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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Racism against south Asians in the UK

375 replies

ArtfulKoala · 12/07/2025 13:01

This is a very hard thread for me to begin. I’ve been intending to do it for months but felt unable to do so. I was born in the UK but I am of south Asian origin. My parents and grandparents emigrated here. We are five generations British and counting.

I feel that racism and racial suspicion towards brown skinned people has absolutely gone off the scale since Reform gained a foothold in mainstream politics.

At first it was the little things - being subjected to an extended bag check when entering a museum when white visitors walked straight in or were casually asked to just open the large section which wasn’t really checked. This is especially the case at places like Kensington Palace and the Imperial War Museum. For reference, I am talking about a small handbag 15cm by 25cm probably smaller than their own guidelines state. At Kensington Palace, it actually got to the ridiculous stage where the checker was asking me to open more and more zipped sections down to a 5cm one until there was literally nothing left to open and she was effectively asking me to open non existent ones!
There is an incident every time we are out ( me and my teenagers). People loudly talking about us standing right next to us talking about how we are entitled just because we have been directed to the front of the queue by staff as one of us is disabled.
Yesterday, we got on a damned train with cold, vegan salads from m&s and it started immediately. A white couple complaining loudly about “the smell” when there was none because they judged us by how we look and decided our food was smelly upon that basis. Then, when the ticket inspector came round and we showed the disabled railcard, a running commentary on how we must have gamed the system to obtain that.
It is really wearing. I don’t feel like we can belong here anymore despite being educated and fully integrated here. I fully pay for private housing, healthcare and education and yet I may as well have just stepped off a small boat yesterday as far as they are concerned. I cannot fight random bigots daily when we are just trying to live our lives having low key, relaxing private family time.
It is simply fogging to get worse isn’t it? I honestly believe that Farage will be the next PM ( I am politically literate enough to gauge this for myself rather than buying into tabloid scaremongering. Zayn Malik referred to similar experiences in the song he released last week. We have similar colourings to him and never experienced racism ever before this. Perhaps they think we are Middle Eastern and are directing a particular type of hatred towards us. Perhaps it is a new racism because there were not many Middle Eastern people in the UK until recently.

I know that it is not everyone everywhere but it is now frequent enough for us to come to expect it every time we leave the house. Is this the equivalent of the Weimar Republic for the UK? Since there is no such thing as “stopping the boats” then the headlines will continue and the hatred towards brown-skinned fully fledged Brits too.

If I don’t come back to this thread immediately, it is because it is a massive thing for me to write this down and I will be reading and considering the responses.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Whatdoidotoday · 12/07/2025 23:05

I think it must come to the area. I’m in a very affluent area and have never experienced this. It is also a very diverse area of London. In my kids class every child holds at least one other passport. We are also brown Asian. It’s almost as if people around us (school, community, area, etc) are more interested in what you do or skills you have and couldn’t care less about what your face looks like.

Ironically, the two instances of racism I experienced if I can call it that was from brown Asians! Like some caste mentality which was just ridiculous and laughable.

Closetangel · 12/07/2025 23:07

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Whatdoidotoday · 12/07/2025 23:10

@Element4056omg that is absolutely disgusting. At 7 and 8, these children have heard this type of nonsense from the adults around them. I really hope you don’t allow your kids around them. Just goes to show how much racism is alive and kicking still.
im so sorry, i cant even imagine how shocked you must have been.

CheekyFish · 12/07/2025 23:12

Whatdoidotoday · 12/07/2025 23:10

@Element4056omg that is absolutely disgusting. At 7 and 8, these children have heard this type of nonsense from the adults around them. I really hope you don’t allow your kids around them. Just goes to show how much racism is alive and kicking still.
im so sorry, i cant even imagine how shocked you must have been.

Are you being sarcastic?

minuette1 · 12/07/2025 23:16

I am half Indian, half white English - so brown skinned. I haven't experienced what you have OP, but maybe that's because I have a white husband and white looking children so I am not a 5th generation descendant of immigrants who have only married within their own race - which I kind of got the impression you are, but correct me if I am wrong. So I guess to people of a racist bent, I am a 'good' brown skinned person.

The current and previous governments' weak position on letting in thousands of men from countries with cultures incompatible with our British one and housing them for free is the problem here and sadly people such as your family are getting caught in the crossfire. I am 100% not condoning racism in anyway, but the rise in racism you have experienced is a direct correlation with the wider context of what is being allowed to happen in terms of mass immigration that people already living here do not want or need.

nomas · 12/07/2025 23:18

PolyVagalNerve · 12/07/2025 13:38

Wow
that is awful

I think the racism is fuelled by
9/11 / ISIS / London Bombings
Lee Rigby’s killing
Rochdale grooming gangs
muslim women’s dress, (mis)interpreted ? As woman oppression
Asian lads dating white girls / women but marrying to race
the headlines about asylum seekers in hotels
the constant small boats
older asian - women mainly - who despite living in UK for many years and having children haven’t learnt the language and need the cost of interpreters to access services
the news about black lads / knife crime / drugs / gangs

humans have a natural xenophobia that requires education, and calling out, in all aspects of society

media capitalises on the xenophobia for headlines / click bait

they reinforce society’s biased views ..

I’m not sure what the way out of this is, very complex and we are all humans for better or worse

Disgusting victim blaming.

The racism is driven by racists because they are racist.

HTH.

nomas · 12/07/2025 23:20

CheekyFish · 12/07/2025 20:03

Sweden hasn’t had several grooming gang scandals or terrorist incidents targeting children.

Truly pathetic excusing of racism happening on this thread.

People should be ashamed of themselves.

minuette1 · 12/07/2025 23:20

nomas · 12/07/2025 23:18

Disgusting victim blaming.

The racism is driven by racists because they are racist.

HTH.

But why are they racist? Racism doesn't exist in a vacuum. I didn't see the comment you quoted as victim blaming in the slightest. HTH 🙄

nomas · 12/07/2025 23:22

minuette1 · 12/07/2025 23:20

But why are they racist? Racism doesn't exist in a vacuum. I didn't see the comment you quoted as victim blaming in the slightest. HTH 🙄

They’re racist because they hate people because of the colour of their skin, their race, their religion or their ethnicity.

HTH.

CheekyFish · 12/07/2025 23:34

nomas · 12/07/2025 23:20

Truly pathetic excusing of racism happening on this thread.

People should be ashamed of themselves.

Completely agree

Anonimummy · 12/07/2025 23:36

Element4056 · 12/07/2025 22:58

I absolutely have to agree with you. OP. I am a south Asian Muslim woman, a visible Muslim as I wear hijab. I have noticed an increase in racism and it is depressing.

Just to comment and point out one interaction that has happened to me earlier this week. I was watching my toddlers (4yrs and 3yrs) playing outside with their neighbourhood friend, all on their scooters. Two white boys we have never met before came riding into our cul de sac. The boys were aged 7 and 8 years. They were nice and chatty and played amongst the kids.

I had my side gate open which leads into my garden, and my kids and their neighbourhood friends were in and out of my garden playing. The two new boys noticed I have a massive outdoor play set and asked if they can have a look. I didn't mind and let them in as the other kids were playing in and out. I followed the boys in after a few minutes and noticed they were eyeing up my shed, looking inside. They asked to look inside the shed and although a bit odd, I relented as it is an old shed with nothing of value inside.
After a few minutes of being nosey one of the boys pointed at my old telescope and actually asked, "what's that, is it a bomb?" I do wonder if they would have asked the same question if I wasn't a Muslim wearing hijabi.

Did it look like a bomb though, a long missile?

Do you honestly think the parents of these boys have told them if you see someone wearing a scarf on their head (I doubt most children of that age who aren’t Muslim would understand the word ‘hijab’), ask if you can check their gardens shed for bombs?

I think you were looking for something that wasn’t there tbh. You said they were nice and chatty, and obviously felt comfortable enough to go into your garden, so I doubt they’ve been raised to be what you are accusing them of.

Agrumpyknitter · 12/07/2025 23:49

Jennps · 12/07/2025 15:33

OP, you must not have been around for the last 20 years. Otherwise you would have been subjected to ‘random’ searches at the airport every time after 9/11.

As far as recent years go, the suspicion has grown. Reform do take a hardline on this. But they have an excuse to do so. Two Tier justice and white saviour syndrome in this country has allowed ethnic minoriyies to be over represented in certain kinds of crime. And that is now coming back to bite. The law abiding sections of ethnic minorities are now paying the price of the wrong ‘uns in their ethnic groups getting away with and continuing to perpetrate crimes at a high clip than the majority.

Stop the two tier policing and justice and the ‘progressive’ woke agenda and deal with everyone equally.

What are you talking about? More black and Asians are stopped by Police than ever and in the past 20 years. My father who was in his late 50’s driving a Capri was stopped by racist police who “thought he had stolen his car” and made him stop on the side of the road, while they ran some long copious checks. He wasn’t driving carelessly.

My old boyfriend a doctor used to be consistently stopped (harassed) by police as he drove a Porsche. Always stopped him and asked to see his license and then let him on his way. The Police are hired from local communities some of whom have bias and racist tendencies.

I don’t hold out much hope for Reform, they can’t even get their shit together to run a council in Staffordshire. They will bleed the country dry by giving huge tax breaks to the rich, they don’t support workers rights and they won’t stop the boats because they want them, as it drives their agenda to have a scapegoat for the country’s ills. Let’s fight amongst ourselves and not ask why the richest families in this country don’t pay their fair share. All that with no NHS if Reform get in.

Hollygoheavenly · 12/07/2025 23:51

OP YANBU. I’m sorry that this has been your experience. Sadly it has been mine too. I am South Asian and I have lived in the UK since I was a teenager in the late 90s and consider myself very well integrated (watched Are You Being Served? Fawlty Towers, Only Fools and Horses, watched musicals on travels to the UK before moving here, a ‘ladette’ at 6th form and uni…I could go on).

I LOVE talking to people and will strike up conversation on trains, in shops, randomly compliment people and when I became a parent in 2017, would chat to all the parents in the playground/playgroups. I don’t think it was perceived as an annoyance as people would engage and if we bumped into each other often enough, would exchange numbers and arrange play dates. Becoming a parent again in 2022 is a whole new ballgame. No one wants to talk, one dad kept ushering his child away from us, despite her clearly wanting to engage in our play, an ice cream van man didn’t utter a single word apart from ‘£7’ when chatting to him, with many pleases and thank yous peppering my order. Not a smile or even eye contact. Scowls and glares and pursed lips. More overtly racist interactions, mostly when driving and having abuse hurled at me. The white mothers forming one group and the women of colour another at a baby sensory class (that one was a real shock to the system). I appreciate the world has become an angrier and more hostile place generally, which in turn has led to tribalism, but these interactions and the micro aggressions have made me very sad. There may be those reading this who may argue that some of the above doesn’t sound like prejudice - but it’s one of those things. When you know, you know. Like sexism. Not always overt, but very thinly veiled contempt.

I’m trying to not let it get to me for the sake of my young children, to show them that love is stronger than hate, to make sure they don’t grow up becoming maladjusted young men, but my word it’s becoming harder with each passing day.

Heartened to see the comments here though 🫶🏽 Thanks MN.

Chrisdebear · 13/07/2025 00:13

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

EmeraldShamrock000 · 13/07/2025 00:30

Hollygoheavenly · 12/07/2025 23:51

OP YANBU. I’m sorry that this has been your experience. Sadly it has been mine too. I am South Asian and I have lived in the UK since I was a teenager in the late 90s and consider myself very well integrated (watched Are You Being Served? Fawlty Towers, Only Fools and Horses, watched musicals on travels to the UK before moving here, a ‘ladette’ at 6th form and uni…I could go on).

I LOVE talking to people and will strike up conversation on trains, in shops, randomly compliment people and when I became a parent in 2017, would chat to all the parents in the playground/playgroups. I don’t think it was perceived as an annoyance as people would engage and if we bumped into each other often enough, would exchange numbers and arrange play dates. Becoming a parent again in 2022 is a whole new ballgame. No one wants to talk, one dad kept ushering his child away from us, despite her clearly wanting to engage in our play, an ice cream van man didn’t utter a single word apart from ‘£7’ when chatting to him, with many pleases and thank yous peppering my order. Not a smile or even eye contact. Scowls and glares and pursed lips. More overtly racist interactions, mostly when driving and having abuse hurled at me. The white mothers forming one group and the women of colour another at a baby sensory class (that one was a real shock to the system). I appreciate the world has become an angrier and more hostile place generally, which in turn has led to tribalism, but these interactions and the micro aggressions have made me very sad. There may be those reading this who may argue that some of the above doesn’t sound like prejudice - but it’s one of those things. When you know, you know. Like sexism. Not always overt, but very thinly veiled contempt.

I’m trying to not let it get to me for the sake of my young children, to show them that love is stronger than hate, to make sure they don’t grow up becoming maladjusted young men, but my word it’s becoming harder with each passing day.

Heartened to see the comments here though 🫶🏽 Thanks MN.

I love your post. 💖
""Love is much stronger than hate".
I love your attitude towards strangers too. I know it is not easy, to take a leap of trust.
I like to believe there are more good kind people in the world, than the nasty kind.

JustSawJohnny · 13/07/2025 00:31

I'm so sorry, OP.

I can't tell you how much I hate these utter, UTTER cunts that are rearing their vile heads at the moment.

Please know, they may be loud but they ARE the minority.

I think it's time for us to start speaking up when we see these incidents.

dottiehens · 13/07/2025 01:03

Nellielephant · 12/07/2025 17:37

My son had a three year relationship with an Indian girl at university. We welcomed her to our home. Their relationship was completely hidden from her parents. They went on holidays together but her parents never knew. They would never have accepted our son. So it does work both ways.

I bet someone would come and say they do not have to assimilate to our culture 🙄

Racism existed before Reform. Late 90”s early 00 was so much prominent. Do Reform talk about illegal immigration or anybody who is foreign? I never pay attention to politicians new or old parties anymore since we are leaving soon.

IslandVoiceUK · 13/07/2025 01:25

I think you are being unreasonable OP. Just because someone questions the effects of mass immigration doesn’t mean they’re hateful or racist. People are allowed to have concerns about what’s happening in their own country.

I feel that mass immigration has changed what it means to be British, and not necessarily in a good way. It’s not just about numbers. It’s about how quickly things have shifted, and how people like me, who’ve grown up here, are starting to feel like outsiders in our own country.

Yes, white people are still the majority in the UK, but globally, we’re a minority. And Britain is a small island with limited space, resources, and services. It doesn’t feel sustainable to keep increasing the population this way, especially when public services are already under pressure.

I don’t hate anyone, and I know many people come here looking for safety or opportunity. But I also think it’s fair to say that multiculturalism in the UK has gone too far. We’re told to celebrate every culture but our own, and when white British people try to express pride in our history or traditions, we’re often labelled racist or outdated.

I also want to say something that people might not agree with, but it’s how I genuinely feel. I know the original poster said her family has been here for five generations, and I’m not denying her legal status or lived experience. But I think there’s a difference between being a citizen and being part of a deeper shared national identity that’s rooted in culture, ancestry, and history.

For example, if I were born in China, I personally wouldn’t feel Chinese in a cultural or ancestral sense, even if I had a passport. That’s not about hatred. It’s about recognising that identity runs deeper than just where you’re born. I think that’s a valid perspective, and people should be able to say it without being shut down or labelled racist.

What makes it feel even more unfair is that you don’t really see British people moving abroad and expecting other countries to adjust their traditions or sense of national identity to suit us. But here, we’re expected to constantly adapt while being told we should stay silent about our own culture. That doesn’t feel like equal respect.

I’m not against individuals but I am against unchecked immigration and forced diversity policies that don’t reflect the reality of how many people actually feel. We’re told it’s progress but to many of us, it feels more like erasure.

I think we need to be able to say these things without being attacked. This is our country too and if we don’t speak up, we risk losing the very culture and values that made Britain what it is.

MrsSkylerWhite · 13/07/2025 01:27

IslandVoiceUK · 13/07/2025 01:25

I think you are being unreasonable OP. Just because someone questions the effects of mass immigration doesn’t mean they’re hateful or racist. People are allowed to have concerns about what’s happening in their own country.

I feel that mass immigration has changed what it means to be British, and not necessarily in a good way. It’s not just about numbers. It’s about how quickly things have shifted, and how people like me, who’ve grown up here, are starting to feel like outsiders in our own country.

Yes, white people are still the majority in the UK, but globally, we’re a minority. And Britain is a small island with limited space, resources, and services. It doesn’t feel sustainable to keep increasing the population this way, especially when public services are already under pressure.

I don’t hate anyone, and I know many people come here looking for safety or opportunity. But I also think it’s fair to say that multiculturalism in the UK has gone too far. We’re told to celebrate every culture but our own, and when white British people try to express pride in our history or traditions, we’re often labelled racist or outdated.

I also want to say something that people might not agree with, but it’s how I genuinely feel. I know the original poster said her family has been here for five generations, and I’m not denying her legal status or lived experience. But I think there’s a difference between being a citizen and being part of a deeper shared national identity that’s rooted in culture, ancestry, and history.

For example, if I were born in China, I personally wouldn’t feel Chinese in a cultural or ancestral sense, even if I had a passport. That’s not about hatred. It’s about recognising that identity runs deeper than just where you’re born. I think that’s a valid perspective, and people should be able to say it without being shut down or labelled racist.

What makes it feel even more unfair is that you don’t really see British people moving abroad and expecting other countries to adjust their traditions or sense of national identity to suit us. But here, we’re expected to constantly adapt while being told we should stay silent about our own culture. That doesn’t feel like equal respect.

I’m not against individuals but I am against unchecked immigration and forced diversity policies that don’t reflect the reality of how many people actually feel. We’re told it’s progress but to many of us, it feels more like erasure.

I think we need to be able to say these things without being attacked. This is our country too and if we don’t speak up, we risk losing the very culture and values that made Britain what it is.

Britain has been a melting pot of immigrants for thousands of years.

hungryduck · 13/07/2025 01:43

IslandVoiceUK · 13/07/2025 01:25

I think you are being unreasonable OP. Just because someone questions the effects of mass immigration doesn’t mean they’re hateful or racist. People are allowed to have concerns about what’s happening in their own country.

I feel that mass immigration has changed what it means to be British, and not necessarily in a good way. It’s not just about numbers. It’s about how quickly things have shifted, and how people like me, who’ve grown up here, are starting to feel like outsiders in our own country.

Yes, white people are still the majority in the UK, but globally, we’re a minority. And Britain is a small island with limited space, resources, and services. It doesn’t feel sustainable to keep increasing the population this way, especially when public services are already under pressure.

I don’t hate anyone, and I know many people come here looking for safety or opportunity. But I also think it’s fair to say that multiculturalism in the UK has gone too far. We’re told to celebrate every culture but our own, and when white British people try to express pride in our history or traditions, we’re often labelled racist or outdated.

I also want to say something that people might not agree with, but it’s how I genuinely feel. I know the original poster said her family has been here for five generations, and I’m not denying her legal status or lived experience. But I think there’s a difference between being a citizen and being part of a deeper shared national identity that’s rooted in culture, ancestry, and history.

For example, if I were born in China, I personally wouldn’t feel Chinese in a cultural or ancestral sense, even if I had a passport. That’s not about hatred. It’s about recognising that identity runs deeper than just where you’re born. I think that’s a valid perspective, and people should be able to say it without being shut down or labelled racist.

What makes it feel even more unfair is that you don’t really see British people moving abroad and expecting other countries to adjust their traditions or sense of national identity to suit us. But here, we’re expected to constantly adapt while being told we should stay silent about our own culture. That doesn’t feel like equal respect.

I’m not against individuals but I am against unchecked immigration and forced diversity policies that don’t reflect the reality of how many people actually feel. We’re told it’s progress but to many of us, it feels more like erasure.

I think we need to be able to say these things without being attacked. This is our country too and if we don’t speak up, we risk losing the very culture and values that made Britain what it is.

Do you believe everything you see on Twitter 🙄

IslandVoiceUK · 13/07/2025 01:46

It is true that Britain has had immigration throughout its history, but what we are seeing now is completely different in scale, speed, and cultural impact. Many white British people, especially young people, are experiencing a growing sense that they no longer belong in the country they were born into. This is not just about politics or numbers. It is about how people are made to feel about who they are, what they look like, and where they fit in society.

There has been a strong focus on diversity and inclusion in media, education, workplaces, and public policy. But in practice, this often comes at the cost of sidelining white people. In today’s culture, whiteness is rarely portrayed positively. It is more often associated with privilege, ignorance, oppression, or being out of touch. This message is subtle but constant, and it takes a real toll.

In media and advertising, white people are being pushed out of representation. TV shows, films, and commercials now regularly feature mixed or non-white casts, often with white characters either excluded altogether or shown in a negative light. Period dramas are rewritten. Rural Britain is portrayed as less white than it really is. White culture is treated as boring or undesirable. Traditional white features like pale skin, thin lips, light eyes, straight hair, and slim or fine body types are rarely seen in beauty campaigns or praised in social media trends. Instead, darker skin, fuller lips, curvier bodies, and racially ambiguous looks are promoted as the new ideal. Young white people, especially girls, are growing up being told that the way they naturally look is wrong or not good enough.

In schools, children are taught a version of history that often focuses heavily on slavery, colonialism, and white guilt, while skipping over positive contributions made by white British people. Whiteness is presented as a problem to be examined and dismantled. Young people are told they have privilege that they must check, even if they come from poverty, trauma, or neglect. They are told their views do not count in certain discussions because of their skin colour. They are warned not to speak too loudly or take up space. In diverse schools, some are made to feel like a minority in their own classroom and are told that being white means they are automatically the oppressor.

In the workplace, diversity policies often prioritise hiring based on race or background rather than skill or need. White applicants are told not to apply to certain graduate schemes because they are not the target demographic. There are awards, grants, and training schemes that exclude white people entirely. If you speak up about this, you risk being called racist or accused of lacking empathy.

In public spaces, the national identity has shifted. Pride flags are flown more visibly than Union Jacks. Cultural events, museums, and charities are rebranded to reflect only certain communities. Government messaging focuses on celebrating minorities while rarely affirming anything specifically British or white. People who express concern are labelled bigots. The message is clear. White people are no longer the centre of the nation’s story, and they are not welcome to say anything about it.

The emotional and psychological impact of all this is serious. White people are internalising shame, not just for things they have not done, but for who they are. They are afraid to speak honestly. Many are confused about their place in society. Young people struggle with body image because they are constantly told their natural features are unattractive. Others feel isolated, resentful, or numb. They experience anxiety, low self-worth, disconnection from their identity, and in some cases depression or self-hatred. A generation is growing up in a country that tells them, in subtle ways, that their appearance, background, and ancestry are problems to be fixed or erased.

This is not about hate or exclusion. It is about recognising that everyone deserves a place, and that includes white people. No one should feel ashamed of how they were born. No one should feel like they are the only group it is acceptable to stereotype or silence. If we care about belonging, mental health, and fairness, then that has to apply to all people, not just some.

Ohthatsabitshit · 13/07/2025 01:47

What makes it feel even more unfair is that you don’t really see British people moving abroad and expecting other countries to adjust their traditions or sense of national identity to suit us. But here, we’re expected to constantly adapt while being told we should stay silent about our own culture. That doesn’t feel like equal respect.

you very obviously missed much of the history of Brits abroad.

IslandVoiceUK · 13/07/2025 01:50

Ohthatsabitshit · 13/07/2025 01:47

What makes it feel even more unfair is that you don’t really see British people moving abroad and expecting other countries to adjust their traditions or sense of national identity to suit us. But here, we’re expected to constantly adapt while being told we should stay silent about our own culture. That doesn’t feel like equal respect.

you very obviously missed much of the history of Brits abroad.

I have not forgotten history. I am well aware of Britain’s colonial past and the way it shaped other cultures, and I do not defend any of that.

But what I am talking about is ordinary British people today, not the British Empire. Most of us are not moving abroad trying to reshape countries or demand they change their culture to suit us. In fact, in many places British expats are expected to keep a low profile, learn the language, and adapt to local customs.

What feels unbalanced is that here in the UK, we are being asked to constantly adapt while being told that expressing pride in our own identity is offensive. I am not saying history does not matter, but I also do not think it justifies silencing people who are now feeling like outsiders in their own country.

nomas · 13/07/2025 02:20

IslandVoiceUK · 13/07/2025 01:50

I have not forgotten history. I am well aware of Britain’s colonial past and the way it shaped other cultures, and I do not defend any of that.

But what I am talking about is ordinary British people today, not the British Empire. Most of us are not moving abroad trying to reshape countries or demand they change their culture to suit us. In fact, in many places British expats are expected to keep a low profile, learn the language, and adapt to local customs.

What feels unbalanced is that here in the UK, we are being asked to constantly adapt while being told that expressing pride in our own identity is offensive. I am not saying history does not matter, but I also do not think it justifies silencing people who are now feeling like outsiders in their own country.

What adaptations have you made for immigrants?

IslandVoiceUK · 13/07/2025 02:34

nomas · 13/07/2025 02:20

What adaptations have you made for immigrants?

adaptions made by white people “for” immigrants:

  • British traditions, holidays, and symbols are now often treated as politically sensitive
  • Flags, emblems, or anything seen as “patriotic” can be seen as extreme or suspect
  • Celebrations of other cultures are encouraged, while celebration of your own feels awkward or unwelcome
  • Media and schools highlight others’ histories and struggles, but rarely affirm or protect British cultural identity
  • Constant self-monitoring, having to “read the room” before speaking in public, online, or at work
  • Feeling like you have to apologise just for being who you are
  • Internalised guilt or shame about your background, even if you personally never did anything wrong
  • Resentment, confusion, or emotional fatigue from being told your concerns are invalid
  • Deep loneliness, a sense that even your own culture does not reflect you anymore
  • Worry for future generations: wondering what your children will be allowed to say or be proud of
  • Walking through areas that used to feel familiar and no longer recognising the language, faces, or customs
  • Avoiding local discussion topics altogether because you know they’ll turn into something uncomfortable
  • Being accused of bigotry just for wanting your own traditions to remain visible
  • Hearing the term “white” used as an insult or joke, when no other group is treated that way
  • Watching government, media, and institutions celebrate every identity but your own

And really, that’s only part of it. There are many more small and subtle ways things have changed that build up over time. It’s hard to list them all, but together they have had a lasting impact on how at home I feel in my own country.