Why British Are Rude
http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/front_page/newsid_8303000/8303229.stm
Tamanna Rahman spent two months living on a Bristol housing estate for the BBC's Panorama programme Undercover: Hate on the Doorstep.
Here she explains her reasons for agreeing to take part in the programme and describes how it felt to be a daily target of racist abuse, both physical and verbal. Her report contains details of racial abuse.
In 2000, as a 16-year-old at my culturally and racially diverse Manchester secondary school, I was asked by a local television news team examining the hopes and aspirations of the first class of the new millennium if I felt that racism in Britain was a thing of the past.
Fresh-faced, naïve and optimistic, I answered yes; racism is dead.
Fast-forward to the summer of 2009 and my answer is very different.
What changed? As part of a Panorama programme, I spent two months working undercover on a Bristol housing estate.
From the moment that my colleague Amil Khan and I drove onto the road that would become our home for the coming months, we were subjected to the coldest glare I have ever experienced.
Alone, it might not seem like a big deal - my skin is thick enough to handle a frosty look.
But it turned out to be a sign of things to come.
Pretty much every time I left the house, and from many people I met, I would get frowns and generally be made to feel unwelcome - whether they were on the street, in their gardens, looking out of their bedroom windows or in their cars.
We were new in town, and nobody came to say hello. It took an entire week to be on the receiving end of a single smile and that came from a middle-aged woman I passed in the street.
On my second day on the estate I had a rock thrown towards me as I returned from a shopping trip. I was called "Paki" and had obscenities muttered at me as I walked by.
This from people who knew nothing about me.
Over the course of our investigation I would have glass, a can, a bottle and stones thrown at me.
In what was perhaps the most shocking incident of our time on the Southmead estate, Amil was told not to walk on the pavement before being punched in the head by a man who said, "Bye, bye Paki".
I was almost mugged three times and threatened with a brick.
I was mooned twice, called smelly Paki, and told to take a shower. The abuse, including some of the worst obscenities imaginable, came from children, teenagers and adults.
The Southmead estate is mainly white and working class but in recent years more black and minority ethnic people have moved in. Before we moved there to live undercover we spoke to others who had had similar experiences to ours.
I feel strongly that neighbourliness is a two-way street, but why would anybody attempt to go out of their way to get to know the community they have moved into, if that community has made you feel unwelcome for no reason but the colour of your skin?
@ Mandi,pretty much the same story with the rest of the Gulf countries my friend,i would know,i've lived in a few others,they've 'bent over backwards' because they need you & me to transform the immense oil generated wealth they have into ground realities,they don't have a choice about it,if they want people to leave the comfort of their homes to come here for a significant period of time & yet not offer those people the chance of citizenship or permanent resisdency like elsewhere in the world,they'd better bend over backwards & forwards & every which way...& one very important factor you left out,locals don't pay taxes that are used by the Govt. to house,clothe & feed us expats,we work hard for what we earn,a hispanic wetback sooner or later will get a US passport or a green card without knowing how to put a sentence together in english & your hard earned tax dollars will be paying for his benefit cheque,wouldn't you be pissed off?...gulf arab citizens don't pay taxes & expats are never granted citizenship,no reason for them to be overtly upset now is there?...it's human nature,if you don't take anything or are taking hardly anything from me to serve my benefit in the long run,i wouldn't be too upset now would i?...
Every time I see an example of a country's majority being unwelcoming and cruel to immigrants I reflect on how gracious Qatar has been to its expat population. I do understand the great tensions between immigrants and the native-born in many countries, including my own - the US. Hispanic immigrants (legal and illegal) face a lot of discrimination and resentment. But I have found Qatar to be a good example of hospitality. Yes, I know, we all have our gripes. But I am very thankful I didn't have to learn the language here (although I did) in order to survive and not be taken advantage of and looked down upon. I think that Qataris have bent over backwards to be accomodating. I can't think of another country that has done so this graciously to an overwhelming foreign influx.
Mandi
Generalistaion again!!!!
Ther are good and bad in all races. I Live in an appartment where we are the only asian family, rest all are westerners and few arabs.
some turns red when they see us on the lift, corridor..''how come'' sort of an expression...They dont even greet us back when you do...lol I pity them.
Some of them are gentle , they greet and are pleasant when they see us. Cannot blame the whole lot.
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- Listen to Many...Speak to a Few -
Yes, I am a born & bred Brit but of indian origin. In my 33 years of life, I have never been reminded of my colour in England, but only 6 weeks in Qatar, and I am reminded on a daily basis.
I have to understand one thing and it may just be my ignorance for which I apologise now. Why is it acceptable to call an Irish guy - Paddy, A Scottish Guy - Jock, an English Guy - Pome and Austrailian Guy - an Aussie, and American a Yankie but offensive to call a guy from Pakistan a Paki? Again no offense is meant in any form. Just a question.
Humans put standards that they can't achieve.
it's non human to be racist, yet in all over the world racism is widely exercised, definition of racism??
As per UN:
the term "racial discrimination" shall mean any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life. '
Who on earth can be like that? as a whole society i mean.
It's not possible in my opinion to have a racism free society, and I think that was the case throughout the whole history of mankind, except they didn't have internet and multimedia to expose such things to the public that time.
Yalla!
I think that the resentment is geographical. I will explain....I agree with gadarene to an extent. If you have a minority that drains your resorces by whatever means you will become resentful. No excuse for violence or ill manners however, but realistic. I lived in a town in England for most of my life that was plagued with travellers who stole and beat all races. Where you would stear clear of certain areas due to them and they were rewarded with free camp sites where they could live free and pay no taxes. Where you would see your stolen car parked but the police would not even enter to question them. To the point where a local man shot one of them as he was stealing from his house and was jailed for murder!!! However most of the local stores where run by wonderful Indian families that never so much as received a dirty look and we saw them as pillars of our community!
@ dashingwhitesergeant,i don't think this attitude is only confined to the working class people,apologies if it seemed that way but i was only addressing the topic which is based on a working class estate...middle-class english people pay taxes as well,more so than the housing estate working class because they earn more & are seeing their hard earned money go towards housing,clothing & feeding political refugees who are in no way contributing to their host country & are actually a drain on their national resources. i ask again,if you were that middle-class englishman(sorry,no offence meant!) & saw your hard earned money being spent on this lot instead of,say for instance,improving the NHS(which is currently in shambles),would you not be pissed off & as is human nature,direct your ire towards these people? i'm not expecting an answer to this question mate,just ponder it honestly...
If people can just get passed the nationality, you will see that any member of any nationality can be smelly. any member of any nationality can be rude. you can get hit with a bottle by anyone in any country for whatever reason.
quit labeling and stereotyping. it is indicative of backward thinking.
gadarene....I appreciate your analysis. But you are suggesting, mistakenly, in my opinion, that those xenophobes, yobs, and racists are all "working class". This is not my experience of where the xenophobes, yobs and racists in UK society come from. In my experience quite a large proportion of middle-class English (I won't include Scots because I think we are different)are just as xenophobic, yobbish and racist as those who are "living on a housing estate".
emgee...True, and I remember Panorama's show (I won't call it a documentary) about Scottish people not supporting England during the 2006 Football World Cup. This is hardly a topic for a serious documentary. What a waste of taxpayers money! Who cares who we support in international football? Anyway, what was the original topic?
let's turn the tables for a moment here...you are a working class white person living on a housing estate in the country you & the generations before you were born & grew up in...you have a low-paying job if even that otherwise you're on benefits,you can't get a job or you can't get a better one,every month is a struggle to get by...& then lo & behold,you see these Asian/African immigrants,many of whom have claimed political asylum,speak no english at all & are completely unaware of your way of life, moving into your estate,a large number of them being housed there & being given benefits by your government using the money you paid as taxes while you're struggling to get by,all in a bid to appear politically correct to the rest of the world,something you obviously don't & shouldn't give a toss about,as your concern is finding the money to pay those bills & those taxes...now in all honesty,would you or would you not be completely pissed off about this situation & would not your anger be directed towards these same people?...from their point of view though,they claimed the asylum but it's your government that accepted those claims & accomodated them,now you can't go to 10 downing street & throw a rock through Gordon brown's window in anger so you do the next best thing,throw a rock through the immigrant's window to let them know that while your government may appear to be welcoming them,you sure as hell aren't...it's not so hard to see things for what they are if we just for an instance put ourselves in the other person's shoes...
Panorama have been criticised before for slanting their programmes to make "interesting" viewing. Hardly an objective view when they send someone to a known racist area and have a point to make.
I notice every time I fly through Heathrow Airport's domestic departure lounge that there are an extraordinary amount of fat, slovenly men (some already drinking beer at 10am)with shirts hanging out of their trousers (pants), and stuffing their faces with bags of crisps (chips). Anywhere else in Europe, in France or Germany, for example, the men look much more healthy and take some pride in their appearance. The UK is full of slovenly, rude, xenophobic yobbos. Scotland is not as bad as England, in my opinion, but it's not much better either.
Seems it's ok to preserve negative stereotypes if they are against Westerners.
then those who are against easterners, where they have to move?
You really ..
Anyhow, this kind of mentality should be disregarded.
:P
, your provocative title "why British
are rude" dint find any takers...
by the way.... thanks for the news,, we'll be cautious when we go to that particular "Southmead" area.
The title of this thread is misleading and implies that all Brtish are Rude. You cannot take a handful people in the Harlem of Bristol and say they represent Britain. There is good and bad about every country.
I will not even say any thing about this country. I see the same kind of anger in the eyes of locals that may be seen in some of these low lifes in these housing estates.. But they are both just a minority, protecting what they beleive in. Even though the majority has moved on..:)
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"HE WHO DARES WINS"
Derek Edward Totter
As Vicki Pollard would say,
" is i racialistic?, yeah but no but yeah but no but"
by the way for everyones info Southmead is not a working class area, you have to actually have once worked to be include in this social strata. The whole area is full of scummy white trash chavs who never have had a job and probably never will.
"only mad dogs and englishmen go out in the midday sun"
asked why Indians smell? Or someone says why do Qataris treat people like slaves?
Seems it's ok to preserve negative stereotypes if they are against Westerners.
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
Come to Qatar you are most warmed welcome :P
because they thought that they are perfect human being.... & they are just lucky for being white people...
ya'll watcha mouth before ya'll start talkin shit!
*winks back on the term*
"Everything in this book may be wrong." Illusions: The Adventures of The Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach
Unemployment? Then why it happens on cricket pitch? I think its all because less GOOD EDUCATION.
"Think 100 times before you take a decision, But once that decision is taken, stand by it as one man" - Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Heero for your information. Paki is a general term used for all South East Asians from the sub-continent.
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"HE WHO DARES WINS"
Derek Edward Totter
There is racism in all countries and especially amongst the unemployed because they bl;ame the minorities for their ills.
Really the British Are Rude
UkEngQatar, you hit the nail on the head. its the BNP that is the real problem :)
So I suppose can Jock and Paddy :O(
Paki
Negro
Yid
are defamatory words in the UK and under the New Race Relation Act and can land one in Jail..
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"HE WHO DARES WINS"
Derek Edward Totter
Sorry, i didnt :p
So according to you such British people are equal to some arab people?
I born here. Why?
"Think 100 times before you take a decision, But once that decision is taken, stand by it as one man" - Muhammad Ali Jinnah
How many years have you been staying in the Middle East?
"Everything in this book may be wrong." Illusions: The Adventures of The Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach
HeroGuy, what do u mean by Paki? and this statement?
"Think 100 times before you take a decision, But once that decision is taken, stand by it as one man" - Muhammad Ali Jinnah
LOL
"Everything in this book may be wrong." Illusions: The Adventures of The Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach
Sad but true that the racism still exists every where. The above example is of failed Britain. These kind of housing Estates are typical mix of low to middleclass people living on Government and local authority provided housing. Ideal breed grounds for the BNP and other facist organisations..
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"HE WHO DARES WINS"
Derek Edward Totter
Oi! Did you spill my pint!
Gertcha!
"Deaths in the Bible. God - 2,270,365
not including the victims of Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the
many plagues, famines, fiery serpents, etc because no specific numbers
were given. Satan - 10."
hmmm... illiteracy prevails in Britain too.. face the reality
Pointless.
When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity. - Albert Einstein
where is Exiledesaint .....
ask the French
not me
a statistic showed that every 5 minutes , a person in UK hear a bad word or listen to harsh phrase , it could be the reason , when everybody else is like this
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"It could be a picture
It could be a medicine
it could be a bullet
depends on how you see it"
yeeehhhhhh true british are rude and cold ..p)