What is the reality right now in London and other large cities?

[user1465196220]

My husband and I are both visibly black biracial. Although my husband often gets mistaken for Asian or Arabic, depending on the hair cut. My son (8) is visibly black, my daughter (4) isn't. We moved from the UK in 2018 to live in Mexico. I love it here but my husband, who was born in the UK, misses it a lot. (I´m Canadian but lived in the UK for a decade prior.)

He wants to move back. It's become a point of contention between us. I fear if we don't return he will always be miserable.

My kids are treated so kindly here, and there is virtually no racism. Mexicans notice the differences and point them out, but it's not with hatred, and it happens to everyone. Short, tall, redhead, chubby, dark skin, pale skin all have their teasing. As a result, my kids really have not experienced any real racism in their lives; if anything, people are interested in them because they are foreign.

I am so concerned about the news coming out of the UK and am wondering if the day-to-day is really as bad as it seems. We would likely move back to London or Birmingham. Bristol and Manchester have also come up as options. We work from home mostly, so the location isn't fixed; he just wants to be back in England.

Tell me, how is it really? How are you feeling? How are your kids doing in school? Is there that much hate?

Nope, none at all. I live in West London, I have dad no issues

Raising two boys, SE London. Not concerned at their current ages, but will be v closely attentive at secondary school age. Otherwise no issues other than the prevalence of flags flying around....

I would say just to be careful which area you move back to. An area can make a whole difference in terms of schools and the wider community.

I think it depends I'm London but a 20 minute drive and I'm in Kent and I feel the racial tension. More inner London feels safer than outer

I'll preface my message by saying I do not have children but am Brit(ish) and have been lived here my entire life.

Things have shifted here in the UK, especially in 2025. I'm sure you've seen the recent uptick in "nationalism" (read anti-immigration and open racism), the natives have taken to putting up England and Union Jack flags everywhere they can. They are painting the flag on roundabouts, buildings and anything else they can put their Blue Peter skills to the test.

The London your husband remembers is not the London which is here today. You can read the thread I started a few months ago, I live in Zone 4 London (20 minutes into central London) and have experienced on-going racist incidents since moving to a "multi-cultural" area (the majority here are white people).

I've since spoken to other black people IRL who also did a move to the suburbs in London and they too have had numerous incidents/comments over the years. I think there's a sense of shame to it all which is why it isn't well reported.

This month a 9 year old girl was shot in Bristol with an air-gun whilst having racial slurs thrown at her. A few weeks prior, an Asian woman was raped in Birmingham this month and the news have reported it as being racially motivated.

Manchester does not have a strong black community and if this is important to you, I'd rule it out. I lived here for quite a few years and didn't experience any racism MYSELF but saw plenty of racist incidents throughout the years towards black and Asian people.

Depending on your budget will greatly dictate your experience in and around London.

Bristol I cannot speak to as I have no connections there but recent incident with the 9 year old doesn't bode well.

Nowhere is perfect, granted. But I don't want you to leave Mexico where your children are in an welcoming environment to come here where your children will be treated as less then.

Happy to speak via DM if needed.

Born in East London but have been living in Bristol for the last 20 years. I have two biracial kids and they have not encountered any issues. The two incidents of racism I've experienced took place not long after I moved, in the outskirts of Bristol/Bath, so I definitely agree with an earlier post about being careful where you move back to.

The horrendous attack on the 9 year old girl happened in a part of Bristol that I'm personally not familiar with, but my (white) husband said it's an area where displays of "nationalism" were already prevalent and are probably on the increase.

Happy for you to DM, if you want to chat.

I am in the process of getting a passport for my parents country, more as a back up if Reform win and they make black peoples life hell and push deportation and 'remigration' to anyone they consider not a true Brit

This is despite having a UK passport, my parents having UK passports ( they came here many decades ago from the Caribbean ) I just don't feel secure in the UK, I'm sick of worrying about racist attacks and seeing a press that hates us , never being accepted as British despite this being my home and coming from a Commonwealth ex colony.

I've always felt like this, since I was a child, do I want my kids to grow up with that same sense of sadness? If Reform win, I'm leaving with my family, fuck it.

Life is too short, stay where you are and enjoy yourself.

I'd stay in Mexico with the children , even if it meant the husband leaving.
His children's happiness and sense of security should be his, too....and his failure to recognise this would turn me off.