Britain is “largely at ease with our rainbow people” - according to BBC journalist George Alagiah.
I’m all for multicultural Britain, however, aside from my immediate family, I don’t actually know that many people in my existing social and work circles who are from foreign shores. This makes me slightly uncomfortable; like I’m sitting on the fence. I’m not firmly placed in one camp, something that Second Generation offspring (as well as mixed race and first generation offspring) are familiar with. Reading the news is like watching a boxing match between two opposing forces and rooting for both sides. Or maybe it’s more like watching a scientist create a new substance with opposing elements and seeing what new qualities it will possess.
George Alagiah’s recent three-part series, Mixed Britannia, followed the journeys of many mixed race couples and their offspring. Alaghiah stated in his BBC News Magazine article that “Early mixed race communities made it up as they went along”. I think we still are. I was particularly inspired by the women who were dubbed by Alagiah as ‘heroic pioneers’: “The determination of these women to fall in love with the man of their choice was an act of feminism...” I also found it genuinely shocking, but not surprising, that some British women who married foreign men were forced to renounce their birthright.
I would like to argue that mixed race offspring face similar points of view to Second Generation offspring. Both have two separate backgrounds, two cultural ideals, two personalities fighting to make sense of it all, desperate to come to some sort of equilibrium. Perhaps you’ve already achieved your equilibrium, or perhaps you didn’t even have to search for it – if so, then I’m happy for you.
Alagiah has done a comprehensive study on the story of different races carving out a life in Britain. But I’m still not convinced that it’s all good on the ‘rainbow people’ front. Alagiah lives in the capital of our country, where mixed race couples are common. In the bowels of Norfolk however, it’s very much a different story.
What I love about your blog is the perspective from across the pond, as it were. It's interesting to see what's similar to America and what is hugely different. I would agree with you - that "rainbow" kids have a number of similarities to Second generation or third culture kids - we both face living between worlds and negotiating both.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you on your point of city vs. small town. There are huge differences between those two environments. I'm in a city and there are so many immigrants, mixed race couples, refugees, etc. that it is easy to feel a part of the bigger picture.
Thanks for this perspective.