Moving to Dorset - Retaining Cultural links

[Chatter101]

Hello all,

Looking for personal experiences of ethnic people who have moved to Dorset, or other less culturally diverse areas. I'm NOT asking about racism etc but specifically how / if you were able to keep your culture and pass it on to your children.

For instance, do your children speak your language, understand your culture, if your watching telly / or a relative visits do they understand the humour, or cultural norms. Or have you not bothered? Has it been to hard? Do you feel its better to let your culture slip so they can better fit in.

I am from Asia and living in London for the past 10 years. But we want to move to Dorset, we've found a town, and a school for the kids. We love the place, it feels like a dream come true.

They are born here so they are English kids first and foremost and always will be. But we're just wondering how we will feel about things 10 -15 years down the line. In terms of the childrens exposure to our culture. Will they be too far removed from their heritage?

Any experiences ?
:-)

My uncle moved to an area where they were the only Asian family. The kids would only speak English despite their parents and wider family speaking English and Punjabi, they understand some of what is said but as teenagers, put on this faux surprise like they don't understand. They won't eat Indian food as its "smelly". When they were younger they said they didn't like their "brown grandparents", despite being the same colour themselves. The kids couldn't see their own ethnicity it was absolutely bizarre and sad.

Not saying that this will be your experience of course, but just what I've heard from my uncle's experience. Other families i know of have been similar.
Now my uncle's kids are grown, he does sometimes remark on his regret that they lost a big part of their culture in an effort to fit in.

@Madbadandusuallysad , that's really sad for the kids, now that they are older I wonder if they feel they have missed out. It's a privaledge having more than one culture in my view.

We would try and come to London for the larger festivals, and fly home once every 2 years or so. I don't have family in the UK so it's not like we are taking them away from family. It's a bit confusing.

I live in a small village and there is a lady who speaks her mother tongue to her children who switch effortlessly between languages! It's so impressive to hear as they are only young! She knows how important her language and culture are and makes sure her children also know by speaking the language at home and visiting her native home a couple of times a year.

Are you going east or west in Dorset?

@Ekerty72 West Dorset. Yes that's what I'm hoping because it's so important to me, they will pick it up, and not feel they missed out on an entire culture. Or feel embarrassed that they are a bit different.

Honestly I think it's the worst thing to do if you want to retain your culture. Going somewhere where the children see no or very little other representation of themselves is never going to be positive for their 'ethnic' identity.
I live in a city which is increasingly multicultural but nowhere near London's diversity. My dc have a negative feeling towards 'our' people which mostly fits with western stereotypes. We worked very hard though to retain the language, and they do have good spoken/written command. This took a lot of effort on our part and sometimes tears on theirs, but it's been worth it. My friends who have dc with what I would say are very good cultural ties are ones who visit very regularly and are in a good financial state so can afford the luxury side of things when they do go back home.
I went to school with a few British born Asians (small, very white town) and most of them married local men and very little of their Asian side has been retained within their dc. That's something to think about when moving somewhere where you are the 'onlies'.