To expect my white dd not to be an ethnic minority in her own country

[squatchette]

First of all i would like to make it clear that i am in no way racist.My childrens father is half asian (although he is also an irish catholic too).
Anyway today i was late dropping DD2 at pre school and i got to see her whole class for the first time.This is when i was shocked to realise that she is the only white child in her class.
I think i was shocked as we don't live in a particularly ethnic area or so i thought.I read in the schools ofsted report that 40 % of the kids in the school speak English as a second language.
At first i thought it would be good that she can mix with children of different races and i am all for a diverse society.However something about the fact that she is the minority has worried me.AIBU?

Nail on head "conflict due to rapid social change".

That's what it's about - there are doubtless serious conflicts and we spend all our time arguing who is right and wrong instead of actually dealing with the rapid social change that is very scary for lots of people. People are not good at rapid social change, particularly when the state can't provide them with the things they need. Our systems need to be a lot better at planning and dealing with social changes.

it really gets my goat when people go to any Country,including this Country and make no attempt to speak the local language or intergrate into the local community.

It really gets my goat that this Country allow immigrants to come here who have no means of supporting themselves and they are allowed to sponge of the State, paid for by the tax payers of this Country.

It really gets my goat that the pressure caused by migration has affected the national health service, housing, schools, policing and improving education standards.

It really gets my goat that 22,793 crimes were committed in London, during the first 6 months of last year by foreign citizens and they are not deported, the prision system cant cope and everyone is let off lightly (including Brits) to accomodate this. Same as Brits abroad should be deported.

It really gets my goat that PC as gone OTT and Political correctness has lead to a nation of hyper-sensitive easy to offend cry babies and people who are afraid to state their mind for fear of being hung, drawn and quartered.

Does this make me a racist??????????

What about immigrants who do integrate and speak the language and support themselves... are they ok?

Or immigrants that create jobs for the British?, or teach British students at universities?, or even, take care of British citizens at hospitals? Actually, many of those immigrants you are talking about are also British citizens themselves and as productive as any other British citizen can or can't be.

Rapid change is happening everywhere, not only in Britain. It is a global problem.

good morning ladies, can i just add my views to this lively debate. my parents came to this country from ireland over 50 years ago, and suffered from racial abuse. some landlords used to have posters up in their windows saying "no irish" the only work they could get was in the unskilled manuel labour market, which they were glad of,as at leastit aws a job,but of coures,kepttheir roots. i think this country is better for having a mix of cultures, its a globel world now and people are alot more mobile. i spend alot of time in new york, its such a mixture of cultures, its alive and vibrant. i love living in this type of enviroment, and yes their are problems, but the vast majority of immigrants just want a better life for themselves.

I whole haertedly agree with Law3 on these points:

it really gets my goat when people go to any Country,including this Country and make no attempt to speak the local language or intergrate into the local community.

It really gets my goat that this Country allow immigrants to come here who have no means of supporting themselves and they are allowed to sponge of the State, paid for by the tax payers of this Country.

It really gets my goat that the pressure caused by migration has affected the national health service, housing, schools, policing and improving education standards.

It really gets my goat that 22,793 crimes were committed in London, during the first 6 months of last year by foreign citizens and they are not deported, the prision system cant cope and everyone is let off lightly (including Brits) to accomodate this. Same as Brits abroad should be deported.

It really gets my goat that PC as gone OTT and Political correctness has lead to a nation of hyper-sensitive easy to offend cry babies and people who are afraid to state their mind for fear of being hung, drawn and quartered.

I don't consider myself a racist, I feel I'm open to any person no matter their background, but I do feel that we shouldn't have people comming into our country who aren't willing to work or learn the language or try to intergrate at all. Ever heard the saying when in Rome?

Other countries don't get walked all over like Britain, what about Australia? A huge percentage of their population aren't born and bred Australians but they deport people and refuse entry to people who won't contribute and they aren't being told their racist because it has nothing to do with race its to do with economics. This country is so preoccupied by NOT being racist and giving everyone a fair deal that our schools, hospitals and policing is falling down the drain.

lololola I do agree with you, I love being around different interesting people it makes are lives so much more interesting. The problem I think is that our government doesn't seem to have any control over how many people they let in, who they let in and how they help them intergrate so that they are a valued part of the community, christ I mean they can't even do that for people who were in the country in the first place so how can they monitor and encourage newcommers.

pixie04, yes i agree with you on that, and i think the government are changing policy at the moment, (as happened in america about 30 years ago)

"It really gets my goat that the pressure caused by migration has affected the national health service"

Excuse me, do you know that in order to cope with general demands the NHS "imports" a great number of foreign medical professionals?

However I agree that the minimum consideration you should show to the country that receives you is to learn the language and to not get involved in criminal activities.

BTW Britain also rejects immigration applications, and your immigration status can be reovked if you are not in a position to support yourself.

potoroo & Isababel - I dont care about skin colour, i care when people go to ANY Country and dont become a valuable member of that society and are allowed to stay.

Just so happens that i live in this Country and so do my kids, so im more concerned about what goes on here.

British football hooligans get deported when they go to another Country and start trouble and quite rightly so, but lots of immigrants in this Country are allowed to stay after committing crimes and contributing nothing to the society in which we live.

We have enough Brits living in this Country who do this, without the added pressure of immigrants.

Isababel - This Country 'imports' medical professionals.

So this entitles the immigrants who have never paid or contributed anything and never plan on doing so, to our free NHS service does it?

Just skim read a couple of these posts and my blood is boiling.

NHS issues - Without migrants, I'm honestly not sure how I would have had this baby. Every midwife, doctor, sonographer (Bar 1) and consultant I have seen has been from another country. I am eternally grateful for the help and support that they have given me over the last year.

More Britains live in other countries than migrants live in ther UK. Why do we adopt such a selfish attitude to 'our country' (not my phrase!) when Britains put so much strain and pressure on others?

I work in a school where 80% of the children have English as a second language and we teach many asylum seekers. I can honestly say it is one of the best schools in the UK. We have no racism, the children are very tolerant and show the upmost respect to all. I would love my child to be part of that. I'm logging off now, but just wanted to make a point.

Isababel I didn't realise that Britain did reject immigration requests and deport people. From my personal point of view I don't see it happening in my area.

All I see is a poor health system, poor schooling, poor policing, poor housing and lots of people who don't speak english in the town centre during the day.

I can only put that down to a really shit government who just can't seem to get it right. Okay its not all to do with imigrants, I mean there is nothing wrong with wanting to go somewhere new to make a new and better life for yourself, I admire those people who are brave enough, but its up to our government to control this and they don't seem to be able to do that so many areas of our economics are falling down around our ears. Britians taxes and health and social systems do not work as far as I can see.

So why are new people being let in when we can't sort out the people already here?

My parents left Britain a few years ago, both were born and bred here but were offered no support to get back on their feet after the foot and mouth outbreak ruined their business. They ended up buying a cheap property in France where they speak the language and contribute to the local community, and they did suffer racism for being British but they rode it out and proved themselves.

Social changes are hard but with a crappy government worsening the situation what can we do?

NOOOOOOOoooooooooooo! Not another 'immigrants' thread.

I really don't think that there is anything wrong using the phrase "our country"

If you live here, pay tax here then no matter what your background or where you were born you should have the right to call this "our country" I think that if more people believed this was their country rather than just somewhere they live then maybe we wouldn't have half the problems we do.

It gets my goat when councils fund hundreds of small community groups that serve only people from one race, ethnic group or religion rather than spending that public money on groups that bring communities together.

It gets my goat when councils spend money on translating leaflets into foreign languages, rather than using that money to help fund English language lessons for immigrants.

PC gone totally mad

Can I just say how much i love the irony of people moving out of this country because of people moving in?

Does anyone else find the humour in this?

Not really... people move round the globe constantly these days in search of a better life... Poles and Bulgarians go to England because they can earn more and save up and buy a house in their own country... English people sell up at home and buy property in France in search of rural idyll... People have always moved on in search of a higher quality of life by their standards.

Yes, Anna- that's legit. I don't have a problem with this- it's been a global pattern for millennia, after all. I find humour in the irony that the 'country is going downhill because of all the foreigners so I'll move to a foreign country and expect to be welcomed' argument.

I do, nacho.

I don't know, is it too much to expect my mixed race daughter not to be in an ethnic minority in her country?

I was looking at a report from the ONS recently (don't ask!) and this country has on average around 10-11% non-white ethnic minorities. This hardly makes White British people a minority, does it!

Also, I am confused. You say that your childrens father is 1/2 asian so that makes your children mixed race not White. Therefore, there are no white children in her class. How Shocking (not).

From various reports I have read the net result of migration and immigration in this country is that more people are leaving than coming, and with a falling birthrate and growing economy we desperately need immigrants. Hardly makes a great daily mail article though, does it so let's just jump on the bandwagon and fear that we are being swamped and will sink

I agree that you cannot expect to be welcomed. You have to integrate.

I have lived in France for 15 years. Fortunately I spoke the language well before I arrived and generally I find that the Parisians are actually flattered by that . But it is up to me to do 100% of the adapting - I can't expect them to adapt to me at all, except after years and years of friendship when people do become interested.

pixie04, sorry to hear about your parents. i think what the main problem is, and what seems to be annoying some of you, is the immigrants who come here and dont "contribute" or worse, commit crimes. yes, this is unacceptable and has to be addressed. however, these are minority cases, (of course you will encounter more of this if you live in big cities,) but, we have a major problem in this country with lawlessness in general, mainly committed by out of control kids whos parents and grandparents were born in this country. i still think immigrants are a major asset, infact if it wasnt for my wonderful polish builder ( whos english wasnt great!) i would never have had my kitchen fitted, as no english builder was interested.

ps. yes i think its laughable that people are leaving england because its "going down hill " well quite frankly i think we're better off without them. i hate quitters people that just run away. i love this country and would never consider leaving. anyway leave to go where? france? (more problems than we've got) spain? (ok for a holiday, but not to live.)

I was very liberal in my teens and thought that we should welcome all migrants into this country. Having lived and worked in various parts of the country and done a job where I get an opportunity to meet immigrants, assylum seekers and seen how different communities interact and individuals behave with each other my thoughts have now changed. I would like to see immigration much more tightly controlled.

There are alot of people abusing our tolerant society, our fantastic health service, our housing systems.

The knock on effect of mass imigration is huge and I've never had the opportunity to say I don't want more people coming to this country through the electoral system.

People blather on about the Health service but the Health Service in rural, largely white parts of Britain works fine. The reason that you need to import foreign staff is because of all the new migrants.

I wish people could have an honest debate about this without been called racist. This sort of bullying people into submission is actually making alot of people very angry indeed and probably generating racism.