Born in the UK?
Discussion
Eric Mc said:
Lord Marylebone said:
Not necessarily. It could go either way
If a British born couple raised a child in China, the child may end up as British as afternoon Tea... or the child may decide it wants to adopt Chinese culture and values as it grows up.
If a Chinese born couple raise a child in Britain, the child may be brought up with Chinese culture and values... or the child may decide it wants to adopt British culture and values as it grows up.
Either of these situations will be influenced by both the parents and the society.
I thought we nicked the "tea" thing from the Chinese anyway. How dare those Brits go over there nicking other peoples' culture and plants - and then claiming it's theirs. The utter cheek.If a British born couple raised a child in China, the child may end up as British as afternoon Tea... or the child may decide it wants to adopt Chinese culture and values as it grows up.
If a Chinese born couple raise a child in Britain, the child may be brought up with Chinese culture and values... or the child may decide it wants to adopt British culture and values as it grows up.
Either of these situations will be influenced by both the parents and the society.
But Afternoon Tea is very much an English creation!
My Mrs was born outside the UK. We have 2 children. She's been here 22 years after gaining Masters level education in her home country, took British citizenship, always been working in highly paid jobs, paid unthinkable amounts of tax, had cancer twice which has been treated in the private health system, gives everything and takes nothing. Pays for our children to be privately educated, both of them from the age of 5 and they'll stay private until 18. Refused to even teach our kids her native language in case they got bullied about it.
And yet we still have this sneering atmosphere around us, you know, foreigners are just here to jib off us, health tourism, funny f
king looks from nasty old bds - what's she doing here in the GP's? All that st. She still speaks with a slight accent, and it's pounced on by everyone - in the street, in the pub, at work, wherever - it's always, "Where are you from? Reading? No, no where are you really from?" Always being measured, judged, feeling like we're supposed to explain everything to everyone to justify her mere existence in the country.
Put our shoes on for just 5 seconds and have a think how you'd feel.
Thanks a fking million, Britain. You're lovely.
And yet we still have this sneering atmosphere around us, you know, foreigners are just here to jib off us, health tourism, funny f
king looks from nasty old bds - what's she doing here in the GP's? All that st. She still speaks with a slight accent, and it's pounced on by everyone - in the street, in the pub, at work, wherever - it's always, "Where are you from? Reading? No, no where are you really from?" Always being measured, judged, feeling like we're supposed to explain everything to everyone to justify her mere existence in the country.Put our shoes on for just 5 seconds and have a think how you'd feel.
Thanks a f
king million, Britain. You're lovely.i4got said:
Person who peddles the narrative that Tory/Brexit voters are dumb racists is not surprised by article that peddles the narrative that Tory/Brexit voters are dumb racists.
On the basis that I’ve regularly declared I have never voted anything but Tory and that still hold true post last week you have self selected as regards one of those criteria 
Brooking10 said:
i4got said:
Person who peddles the narrative that Tory/Brexit voters are dumb racists is not surprised by article that peddles the narrative that Tory/Brexit voters are dumb racists.
On the basis that I’ve regularly declared I have never voted anything but Tory and that still hold true post last week you have self selected as regards one of those criteria ElectricSoup said:
My Mrs was born outside the UK. We have 2 children. She's been here 22 years after gaining Masters level education in her home country, took British citizenship, always been working in highly paid jobs, paid unthinkable amounts of tax, had cancer twice which has been treated in the private health system, gives everything and takes nothing. Pays for our children to be privately educated, both of them from the age of 5 and they'll stay private until 18. Refused to even teach our kids her native language in case they got bullied about it.
And yet we still have this sneering atmosphere around us, you know, foreigners are just here to jib off us, health tourism, funny fking looks from nasty old bds - what's she doing here in the GP's? All that st. She still speaks with a slight accent, and it's pounced on by everyone - in the street, in the pub, at work, wherever - it's always, "Where are you from? Reading? No, no where are you really from?" Always being measured, judged, feeling like we're supposed to explain everything to everyone to justify her mere existence in the country.
Put our shoes on for just 5 seconds and have a think how you'd feel.
Thanks a fking million, Britain. You're lovely.
The "Where are you REALLY from" GameAnd yet we still have this sneering atmosphere around us, you know, foreigners are just here to jib off us, health tourism, funny f
king looks from nasty old bds - what's she doing here in the GP's? All that st. She still speaks with a slight accent, and it's pounced on by everyone - in the street, in the pub, at work, wherever - it's always, "Where are you from? Reading? No, no where are you really from?" Always being measured, judged, feeling like we're supposed to explain everything to everyone to justify her mere existence in the country.Put our shoes on for just 5 seconds and have a think how you'd feel.
Thanks a f
king million, Britain. You're lovely.
Countdown said:
Every. fking. Time.Strangely, they don't ask me.
Countdown said:
Africa. Somewhere near the Rift Valley probably. Countdown said:
Tommy Cooper said:
Apparently, 1 in 5 people in the world is Chinese. And there are 5 people in my family, so it must be one of them. It's either my mum or my dad. Or my older brother Colin. Or my younger brother Ho Cha Chu. But I think it's Colin.
t 
ElectricSoup said:
My Mrs was born outside the UK. We have 2 children. She's been here 22 years after gaining Masters level education in her home country, took British citizenship, always been working in highly paid jobs, paid unthinkable amounts of tax, had cancer twice which has been treated in the private health system, gives everything and takes nothing. Pays for our children to be privately educated, both of them from the age of 5 and they'll stay private until 18. Refused to even teach our kids her native language in case they got bullied about it.
And yet we still have this sneering atmosphere around us, you know, foreigners are just here to jib off us, health tourism, funny fking looks from nasty old bds - what's she doing here in the GP's? All that st. She still speaks with a slight accent, and it's pounced on by everyone - in the street, in the pub, at work, wherever - it's always, "Where are you from? Reading? No, no where are you really from?" Always being measured, judged, feeling like we're supposed to explain everything to everyone to justify her mere existence in the country.
Put our shoes on for just 5 seconds and have a think how you'd feel.
Thanks a fking million, Britain. You're lovely.
I took an interest in accents when I was a police officer and the question of 'Where are you from?' was put as I wanted to check my expertise or find out where they were from. After all, we've all got accents, although don't spread that around. I don't give a damn about ethnic make-up, but accents are wonderful. You can tell a lot about origin from them, but nothing about the person. And yet we still have this sneering atmosphere around us, you know, foreigners are just here to jib off us, health tourism, funny f
king looks from nasty old bds - what's she doing here in the GP's? All that st. She still speaks with a slight accent, and it's pounced on by everyone - in the street, in the pub, at work, wherever - it's always, "Where are you from? Reading? No, no where are you really from?" Always being measured, judged, feeling like we're supposed to explain everything to everyone to justify her mere existence in the country.Put our shoes on for just 5 seconds and have a think how you'd feel.
Thanks a f
king million, Britain. You're lovely.I gave up asking in the end as it upset some people. I could kill a party in a sentence.
It's not always asked in a pejorative manner, probably not mainly. Some people are genuinely interested in other people, and a way in can be their ethnic origin. They don't see it as a problem. I was told many times I was tall, to which I'd agree. They'd then ask if my parents were tall, and so the conversation would go on. It's thoughtless but then it is outside of most people's experience. It's a bit exotic after all. For some it's not, though. I'm half Irish. I was not aware of it as a kid - no one told me - although looking back the vocabulary was there.
My 'foreign' daughter-in-law was over 30 when she settled permanently (although brexit might muck this up) here. The children are bilingual, deliberately so as both parents thought they should be able to choose to follow their mother's ethnic background if they wished. She's multi-lingual, with three degrees, two taken in a foreign language. She's had no overt racial prejudice shown, and nor have the kids, apart, that is, from immigration. They seem picked for their lack of interpersonal skills.
Derek Smith said:
I took an interest in accents when I was a police officer and the question of 'Where are you from?' was put as I wanted to check my expertise or find out where they were from. After all, we've all got accents, although don't spread that around. I don't give a damn about ethnic make-up, but accents are wonderful. You can tell a lot about origin from them, but nothing about the person.
I gave up asking in the end as it upset some people. I could kill a party in a sentence.
It's not always asked in a pejorative manner, probably not mainly. Some people are genuinely interested in other people, and a way in can be their ethnic origin. They don't see it as a problem. I was told many times I was tall, to which I'd agree. They'd then ask if my parents were tall, and so the conversation would go on. It's thoughtless but then it is outside of most people's experience. It's a bit exotic after all. For some it's not, though. I'm half Irish. I was not aware of it as a kid - no one told me - although looking back the vocabulary was there.
My 'foreign' daughter-in-law was over 30 when she settled permanently (although brexit might muck this up) here. The children are bilingual, deliberately so as both parents thought they should be able to choose to follow their mother's ethnic background if they wished. She's multi-lingual, with three degrees, two taken in a foreign language. She's had no overt racial prejudice shown, and nor have the kids, apart, that is, from immigration. They seem picked for their lack of interpersonal skills.
I was going to post something similar but you beat me to it. Sometimes I meet a black or other ethnic minority person with a very distinctive build and facial features and I'm curious to know where that appearance originates, not out of malice, just the desire to learn a bit more about the world. I never actually ask because I am aware that it can be interpreted as racist. Shame really, people should be able to take pride in their ethnic origin and not feel it is being used against them. Me, I have the same kind of awkward unfinished look as Rory Stewart but no-one has ever asked me where I'm from. I gave up asking in the end as it upset some people. I could kill a party in a sentence.
It's not always asked in a pejorative manner, probably not mainly. Some people are genuinely interested in other people, and a way in can be their ethnic origin. They don't see it as a problem. I was told many times I was tall, to which I'd agree. They'd then ask if my parents were tall, and so the conversation would go on. It's thoughtless but then it is outside of most people's experience. It's a bit exotic after all. For some it's not, though. I'm half Irish. I was not aware of it as a kid - no one told me - although looking back the vocabulary was there.
My 'foreign' daughter-in-law was over 30 when she settled permanently (although brexit might muck this up) here. The children are bilingual, deliberately so as both parents thought they should be able to choose to follow their mother's ethnic background if they wished. She's multi-lingual, with three degrees, two taken in a foreign language. She's had no overt racial prejudice shown, and nor have the kids, apart, that is, from immigration. They seem picked for their lack of interpersonal skills.
saaby93 said:
230TE said:
Me, I have the same kind of awkward unfinished look as Rory Stewart but no-one has ever asked me where I'm from.
Norfolk?
Not originally although it's a fair guess. Notts / South Yorks on my mother's side, Durham on my father's. Some bad genes in there somewhere anyway. I used to be ginger as well but I grew out of it.
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