British Asian accents

[Carlie97]

I have been wondering how, no matter where in the UK they're from, some British born south Asians have an accent I can only describe as British Asian. How is this? How does this come about when they're immersed in local life eg nursery, school with people with a local accent and they have this accent?

What's your theory?

My children have an English flavoured accent despite being immersed in local Scottish life. I call their accent English Scottish.

From their parents?

Nope!

The Bradford Asian Accent is very different form the S London Asian Accent

Lots of people retain the cadences and rhythms of one accent while picking up vowel sounds (for example) from another.

There is a S London accent that has evolved over 3 generations from Jamaican to S London Patois to S London Black Youth - with recognisable roots on Jamaican and broader S London.

Do you mean that Bradford sounding accent? I always thought some must just spend a lot of time visiting Bradford.

I doubt people from South India, North India, Pakistan and Bangladesh etc think they all sound like they've the same accent.

As far as I've seen they have a Yorkshire accent of they're from there. London if from there, Midlands if from there etc. There are also several languages and religions in South Asia. As well as social class and education variations.

Going to wait for the OP to post again.

Why British Asians in particular and why is this of interest to you

Not sure if its the accents or terminology and inflection in patterns of speech that you are referring to

Inflections and terms used are often picked up from family. My family is south asian and speak very quickly and high pitched (think Romesh's mums accent)

I think the South London accent that is a real mixture of accents and terminology from the Caribbean, east and south Asian and also east European. Its spoken by many teenagers, for some its more distinctive than others but its quite distinctive and crosses class too

I do get what the OP is saying. I can tell on the phone sometimes if someone is British Asian. They have a particular tone of voice, I cant describe it. And before someone asks how I know they were Asian it was when I worked on a helpline so they'd give me their name.