People from countries like Poland are now the new scapegoats aren't they?

[perceptionreality]

It's a shame because the initial racism then engengers defensiveness and a tendency for the polish community to isolate themselves a bit.

Today I was sitting with two polish women who were speaking polish. I was talking to someone else. One of them turned to me and said 'I'm sorry, is it ok that we're speaking polish because sometimes people say 'You're in England - you should be speaking English'. I replied that I was sorry she'd come up against that kind of racist attitude and that I did not endorse it, and I hoped that people who think it's ok to say that are in the minority.

When I was a child it was the Asian community that came up against this sort of nastiness and now it seems to have shifted and people are blaming polish immigrants for the lack of jobs, housing and even school places.

It's horrible isn't it?

Yes especially when they do jobs that white British refuse to.

Yes, it's horrible. I suspect those that insist foreigners speak the local language when out and about don't actually speak french in France, spanish in Spain etc either. When I lived in a non-english speaking country and learnt the language I still spoke in English out in public with friends - cos it's so much easier!

I'm not sure if polish people are necessarily more up against it though - they are slightly less visible and second- or third-generation immigrants that are totally British but are BME might actually get the same amount of hassle.

'I suspect those that insist foreigners speak the local language when out and about don't actually speak french in France, spanish in Spain etc either.'

That's exactly what I said, pjani!

You are right judging by my parents views.
In the 70s it was Asian people or black people, in the 80s they were the ones still, late 90s brought the Kosovans and Croatians, currently it's the Poles or Latvians.
Their views are unbelievable and I struggle to understand them. I was born to them but don't share a single belief. My sister is the same. She was proud that she'd voted BNP.