How British do you feel? | ||||||||||||||||
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Britishness is a topical issue. Many people emigrate to Britain and while some feel British, others do not. This report contrasts the views of two British immigrants. One, who has only been in Britain for a couple of months, feels British through and through, while the other, who has lived here for 28 years, doesn't feel British because she was not born here. |
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An interview with Diane Abbott, MP, reveals that she thinks people can feel British yet still have their own cultural identity, whether it be Caribbean, Welsh, French or German. In the World Cup, they might support 2 or more teams and want them all to win. |
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You have to distinguish between your cultural heritage and your citizenship. I certainly believe that you can be a British citizen, but be proud of your Scottish cultural heritage, your Welsh cultural heritage, your Jewish cultural heritage, your Muslim cultural heritage and, in my case, your Caribbean cultural heritage.
DIANNE ABBOTT MP
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Different people have different perspectives of British life and over the last 30 - 40 years, the phrase "typically British" has changed its meaning several times. At present, it combines the traditional British images of ladies sipping tea while watching a cricket match on the village green with those of a multi-cultural street market, with Jamaican men selling reggae and Asian food stalls selling samosas and saris. These last things will in time become "traditionally British" because Britain has now become a mixture of many, many different cultures. |
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