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[Critic]

Article extract >>

Britain's ethnic minority communities might be given new names in an effort to strengthen their ties to this country.

Home Office minister Hazel Blears is to ask minority communities whether they would prefer to be known by US-style terms such as Pakistani-British, rather than simply 'Asians'.


The idea is one of a set of proposals to be floated at meetings that Ms Blears is holding around the country to discuss how to steer young Muslims away from radicalism.

In an interview with The Times, Ms Blears - appointed head of a new Government commission on integrating minorities by Prime Minister Tony Blair - said: "In America, they do seem to have the idea that you're an Italian-American or you're an Irish-American, and that's quite interesting.

"I am going to talk to people and ask how does that feel? It is about your identity and I think it's really important."

She added: "I think it's really important, if you want a society that is really welded together, there are certain things that unite us because you are British, but you can be a bit different too."

Muslim groups responded with caution to Ms Blears' idea, while Conservatives branded it "fatuous".

Sir Iqbal Sacranie, general secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: "What of the second generations? Why should they be defined as other than British?

"These forms of identity based on ethnic background have been tried in the past and have failed."

Shadow home affairs spokesman Edward Garnier said: "I've got a growing number of Asian British people in my constituency. They think of themselves as British. They don't need a Government minister to tell them how to describe themselves."

End extract <<

Source :: http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0...404785,00.html


All sping, window dressing, classic New Labour fudge. Well that's how i see it.

What will any of this solve?

Will this make any of those which this is targeting in the immigrant population's, feel or appreciate what it means to be British and English/Welsh/Scottish/N Irish e.t.c.? As well as all that goes along with that? Hmm...

What do you think should be done?

Opinions?? Comments??

Critic,

[The Napster]

Why do that, Why dont these politicians spend more time on tackling issues rather than doing stuff thats not necessary From someones colour you cant call them anything, If someone is tanned it dosent mean there a muslim etc etc.

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[Webdude]

Oh is that what it is? They are going around bombimg people because we are calling them something other than what they want. Why didnt they just say so!



EDIT:::

US-style terms such as Pakistani-British, rather than simply 'Asians'.

If you are going to do this, do it right. Pakistan's are not Asian...LOL

[akashik]

If anyone ever called an an Australian-American I'd suggest they up their dosage. I'm an Australian who lives in America, therefore am still just an Australian.

Oh wait, that's ok though. I look like 'an american' so people don't feel the need to give me a class/race distinction.

[DevilDog]

Originally posted by akashik
If anyone ever called an an Australian-American I'd suggest they up their dosage. I'm an Australian who lives in America, therefore am still just an Australian.

Oh wait, that's ok though. I look like 'an american' so people don't feel the need to give me a class/race distinction.

Yeah except when you open your mouth and start talking funny and then the jig is up. We're watching you!

The above is really interesting. I remember finding out recently that when a British person refers to somebody as an "Asian" person they're talking about Indians and Pakistanis generally. When Americans refer to someone as "Asian" we usually mean someone who is Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai,....

I don't like the term because it's too broad. It would be like calling everybody in South America hispanic. Oh wait, we do that too!

[Critic]

I think if you can spre the time [around 2 minutes], you will find this video report from the BBC quite enlightening :: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4130594.stm#

Critic,

[Critic]

Originally posted by Webdude
EDIT:::


If you are going to do this, do it right. Pakistan's are not Asian...LOL

Really, well in the 2001 census over here, Pakistanis were a sub category of Asian and why not.

In your view, what are they then?

Originally posted by akashik
If anyone ever called an an Australian-American I'd suggest they up their dosage. I'm an Australian who lives in America, therefore am still just an Australian.

Oh wait, that's ok though. I look like 'an american' so people don't feel the need to give me a class/race distinction.

I might not support the proposal [i think i made my sentitments clear enough earlier on] but i do have to make a clarification here. As i understand it, it is in the main supposed to be targeting British citizens, particularly second and third genration members of the "immigrant" population's if you will. Not all but there is a sizeable amount who are having a problem with their identity and or connection with the country.

This is just my view but i feel this is worse on an "English" level than a "British" one.

However as i said, this new initiative isn't the way to tackle it.

Originally posted by DevilDog
Yeah except when you open your mouth and start talking funny and then the jig is up. We're watching you!

The above is really interesting. I remember finding out recently that when a British person refers to somebody as an "Asian" person they're talking about Indians and Pakistanis generally. When Americans refer to someone as "Asian" we usually mean someone who is Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai,....

I don't like the term because it's too broad. It would be like calling everybody in South America hispanic. Oh wait, we do that too!

Quite true, when your'e talking about the countries that you listed, if a Brit used the term Asian he wouldn't normally be referring to them.

We don't really use the word "Hispanic" over here all that much, i couldnt' tell you the last time that i used it in a conversation. one reason is that we have a fairly small percentage of our population made up from people from that region. Also you're more likley to hear the terms Latin or South American or the specific country itself i'd say.

I just grabbed this link which sheds a bit mroe light on the terms used and the ethnic breakdown here in Britain if anyone's interested :: http://www.britishcouncil.org/divers...population.htm

Critic,