Is living in countryside (Villages in UK) racist

DavidMackie

gazter wrote: »

Piffle. You will find substantially more racism in a 'multicultural city'.

You speak as though you know FOR SURE exactly what's going down. Certainty ain't on the menu for this thread. If you can be certain about generalisations you'd be a wealthy man from betting on social phenomenon.

G_M

Most racist place I've been to recently was Luton. I haven't felt that intimidated since I was in Gaza.

southoftheriver

gazter wrote: »

Racism today is often in the eye of the beholder. The only resistance you will experience in a village is if there is a perception you want to try and change things.

Join in in the local activities and you will be fine. The UK is not a racist nation, not by a long shot. As i said, as long as you dont try to make the place you move to resemble the place you left, you'll be fine.

Good luck.

Yup, that would be pretty shocking if the OP tried to make his new village into the next Leeds! Not everyone is fresh off the boat.

hazyjo

witchy1066 wrote: »

its the same every where , we are English living in Wales and some people are downright rude when they hear our accent (Lancashire) we have been here 20 years my partner worked for the MOD and was constantly thrown racist comments,

Partly what I was referring to when I said about English being discriminated against in other parts of the UK. Went out with a Welsh bloke once, brought up in Leics, but the family moved back to Wales later. He was saying how in certain parts, he was judged cos he didn't have a Welsh accent. Was fine in the town he was, but then it was wealthy and quite diverse. Several footballers (with varying accents!) lived in the area. He didn't like having to say he was Welsh to fit in cos, even though he was born there, he'd been brought up in England.

i work for a Scottish firm and have friends up there so do hear several comments and opinions! My best mate's ex made it very clear what he thought about the English (also heard what his mates thought about us through my friend)! Awkward!

Obviously not speaking for all the Welsh or Scots!

Jx

wannahouse

we live in north wales, and my husband is mixed black /white.
we have been welcomed by everyone, and never made to feel out of place...
we have made many friends ,from native welsh speakers, through to elderly retired english folk.
fantastic place, and we have found the welsh very friendly..love the place!

we used to live in london...i would never wish to go back, and full of racial problems...
we lived right near where the drummer Lee Rigby was murdered not long ago...

be a friendly person, and people will like you, where ever you are from...
i think someone suggested further up to keep yourself to yourself, but i would not suggest that at all!
thats when people become suspicious and wary of new folk...
being friendly and willing to mix and befriend folks of all types is how you fit in to a new place ,in my experience!

dominoman

I really doubt you would have any problems in your case. Yes, you will probably overhear some comments in the pub about "too many immigrants" and benefit scroungers, but they will be talking in general terms and not about you. You'll be seen as an individual and may be a talking point for a while because you are new and slightly more interesting - but nothing more.

Of course, being friendly and sociable will help, as will making an effort to go to the local shop, fairs etc.

princeofpounds

Piffle. You will find substantially more racism in a 'multicultural city'.

Indeed it's true. If you think nasty white people are racist, you should hear the way some ethnic communities talk about each other. The afro-carribeans and pakistanis in London don't get on very well. A lot of the Muslims hate the Jewish community etc.

There is likely more racism proportionately within ethnic minorities (for all sorts of fairly explainable factors like literacy/eduction, reglion, history etc.) although of course the white community being 8-9 times bigger would have more in absolute terms.

Anyway, back to the original question.

My parent's village was quite intrigued when an Indian ethnicity family took over the town shop. Like any new entrant to the area they were on a sort of probation for three months or so.

Everyone agreed they worked hard at the shop. They won points for that.

The only thing that upset people was the father had problems interacting with women. He wouldn't engage in conversation, often wouldn't look directly at them. Maybe this is good behaviour in his background, but it came across as plain rude and dismissive. Thankfully his son was engaging and so bridged the divide.

Maybe someone spoke to him about it, because after a while he relaxed. From then on all was fine.

I think it helped that

a) they were working
b) there weren't many of them (no 'invasion')
c) they adjusted to the village etiquette

The age composition is typically older in villages too. Older people are generally less sensitive about race. It is not always coming from a place of malice - words that are taboo now were common usage 25 years ago.

In my experience, in 'nice' villages there is little racism coming from aggression. There may be a bit more coming from unfamiliarity. But there is a difference.

The main thing to understand is that a village on the edge of a declining mill town or in a nationalistic area is likely to be much less hospitable than a 'middle England' village. If you go to deepest Wales (where even English people are discriminated against) or a poor village outside a dying mill town then you may have issues. If you go to a middle class slightly prosperous village somewhere then you'll probably have few issues (bearing in mind this is a broad generalisation).

Fadileeds

hazyjo wrote: »

Partly what I was referring to when I said about English being discriminated against in other parts of the UK. Went out with a Welsh bloke once, brought up in Leics, but the family moved back to Wales later. He was saying how in certain parts, he was judged cos he didn't have a Welsh accent. Was fine in the town he was, but then it was wealthy and quite diverse. Several footballers (with varying accents!) lived in the area. He didn't like having to say he was Welsh to fit in cos, even though he was born there, he'd been brought up in England.

i work for a Scottish firm and have friends up there so do hear several comments and opinions! My best mate's ex made it very clear what he thought about the English (also heard what his mates thought about us through my friend)! Awkward!

Obviously not speaking for all the Welsh or Scots!

Jx

You are absolutely right i used work in edinburgh and i used to see Scottish dont get well at will with English workers but they get even well with other nations which is for me was strange :-)

Fadileeds

dominoman wrote: »

I really doubt you would have any problems in your case. Yes, you will probably overhear some comments in the pub about "too many immigrants" and benefit scroungers, but they will be talking in general terms and not about you. You'll be seen as an individual and may be a talking point for a while because you are new and slightly more interesting - but nothing more.

Of course, being friendly and sociable will help, as will making an effort to go to the local shop, fairs etc.

Thanks very much is great for the great help and support. Thank you.

Fadileeds

wannahouse wrote: »

we live in north wales, and my husband is mixed black /white.
we have been welcomed by everyone, and never made to feel out of place...
we have made many friends ,from native welsh speakers, through to elderly retired english folk.
fantastic place, and we have found the welsh very friendly..love the place!

we used to live in london...i would never wish to go back, and full of racial problems...
we lived right near where the drummer Lee Rigby was murdered not long ago...

be a friendly person, and people will like you, where ever you are from...
i think someone suggested further up to keep yourself to yourself, but i would not suggest that at all!
thats when people become suspicious and wary of new folk...
being friendly and willing to mix and befriend folks of all types is how you fit in to a new place ,in my experience!

Thanks very much. I am always friendly but most the time by my own reading or learning something new. As now i am into nutrition degree and sugar effects home study :-)