food was smelly upon that basis. Then, when the ticket inspector came round and we showed the disabled railcard, a running commentary on how we must have gamed the system to obtain that.
It is really wearing. I don’t feel like we can belong here anymore despite being educated and fully integrated here. I fully pay for private housing, healthcare and education and yet I may as well have just stepped off a small boat yesterday as far as they are concerned. I cannot fight random bigots daily when we are just trying to live our lives having low key, relaxing private family time.
It is simply fogging to get worse isn’t it? I honestly believe that Farage will be the next PM ( I am politically literate enough to gauge this for myself rather than buying into tabloid scaremongering. Zayn Malik referred to similar experiences in the song he released last week. We have similar colourings to him and never experienced racism ever before this. Perhaps they think we are Middle Eastern and are directing a particular type of hatred towards us. Perhaps it is a new racism because there were not many Middle Eastern people in the UK until recently.

I know that it is not everyone everywhere but it is now frequent enough for us to come to expect it every time we leave the house. Is this the equivalent of the Weimar Republic for the UK? Since there is no such thing as “stopping the boats” then the headlines will continue and the hatred towards brown-skinned fully fledged Brits too.

If I don’t come back to this thread immediately, it is because it is a massive thing for me to write this down and I will be reading and considering the responses.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
GreenGully · 13/07/2025 13:50

Fffavvavaa · 13/07/2025 13:44

"Suffering we've caused". Please stop being a self-hating white person. All I ask is you treat an ethnic minority person just normally. Honestly.

The irony is @Tofana doesn't realise just how patronising she is being toward ethnic minorities. It's shocking actually.

GreenGully · 13/07/2025 13:47

Tofana · 13/07/2025 13:37

@GreenGully honestly it’s too hot to argue with someone who doesn’t know the difference between racism/sexism and discrimination/prejudice.

Your best friend being peddled out to prove you're not a racist makes you appear like a closeted racist and if you can’t see why you’re problematic then it’s not for me to try to help you make the connection.

If you feel you’ve “won” some argument or proved some point then Im glad for you, you clearly need something nice in your life. I won’t be replying to your next post you quote me on telling me that Im wrong and that I’ve ignored facts or whatever it is you plan to say. Our views don’t align. I do not believe white people will ever experience the inherent suffering we’ve caused to non whites. I do not believe men will experience sexism. I do not believe that your friend would appreciate you wheeling her out when you are trying to prove you're not a racist.

And I would happily blend racists into a smooth patê regardless of being a terrible human for it.
It’s not like I have access to a blender large enough for it to be possible anyway.

Enjoy the sun.

That type of talk is what got Lucy Connolly put away. This is incitement to violence. What does it feel like to behave exactly like the people you claim to hate?

Fffavvavaa · 13/07/2025 13:44

Tofana · 13/07/2025 13:37

@GreenGully honestly it’s too hot to argue with someone who doesn’t know the difference between racism/sexism and discrimination/prejudice.

Your best friend being peddled out to prove you're not a racist makes you appear like a closeted racist and if you can’t see why you’re problematic then it’s not for me to try to help you make the connection.

If you feel you’ve “won” some argument or proved some point then Im glad for you, you clearly need something nice in your life. I won’t be replying to your next post you quote me on telling me that Im wrong and that I’ve ignored facts or whatever it is you plan to say. Our views don’t align. I do not believe white people will ever experience the inherent suffering we’ve caused to non whites. I do not believe men will experience sexism. I do not believe that your friend would appreciate you wheeling her out when you are trying to prove you're not a racist.

And I would happily blend racists into a smooth patê regardless of being a terrible human for it.
It’s not like I have access to a blender large enough for it to be possible anyway.

Enjoy the sun.

"Suffering we've caused". Please stop being a self-hating white person. All I ask is you treat an ethnic minority person just normally. Honestly.

atotalshambles · 13/07/2025 13:39

I'm sorry you have experienced this. I think that social media is dividing us all into different groups and encouraging hate against anyone who doesn't belong into that particular group. Everything is binary now - all people who vote conservative are evil, all people who vote labour are evil, a person of a particular background commits a crime - well ,all people from that background are criminals etc..( southport riots etc..) There is no tolerance for anyone anywhere. I think that people have no patience at all for other people at all. Eating an M&S salad on the train is completely acceptable and I'm sorry you were made to feel uncomfortable.

Tofana · 13/07/2025 13:37

@GreenGully honestly it’s too hot to argue with someone who doesn’t know the difference between racism/sexism and discrimination/prejudice.

Your best friend being peddled out to prove you're not a racist makes you appear like a closeted racist and if you can’t see why you’re problematic then it’s not for me to try to help you make the connection.

If you feel you’ve “won” some argument or proved some point then Im glad for you, you clearly need something nice in your life. I won’t be replying to your next post you quote me on telling me that Im wrong and that I’ve ignored facts or whatever it is you plan to say. Our views don’t align. I do not believe white people will ever experience the inherent suffering we’ve caused to non whites. I do not believe men will experience sexism. I do not believe that your friend would appreciate you wheeling her out when you are trying to prove you're not a racist.

And I would happily blend racists into a smooth patê regardless of being a terrible human for it.
It’s not like I have access to a blender large enough for it to be possible anyway.

Enjoy the sun.

VanessaFence · 13/07/2025 13:32

I have trouble with the arguments about maintaining a British racial identity or complaining about immigration in London because this is a product of being such an internationally focused country.

My partner's family is South Asian and yet there are white people in his family tree because of the empire. For the last 200+ years Britain has sought to spread its language and culture throughout the world (as well as capitalise on the resources of other countries). We've also encouraged immigration, especially into the capital, to fuel its growth and make it one of the most prosperous cities in the world. We're a tiny island and yet we massively punch above our weight internationally because of this.

What's wrong is that this wealth has been siphoned off into the hands of the few while the rest of us fight for the scraps.

I agree that we need sensible immigration policies and to be able to debate this properly. But for those who wish they could be like Japan and have one homogenous British racial and cultural identity - that's simply not our history. That ship sailed (quite literally) with the explorers.

Fffavvavaa · 13/07/2025 13:30

Of course white people can experience racism. Racism isn't "white people hating on others". It's discriminating against someone purely on their race.

I'm Indian myself and hate the "you evil white person" mantra

GreenGully · 13/07/2025 13:29

Lavenderflower · 13/07/2025 13:24

You evidently missed the point..never mind. I won't be responding to you.

Because you can't.

GreenGully · 13/07/2025 13:28

Lavenderflower · 13/07/2025 13:22

You haven't actually made any points...why is that bigoted people often add they have a friend who a ethnic minority as if it makes them less prejudiced.

Well I actually have made some quite considered points. You just don't seem to be able to understand them, though it's basic stuff.

GreenGully · 13/07/2025 13:26

Tofana · 13/07/2025 13:22

without opening the link because I simply can’t be arsed I don’t imagine it’s white men having verbal abuse, physical abuse or experiencing fear of leaving the house.
You are a deeply unpleasant individual and I likely won’t agree with anything you say because I’m not racist and you are.

So you want to take part in a debate but 'can't be arsed' to engage in the facts. You'd rather 'imagine' what suits you.

You are a deeply unpleasant individual. Your first post on this thread is revolting actually. Then you revert back to name calling and labels, when the only person who has visibly demonstrated they are in fact racist is you, with your 'white people can't experience racism' comment.

You can't be real. 😂

Lavenderflower · 13/07/2025 13:24

GreenGully · 13/07/2025 13:22

Well yes, you've supported my point regarding supply and demand...😂

You evidently missed the point..never mind. I won't be responding to you.

Wadadli · 13/07/2025 13:22

ODFOD. Statistics do not take account of personal experience

Lavenderflower · 13/07/2025 13:22

GreenGully · 13/07/2025 13:15

Oh here we go, I knew it wouldn't be long, considering you can't counter my points with anything based in fact. My best friend is a first gen immigrant for starters.

You haven't actually made any points...why is that bigoted people often add they have a friend who a ethnic minority as if it makes them less prejudiced.

GreenGully · 13/07/2025 13:22

Lavenderflower · 13/07/2025 13:18

London is the UK’s economic hub, home to major industries like finance, tech, law, media, and trade. It also house people from other UK cities as there more opportunities.

Well yes, you've supported my point regarding supply and demand...😂

Tofana · 13/07/2025 13:22

GreenGully · 13/07/2025 13:18

Crikey! Hook, line and sinker.

Kindly explain this: RAF diversity targets discriminated against white men - BBC News

Looks like sexism and racism to me.

Grow up you say? Educate yourself I'd say.

without opening the link because I simply can’t be arsed I don’t imagine it’s white men having verbal abuse, physical abuse or experiencing fear of leaving the house.
You are a deeply unpleasant individual and I likely won’t agree with anything you say because I’m not racist and you are.

GreenGully · 13/07/2025 13:19

Tofana · 13/07/2025 13:18

@GreenGully oh give over with the best friend story, means nowt. I know women with mixed race kids who are racist. Means nothing to have family or associate with people of colour. It’s how you treat people, think about people and protect people.

Give me an example of my being a racist then... I won't hold my breath.

GreenGully · 13/07/2025 13:18

Tofana · 13/07/2025 13:09

@GreenGully racist are you?

of course I won’t experience racism. Same way men won’t experience sexism or able bodied experience ableism. Grow up.

Crikey! Hook, line and sinker.

Kindly explain this: RAF diversity targets discriminated against white men - BBC News

Looks like sexism and racism to me.

Grow up you say? Educate yourself I'd say.

RAF Eurofighter Typhoon

RAF diversity targets discriminated against white men

The inquiry began when a female officer quit, saying there was too much pressure to meet targets.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66060490

Tofana · 13/07/2025 13:18

@GreenGully oh give over with the best friend story, means nowt. I know women with mixed race kids who are racist. Means nothing to have family or associate with people of colour. It’s how you treat people, think about people and protect people.

Lavenderflower · 13/07/2025 13:18

GreenGully · 13/07/2025 13:14

Because the demand is greater in London. An estimated population of over 9.4 million. The second largest city in the UK - Birmingham - has a population of 1.1 million.

London is the UK’s economic hub, home to major industries like finance, tech, law, media, and trade. It also house people from other UK cities as there more opportunities.

EvelynBeatrice · 13/07/2025 13:17

I’m so sorry. Reading your account made me feel physically sick.

GreenGully · 13/07/2025 13:15

Lavenderflower · 13/07/2025 13:12

GreenGully, I understand you dislike ethnic minorities and immigrants...

Oh here we go, I knew it wouldn't be long, considering you can't counter my points with anything based in fact. My best friend is a first gen immigrant for starters.

GreenGully · 13/07/2025 13:14

Lavenderflower · 13/07/2025 13:08

If this the case why other major cities prices significantly cheaper?

Because the demand is greater in London. An estimated population of over 9.4 million. The second largest city in the UK - Birmingham - has a population of 1.1 million.

HRTQueen · 13/07/2025 13:12

I’m sorry you are experiencing this op

since social media has taken a hold people seem to feel it’s acceptable to air their hatred and anger without thinking it through first to question themselves instead they join echo chambers that incite and fuel anger and hatred more. And Brexit allowed hatred to be aired and Farage has exploited this to his gain no one else he is an agitator not someone who is interested in politics

there will always be hatred in all societies it’s the horrible side of humans but what can be controlled is those who exploit this particularly in the media and in politics
that fuels anger

racists are so thick they can’t always decide who they should direct it towards and it seems to go in some sort of weird cycles (20 years ago it was white Europeans 🙄)

we need to talk about this without the discussion moving on to immigration we need to hear peoples experiences and just listen

and it just no longer happens which helps no one apart from those that want the chaos

Lavenderflower · 13/07/2025 13:12

GreenGully, I understand you dislike ethnic minorities and immigrants...

Tofana · 13/07/2025 13:09

@GreenGully racist are you?

of course I won’t experience racism. Same way men won’t experience sexism or able bodied experience ableism. Grow up.