Ethnic identity: the non-native British

About 6% of the total British population is non-whites. For them, ethnic identity is more than a question of deciding which sports team to support. Most non-whites, although themselves born in Britain, have parents who were born outside it. The great wave of immigration from the Caribbean and south Asia took place between 1950 and 1965. These immigrants, especially those from south Asia, brought with them different languages, different religions (Hindu and Muslim) and everyday habits and attitudes that were sometimes radically different from traditional British ones. As they usually married among themselves, these habits and customs have, to some extent, been preserved.

For some young people brought up in Britain, this mixed cultural background can create problems. For example, many young Asians resent the fact that their parents expect to have more control over them than most white or black parents expect to have over their children. Nevertheless, they cannot avoid these experiences, which therefore make up part of their identity.

As well as this ‘given’ identity, non-white people in Britain often take pride in their cultural roots. This pride seems to be increasing as their cultural practices, their everyday habits and attitudes, gradually become less distinctive. Most of the country’s non-whites are British citizens. Pride can decrease as a defensive reaction to racial discrimination. There is quite a lot of this in Britain. There are tens of thousands of racially motivated attacks on people every year, including murders. All in all, however, overt racism is not as common as it is in many other parts of Europe.

Being British

How important is it to British people that they are British? Do they feel they belong to Britain? Perhaps because of the long tradition of a clear separation between the individual and the state, British people, although many of them feel proud to be British, are not normally actively patriotic. They are individualistic and do not like to feel they are personally representing their country.

In the days of empire, the British had a rather patronizing attitude foreigners and foreign ways. Foreigners were considered amusing, even interesting, but not really to be taken seriously. These days, many foreign ways of doing things are admired and there is a greater openness to foreign influences.

The modern British are not really chauvinistic. Open hostility to people from other countries is very rare. If there is any chauvinism at all, it expresses itself through ignorance. Most British people know remarkably little about Europe and who lives there. The popular image of Europe seems to be that it is something to do with French. The British continue to be very bad about learning other peoples’ languages. The British do not refuse to speak other languages. They are just lazy.

6. Put 10 questions on the text and ask them your partner.

7. Write a 300- word summary of the whole text using the following:

National (‘ethnic)’ loyalties; ethnic identity; a matter of emotional attachment; the mother tongue; consider themselves; describe themselves; radically different from traditional British attitudes; mixed cultural background; cultural practices; less distinctive; take pride in their cultural roots; defensive reaction; racial discrimination; feel proud to be British; actively patriotic; a greater openness to foreign influences.

Discussion

• Read the following extract from the article and answer the questions that follow.