Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 ··· 5 6 7 8 9 10

Original poster

To ask where ethnic minority Brits holiday in U.K.?

248 replies

CluelessBint · 30/08/2017 20:50

I know I'm going to be flamed for asking this, but I can hardly ask irl!

I live in south devon in a very popular holiday area. The area is very white middle class. I noticed a few years ago that almost all the people who holiday here are also white Brits. Since noticing this I keep wondering where all the ethnic minorities British people go on holiday.

I travel to other south westerly holiday resorts a lot with my work (hotel industry) and it seems to be the case there too.

If 82% of the population are white, why are at least 95% (a rough estimate from looking out at the harbour the last few days) of grockles white?

OP posts:

aintnothinbutagstring · 31/08/2017 19:02

My dh doesn't get the idea of a British holiday, a holiday is getting away from the shit british weather so he'll either take the opportunity to visit family abroad or we'll go somewhere sunny over on the continent. Though we've travelled and lived in different parts of uk but it's not a holiday for him.

Mawalls · 31/08/2017 19:36

Only because it dawned on me how similar everyone was

Did you meet every one or did you pre judge them base dont heir ethinicity?

Iwanttobe8stoneagain · 31/08/2017 19:38

By coincidence I was thinking this the other day visiting the coast (sounds like we might have been close to you). Very few ethnic minorities. But tge white visitors I find are always split between the Jeremy Kyle brigade and those who have main holiday abroad and short uk breaks. I Know quite a few people who have ethnic origins and none visit the uk seaside

Mawalls · 31/08/2017 19:41

Why are there always so many threads lamenting the existence of white people and a burning desire for fewer of them?

Opah · 31/08/2017 19:46

Why are there always so many threads lamenting the existence of white people and a burning desire for fewer of them?

Because of imperialism?

Mawalls · 31/08/2017 19:49

I don't follow. Because Japan invaded kore and china this makes mumsnetters make lots of threads lamenting how many white people attend their gin tasting sessions?

Spottylu · 31/08/2017 20:02

I've been to loads of places outside of the 'big city' and encountered a broad spectrum of reactions from not being noticed as being different to obvious curiosity (a little boy in west Scotland was so curious he wanted to know what Africa was like and how many lions we'd seen), obvious disdain and racism (folk telling me to go home) and on one occasion fear (my brother asked for directions and the lady behaved as if he was trying to mug her).
I would never let it stop me from touring the UK. The good reactions far out weigh the bad, so I never dwell on them.
I'm not sure my white husband feels the same and neither did my white mum when my dad faced much worse in the 60s and 70s. They actually got turned away from guest houses and hotels.

dishwasher71 · 31/08/2017 20:05

We're a mixed race family. Dh is of Arab origin and I'm caucasian Irish origin. Dh feels awkward taking our daughter to the local park or the local swimming baths alone (south east, home counties) because he feels that people will avoid him and dd because of all the negative feeling about Islam and its relationship to terrorism these days and he thinks that people will assume by his race that he's Muslim. A couple of years ago, he was walking home from work through our local park and carrying his backpack with work shoes in, and he overheard someone say that he looked like a suicide bomber. When we go out as a family, I feel that I have to carry the backpack for that reason.

We have camped in Wales - the only non-whites apart from one lady once, and have also done caravan park holidays - these are a bit more diverse and we feel a bit more comfortable!

Bisquick · 31/08/2017 20:15

Was thinking about this more later and I have loads of family who've emigrated to the US. Funnily most of them (as far as I can remember) do traditional American holiday things : go to the big national parks, rent RVs, camp out at places. So doesn't seem to be much of a difference between how third or fourth generation Americans holiday and how first and second generation American do. But I don't have a theory as to why - just wondering if anyone else does.

I do remember reading a piece somewhere (can't find it now) about how black people don't go camping in the US. So maybe my experience isn't representative of all ethnic minorities, only south Asian ones of a certain ilk.

Belindarocks · 31/08/2017 20:19

Strangely, Blackpool is v popular among the Muslim community where I live. They like to visit Muslim countries for holidays, but do weekends or day trips to Blackpool!

TroysMammy · 31/08/2017 20:22

They stay with family, either abroad or in the UK. I only know because I work in a GP surgery and our patients either have jabs as they are going to stay with family in Bangladesh or Pakistan for example or they visit from eg London because they become ill and register as temporary patients.

whirlygirly · 31/08/2017 20:39

Have noticed a real improvement in diversity in Cornwall this year. It's very welcome as far as I'm concerned.

TroelsLovesSquinkies · 31/08/2017 20:53

We live in North Wales.
This summer we have noticed a lot of people other than the usual older white people holidaying here.
On the Llanberis railroad there were quite a few British Asian familes, one of the Asian couples chatting said they were from Bristol. The others sounded like they came from Birmingham when we were waiting on the platform.
Also a lot of Hasidic Jewish families in Llandudno There was a large family walking up Snowden too.
Conwy always seems to have a lot of Japanese tourists but they aren't living in UK just holidaying.

PumbletonWakeshaft · 31/08/2017 22:36

I live on the south coast, not far from Butlins. Most of the time it's very white around here, with a lot of eastern European immigrants. However at this time of year it's much more diverse - the train goes pretty much straight from London to Butlins and that attracts a stream of interesting visitors. Last week I bumped into a large family of hasidic Jews with the ringlets and traditional dress in sainsburys. Wasn't expecting that!

Yerazig · 31/08/2017 23:24

I'm black British born living in London I would love to visit some rural parts of the U.K. But just know I would more more then likely feel uncomfortable. I do think a lot of time it's down to ignorance when people are staring at ethnic minorities. I personally would rather spend my hard earned money going abroad for guaranteed sun.

Popkids · 31/08/2017 23:45

Completely agree about the staring and hair touching. Wherever you live in the UK you are aware that there are British ppl from BME backgrounds so much of the "othering" is a deliberate insult. Some things I let go but am v conscious of my children being made to feel like curiosities.

I love the British seaside and went on loads of church coach trips as a child. Day trips only with my parents after an awful family trip to the Suffolk coast where we were turned away from guest houses who wouldn't let to black families

BlackeyedSusan · 31/08/2017 23:53

Barmouth. Wales. lots of westmidlanders of all descriptions. I only noticed as I usually have to cover up due to sunburn and I was not the only fully dressed person in the sea, which made a nice change.

MsDugong · 01/09/2017 07:56

My daughter looks Caucasian and has amazing ringlets. Lots of people touch her hair. I guess it's still an "othering" but it's not exclusive to people obviously from a non-white ethnic background. Just thought I'd mention that.

I actually find parts of the UK are far more comfortable to holiday in, in terms of stares and being considered different, than destinations in the sun. I spent an entire holiday in Egypt, explaining several times a day, how it was possible to be British and have brown skin. Italy and Spain are two of my favourite countries but in some parts I'm viewed with suspicion because of the black African street sellers. In Andalusia, I saw signs in shops and bars that took me back to the 1970s.

And in sub-Saharan Africa I am too light skinned to fit in with the black folk but too dark skinned for any white residents to accept me either. Far more comments than at home in the U.K.

Interesting discussion.

Lndnmummy · 01/09/2017 09:03

Mixed raced family here, we prefer to go abroad tbh

Lndnmummy · 01/09/2017 09:44

Imagine how it feels when your 4 year old turns around and say "mummy everyone is staring at me, I think they don't like my brown face". And "maybe they would play with me if I was white" 💔

WinnieTheMe · 01/09/2017 10:27

Mixed race family - we go to Scotland, Cornwall, Wales. Rural UK can be staggeringly racist though. Most of the worst comments I've heard about my family have been in rural areas.

CloudNinetyNine · 01/09/2017 10:37

Do young black British males holiday in the US? The news reports are often about how many young black men get shot - it would put me off going. So do you black British families go to Florida in the Oct holidays like many people around here do?

Imagine how it feels when your 4 year old turns around and say "mummy everyone is staring at me, I think they don't like my brown face". And "maybe they would play with me if I was white" 💔
Heartbreaking indeed! 😢

newbian · 01/09/2017 11:27

CloudNinetyNine my black British relatives have done Florida and California loads of times. For most black Brits our countries of origin are as or more dangerous than the US e.g. Jamaica, Nigeria, Kenya, etc and we go visit there.

Flip

1 2 ··· 5 6 7 8 9 10