Do you think there is a "Polish" problem in the Uk now that it's become the 2nd language in England?

[NomadsLand]

I've been to Poland and I like Poles a lot as a people. I think Warsaw is a great city and I have nothing against Polish people.

My mother complained back in 2007 about the number of Poles in Liverpool changing the 'culture'. What she meant was that she loves to banter with people in shops and restaurants and she used to get a lot of chat back (Liverpudlians are generally very funny - IMHO - and love a bit of verbal 'how's your father'). She complained that this had changed and that she was increasingly met with blank stares. This is high insult to my mother!

I didn't think much of it. But I am now finding the same - I approached a new restaurant outlet at my local services today and joked about them selling hot dogs and milkshakes and what a welcome addition to the usual (was hungry and about to make an irresponsible food choice!). I got the same blank stare. Didn't understand a word I said.

I finally understood what my mother has been saying. AIBU?

Nope, right thread, but a bit out of context now.
I just hate goading. Naught wrong with a bit of exaggeration for dramatic effect to make a point, but to keep needling people when they are already het up... urgh. Hate it when the darling offspring do it, and hate it on here. Still luff MN bigtime otherwise though .

Uppa - I wouldn't say I've segregated myself.

The area I live in is very, very mixed, Liverpool is considerably less so. L8 still has by far the highest number of ethnic minority communities.

Pan reported Hully on a thread and unfortunately he made his reporting public.

The thread was in FWR and already infested with MRA trolls. They then probably just jumped on the reporting bandwagon and the rest, as they say, is hysteria.

Hi, can I?,
I'm Pole.
I can't understand one thing,
You are talking about us as someone diferent, ?
We are humans as u are

1. Family
2. Feed family
3. Kill enemies

Lets be friends guys..

Young people do not get jokes about old money or phrases from Monty Python sketches but we do not complain about there being too many of them.

The first thing that occurred to me if there are a large number of Polish people in Liverpool is to ask whether the crime rate has fallen. The people if the 60s/70s Liverpool were known for their wit (Jimmy Tarbuck excepted- never found him funny) but also had a reputation for having too many petty thieves. I am sure the OP's mum would be just as offended by such a thought.

I approached a new restaurant outlet at my local services today and joked about them selling hot dogs and milkshakes and what a welcome addition to the usual (was hungry and about to make an irresponsible food choice!). I got the same blank stare. Didn't understand a word I said.

What a fucking shit joke. Immigrants shouldn't feel forced to laugh at your shit jokes because your folk emigrated here a bit earlier.

Zombie

I don't understand a work you said and I'm a native English speaker. Which bit is the joke?

I do think however that one of the biggest issues we are going to face is the ghettos that are going to be created because we are not integrating as we should be.

That depends on where you are, when I go the sweet centre to buy samosas there is often a queue of people and I can't tell the difference between Polish and Lithuanian but certainly there are eastern Europeans buying samosas and integrating as much as anyone.

OP they may not get the jokes and the banter - but there children will.

The people if the 60s/70s Liverpool were known for their wit (Jimmy Tarbuck excepted- never found him funny) but also had a reputation for having too many petty thieves.

Don't forget the 1980 'scouser jokes'.

The OPs opening statement reminded me of the phrase, I'm not racist as my best friend is black but.....

However since it was written over three years ago the OP has given up on hotdog jokes.

Zombie.

Love them.
Polish people value education and all their children do all their homework and reading. I have some that read better than the local children because their parents get them to read at home. The parents never complain about homework unlike on here and the children are polite and respectful.
I have also been invited to special events occasionally.

I think OPs post is awful. I didn't really understand it either or if I did I didn't find it funny. Glad to hear she has stopped FF. Let's hope she has stopped being a low level racist too. Ihaven't read all the threads as 16 pages was too much. I just read first and last.

Oh FFS zombie
I wad going to wade in with my favourite Polish food, tiny bit of Polish heritage and my first hand knowledge that like the Brits (and um, every country in the world) I know loads of great Poles and a few utter twats.

I do think its a shame that front line service jobs where you used to experience some local quirks can sometimes seen dominated by people from other countries...sometimes.. like if am expecting Glasgow banter and get lovely polite but slightly flat responses instead etc, but that's reslly all about the low value we in the uk place on these jobs and so how open they are to new arrivals.

Polish is the UKs second language, and in a lot of England, esp SE, rural, small towns, poles and Romanians .dour though they are supposed to be, are still friendlier than your average...so its ki d of our own fault..

I meant to say NOT the uks second language. .that's bollocks

I kind of get what you mean. I live in an area where English is definitely a second language. Going to the park in the day you don't hear a word of English spoken. There were a group of other mums with kids the similar age as mine. Usually you pass the time of day when you're at the swings- I was ignored when I said hello and carried on speaking to each other and huddled together refusing to speak at all. I'm sure I'm not that bad!

But it's the way things are. Things change over time.

Ah zombie thread. Ignore!

Haven't found it myself and I'm sorry you and your mum have felt a bit pushed out. I think the opposite, not about poles specifically but people from eastern Europe, in terms of having a bit of a Josh. That's a shame you've felt like that. I can tell you (though obviously it's not 'consolation

Or a competition) but there are parts of Europe where English dominates and the locals get s bit annoyed. I've never found what you say at all.

ZOMBIE THREAD!

(And yes, of course the original OP was being very,very unreasonable).

I dont understand your joke either i would have blanked stared at you too. There is a lot of 3rd/4th generation polish people here they settled after the war so the poles are not new and im sure a lot of forriners settled in liverpool making up the population im sure you and your mother can cope with the lack of banter

Ah bugger ill hide

I am beginning to wonder if the fact that bigots and racists have crawled out of their woodwork and covert xenophobia has become overt is actually a good thing. As a EU born soon to be Brit married to an English guy I have experienced xenophobic attitudes from English people outside of London but it has rarely been overt more like an inherent disrespect and disinterest as soon as they realise that I don't speak with a local accent.

This is especially tangible with either slightly older people or young women working in stores and shops who on noticing that I have a non-native accent change their attitude towards me. I have never experienced this in a professional capacity when working with educated people maybe because they are used to working with an international workforce where your skills and personality matter not where you were born.

Anyway, now that small minded bigots feel free to share their xenophobia openly in RL and online fora it is my hope that as a society we will realise that people ought to be judged by what they do and how they conduct themselves rather than by their accent colour of skin, religion etc.

I am beginning to think that nationalism is becoming slightly less sexy as the conservative party is making a mess of this country and Brexit. In recent years all thing English and vintage were so 'cool': Cath Kidston, bunting, 'The Great British this, that and the other', 'Call the midwife', GB rather than EU signifying people's longing for better, simpler and more familiar times. rather like a look in the rearview mirror which made people nostalgic sometimes understandably.

Hopefully now after TM, he highest representative of this counter, has delivered such bigoted and stupid messages and people like the OP test out their xenophobic sentiments in public maybe reason and common decency will prevail and the bigots will be 'encouraged' to think a little bit more holistically and kindly about the world and their fellow human beings. Milego weekend is this correct?