Racism against south Asians in the UK

I think you are being unreasonable OP. Just because someone questions the effects of mass immigration doesn’t mean they’re hateful or racist. People are allowed to have concerns about what’s happening in their own country.

I feel that mass immigration has changed what it means to be British, and not necessarily in a good way. It’s not just about numbers. It’s about how quickly things have shifted, and how people like me, who’ve grown up here, are starting to feel like outsiders in our own country.

Yes, white people are still the majority in the UK, but globally, we’re a minority. And Britain is a small island with limited space, resources, and services. It doesn’t feel sustainable to keep increasing the population this way, especially when public services are already under pressure.

I don’t hate anyone, and I know many people come here looking for safety or opportunity. But I also think it’s fair to say that multiculturalism in the UK has gone too far. We’re told to celebrate every culture but our own, and when white British people try to express pride in our history or traditions, we’re often labelled racist or outdated.

I also want to say something that people might not agree with, but it’s how I genuinely feel. I know the original poster said her family has been here for five generations, and I’m not denying her legal status or lived experience. But I think there’s a difference between being a citizen and being part of a deeper shared national identity that’s rooted in culture, ancestry, and history.

For example, if I were born in China, I personally wouldn’t feel Chinese in a cultural or ancestral sense, even if I had a passport. That’s not about hatred. It’s about recognising that identity runs deeper than just where you’re born. I think that’s a valid perspective, and people should be able to say it without being shut down or labelled racist.

What makes it feel even more unfair is that you don’t really see British people moving abroad and expecting other countries to adjust their traditions or sense of national identity to suit us. But here, we’re expected to constantly adapt while being told we should stay silent about our own culture. That doesn’t feel like equal respect.

I’m not against individuals but I am against unchecked immigration and forced diversity policies that don’t reflect the reality of how many people actually feel. We’re told it’s progress but to many of us, it feels more like erasure.

I think we need to be able to say these things without being attacked. This is our country too and if we don’t speak up, we risk losing the very culture and values that made Britain what it is.

It's not helpful to keep repeating this claim like it's a fact. I grew up in a mixed area. I had friends with a south Asian heritage and we played at each others houses. My friends parents were extremely lovely to me (white kid) and vice versa.

Who knows what is going on with your experience - maybe your experience is unique and something lay behind it (for example maybe the parents were picking up on racism from the white parents, or there was some other type of toxicity at play).

If you’d bothered to read the full thread, you would have seen that PP addressed the Empire point. It’s really not the gotcha you think it is.

Search for a thread on here called ‘Primary school head cancels Easter’. I’m afraid I can’t link it on my phone.

It's not helpful to keep repeating this claim like it's a fact. I grew up in a mixed area. I had friends with a south Asian heritage and we played at each others houses. My friends parents were extremely lovely to me (white kid) and vice versa.

Who knows what is going on with your experience - maybe your experience is unique and something lay behind it (for example maybe the parents were picking up on racism from the white parents, or there was some other type of toxicity at play).

Search for a thread on here called ‘Primary school head cancels Easter’. I’m afraid I can’t link it on my phone.

What makes it feel even more unfair is that you don’t really see British people moving abroad and expecting other countries to adjust their traditions or sense of national identity to suit us. But here, we’re expected to constantly adapt while being told we should stay silent about our own culture. That doesn’t feel like equal respect.

@IslandVoiceUK have you heard of something called the British Empire & colonialism? It went through most of the world, terrorising the indigenous population, asset stripping, taking over countries & stealing natural resources. Mainly to make Britian and the colonial entity more richer at the expense of other nations. As well as imposing British cultural values and the language at the expense of the country's own cultural identity.

When Britian left a country, it left it impoverished & mainly unable to sustain its made own citizens. So they eventually emigrated to other countries like the UK, which is what you're complaining about. This is a very brief summary of the destructive legacy & far reaching consequences of the British colonial regime.

What makes it feel even more unfair is that you don’t really see British people moving abroad and expecting other countries to adjust their traditions or sense of national identity to suit us. But here, we’re expected to constantly adapt while being told we should stay silent about our own culture. That doesn’t feel like equal respect.

@IslandVoiceUK have you heard of something called the British Empire & colonialism? It went through most of the world, terrorising the indigenous population, asset stripping, taking over countries & stealing natural resources. Mainly to make Britian and the colonial entity more richer at the expense of other nations. As well as imposing British cultural values and the language at the expense of the country's own cultural identity.

When Britian left a country, it left it impoverished & mainly unable to sustain its made own citizens. So they eventually emigrated to other countries like the UK, which is what you're complaining about. This is a very brief summary of the destructive legacy & far reaching consequences of the British colonial regime.

Please do give examples for all those “adaptions” made. Last time I checked Christmas and Easter were still big holidays and being considerate of your surroundings is what every decent person should do.

@MixedMetals “It’s not in the same league as being subjected to racism every time you leave the house is it?”

Hold on, are we just going to accept that not allowing kids to have white friends isn’t so bad? It’s completely disgraceful. How are we supposed to have any hope of this thing working if we handwave away attitudes like that.

Really? When Romans first came to the UK they virtually replaced the population that was in the UK at the time, and did so very quickly.

Really? When Romans first came to the UK they virtually replaced the population that was in the UK at the time, and did so very quickly.

I want to reply to @IslandVoiceUK because I think it's important to have a discussion rather than just call others stupid or racist. I really don't think that's helpful and, if anything, makes things worse. For context, I'm British, my partner is British from a South Asian family and I've also been an immigrant in another country.

@IslandVoiceUK I think many people have concerns about poor immigration policies and would agree that people shouldn't move here if they're actively hostile towards British culture or have no interest in integrating. That shouldn't be a controversial thing to say and you're right that many other countries would not accept this.

I also agree that it's a shame that the national flag has become associated with racism. People should not be made to feel ashamed for the historical sins of their ancestors and this "woke" idea that we should all be apologising to each other for things we didn't do is nonsense.

However, there's a few of your points I can't get behind.

Firstly, I don't believe beauty trends have anything to do with reverse racism. Beauty trends are just trends and there's already a shift back towards the waif-like Kate Moss look. Statistics show that black and brown people still get the fewest likes on OLD so the white beauty standard is still dominant.

It's also not the case, statistically, that black and brown people are more likely to be selected for jobs. Studies have shown that it's still the case that a CV with a "foreign" sounding name is more likely to get passed over than one with a British sounding name. It's down to cognitive bias and people instinctively wanting to hire in their own image.

But the main point I can't agree with is this one:
there’s a difference between being a citizen and being part of a deeper shared national identity that’s rooted in culture, ancestry, and history

At what point do you switch from becoming a citizen to becoming part of the national identity? If someone's great-grandparents are German but their grandparents were born here then do they count? You would think so because that's our own royal family. So why is it different for people with brown skin? Why can't they be part of the national identity?

We are south Asian. We live in a South Asian community in the UK.

We've never felt held back due to our heritage. DH has a nice well paying job and is high up in his company.

All my DC have done well at school, went to grammar schools and went to prestigious unis

What are you talking about? More black and Asians are stopped by Police than ever and in the past 20 years. My father who was in his late 50’s driving a Capri was stopped by racist police who “thought he had stolen his car” and made him stop on the side of the road, while they ran some long copious checks. He wasn’t driving carelessly.

My old boyfriend a doctor used to be consistently stopped (harassed) by police as he drove a Porsche. Always stopped him and asked to see his license and then let him on his way. The Police are hired from local communities some of whom have bias and racist tendencies.

I don’t hold out much hope for Reform, they can’t even get their shit together to run a council in Staffordshire. They will bleed the country dry by giving huge tax breaks to the rich, they don’t support workers rights and they won’t stop the boats because they want them, as it drives their agenda to have a scapegoat for the country’s ills. Let’s fight amongst ourselves and not ask why the richest families in this country don’t pay their fair share. All that with no NHS if Reform get in.