Anti immigration and England being 'racist'

Not offended, just found it a strange response. But I think I know now why you responded in the way you did...

I’ve also learned to separate civic nationalists or patriots from ethno nationalists. The latter definitely want me gone!

I sit in the middle. I’m an Indian woman living in England, moved here since I was 1. Experienced racism, as in actually had bottles thrown at me and my family with the p word shouted at us. I know racism towards ethnic minorities exists. At the same time I also see why the English feel threatened and want to preserve their culture. Same with regard to Japan and any other country. When I talk to people out and about, those who want to engage of course, we have a nice chat. Online is a different story. There are a lot of hateful comments and I am sure not all of them are bots. I am worried for the future.

I think there have been more people asking what English, as opposed to British, culture is. But yours is still a valid question. What would you say is specific to British culture, having travelled?

(I have also lived abroad and I have my own list, but I'll let you go first).

It tickled my funny bone! I hope it didn’t offend you. But never mind, aye. We all love a bit of profiling of White Supremacists of a Wednesday lunchtime.

Why the sarcasm?

I think you underestimate people. Of course they realise it goes on and I for one don’t want us to become the same. Why would you assume people don’t understand what goes on in the world? Most people have a wider lens - perhaps this is something you’ve discovered recently.

All the “very puzzled as to what British culture is” people don’t appear to have been to non British cultures, so think that everything in Britain is actually a worldwide norm. I think they think that everyone all over the world is living the same life. Bizarre.

No, you didn't, and I should have said that. However quite a lot of people who are anti immigration and don't like sharing their world with a range of religions and cultures often imply that they think British traditions are under threat, hence the stuff about, for example, not being allowed to celebrate Christmas because "we're being taken over by the Muslims".

Lots of towns and villages in England have their own traditions. Cheese rolling in Gloucestershire, Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival in Cambridgeshire, Dickens Festival Rochester, Hocktide in Wiltshire plus many more. A lot of them have historical roots.

I'm always amazed that people think we English don't have any customs or traditions. You'll also find that as well as local traditions there will be the more widespread ones like Morris Dancing and Maypole dancing. These last two seemed to be less common in recent years but glad they are now becoming more popular.

So what do you see as the positive aspects of English (as opposed to British or regional) culture?

I love a good bit of fact learnin. 👍🏻

I just don’t see English as negative or exclusionary. Maybe it’s what we have around us. How we view our culture is probably quite fluid and based on interactions we have.

I’m not saying you are wrong in your experience just that I don’t relate to it, English is more positive for me.

An older chap I used to know said we’re quite simple minded beings, and haven’t evolved as much as we’d think. We instantly see other humans who look like ourselves as safe, anyone who looks different to us is unknown. Even though both are people unknown. He gave an example of his own child at a wedding being a bridesmaid, the child was dark haired and had olive skin, there was a bridesmaid with dark hair and a olive tone and a bridesmaid that was red haired with pale skin. Neither bridesmaid was known to the child but the child instantly went to the one who resembled her, and took a dislike to the other bridesmaid that didn’t.
Unless we’re exposed and mix a lot from an early age it’s difficult to break that psychological factor. It isn’t just on race either of course, it includes disability.

The mad thing is we’re all humans on the same lump of rock hurtling around in an unknown universe and yet we can’t just simply get on.

Not being funny but Farridge seems like a Nartzi himself, but also with a forrin name like that he should deport himself xx

I agree. Ironically, if any ‘foreign’ culture has influenced our own over the past century, I’d say it’s that of the United States, but nobody seems to feel threatened by that.

I mean, you're welcome to counter my argument....🤷‍♀️

Did I say they were, read the thread, someone asked what English culture was so I responded off the top of my head with some examples.

I don’t relate to the negative conclusion.

Immigration and emigration are a big part of British culture though. From the olden day explorers bringing back artifacts from around the world, and making other bits of land "British", expecting this Commonwealth to help us when we needed it (World Wars, then skilled workers on the post war period, and still now!) But then simultaneously complaining about them doing so.
A few years ago it was "patriotic" to welcome Ukrainians.
People complaining they can't live in their Spanish villa all year round anymore

Far too many people are just blaming the wrong thing really.

They do! When people say their culture is being eroded, this is code for being uncomfortable with an increase in different skin colours in a country. Nothing more.

I didn't say they didn't exist anymore. The answer was to a pp who didn't know what English culture was!

The root source of it is far right pundits like Tommy Robinson.

Of course there are those on the bandwagon who have “concerns” about immigration but are not fully far right.

I do agree we need to stop with the knee jerk “racist” reaction though. We need to make people’s lives better. Invest in housing and healthcare, reduce inequality, deal with the cost of living.

Then there will be less reason for people to look for answers in hate.