Really helpful- clarifies some of the issues involved for me. We saw some of these dynamics played out publicly at a BLM protest and counter protest in our area.
Dear John, Thanks for your helpful blog and insights wrought from the experience of day to day living in a multi-ethnic community.
You say "Yet English (or British) nationalism ought to be celebrated, both as a bond that unites people and a focus for identifiable virtues. For many immigrants the rule of law, the opportunity for advancement, the freedom from oppressive authority are all benefits to value; benefits that overall outweigh experiences of racism or the occasional failure of institutions."
Herein lies the challenge. English identity that equates to a white ethnicity excludes those who do not display the appropriate heritage and is used as a tool for those with racist agendas. Here Englishness becomes an exclusive club of the ethnically privileged, marking out those who identify as white being different and superior over other ethnicities. How then do we consider those who are not white but third or fourth generation English born black with no other single ethnicity than to say black. Are they not also English?
I'm not questioning the integrity of your blog, but offering from my own reflection and experience. Colin, Birmingham
Thanks John for this... very informative and thought [rovoking stuff. It pretty much aligns with my own views on these issues.... Just a couple of things to add about how the actual dynamics vary according to local context... The superdiversity of inner London, which I don't think means that everyone living there is an "anywhere" person, is so different from the situation in the North of England... But even there every town is different, maybe every neighbourhood.. Did you see the review of a recent book I did? https://williamtemplefoundation.org.uk/blog-review-race-space-multiculturalism/ I don't think celebrating English identiy in Blackpool (96% white British and one of the most deprived towns in England) is the same as doing it in Burnley or Blackburn where there are two largely segregated communities poor white English and poor Asian Heritage . And then Preston where I live is more multi-cultural... Majority white British, but large communities of Gujeratis, Pakistanis, Sikhs, Polish, Romanian, Carribean, and all the diversity of overseas students at the local university. And even within the one city there are different ethnic dynamics.. Where we live the "urban village" is diverse but a little above the deprivation level, and because of a single local school and long term community work most people get along OK.. and there are good relationships and real friendships between folk at the mosque, the church and the two Hindu Temples. Over the other side of town where we worship and are involved in community work things are more of a struggle and more raw... with some tensions from time to time..
The other point is the link between "Christian" and English identity (being CofE and all that).. which contrasts with the racist othering of Muslims... Of course there are real differences of belief and religious practice.. but it does tend to get so confused with ethnicity and racism.. We need to keep working away at this issue in the church.. but over 40 years we don't seem to have come very far.
I'm loving your blogs, keep it up please. Are there ways it can get out to a wider audience.. For example do you know the evangelical facebook group EDGE?
Really helpful- clarifies some of the issues involved for me. We saw some of these dynamics played out publicly at a BLM protest and counter protest in our area.
Dear John, Thanks for your helpful blog and insights wrought from the experience of day to day living in a multi-ethnic community.
You say "Yet English (or British) nationalism ought to be celebrated, both as a bond that unites people and a focus for identifiable virtues. For many immigrants the rule of law, the opportunity for advancement, the freedom from oppressive authority are all benefits to value; benefits that overall outweigh experiences of racism or the occasional failure of institutions."
Herein lies the challenge. English identity that equates to a white ethnicity excludes those who do not display the appropriate heritage and is used as a tool for those with racist agendas. Here Englishness becomes an exclusive club of the ethnically privileged, marking out those who identify as white being different and superior over other ethnicities. How then do we consider those who are not white but third or fourth generation English born black with no other single ethnicity than to say black. Are they not also English?
I'm not questioning the integrity of your blog, but offering from my own reflection and experience. Colin, Birmingham
Thanks John for this... very informative and thought [rovoking stuff. It pretty much aligns with my own views on these issues.... Just a couple of things to add about how the actual dynamics vary according to local context... The superdiversity of inner London, which I don't think means that everyone living there is an "anywhere" person, is so different from the situation in the North of England... But even there every town is different, maybe every neighbourhood.. Did you see the review of a recent book I did? https://williamtemplefoundation.org.uk/blog-review-race-space-multiculturalism/ I don't think celebrating English identiy in Blackpool (96% white British and one of the most deprived towns in England) is the same as doing it in Burnley or Blackburn where there are two largely segregated communities poor white English and poor Asian Heritage . And then Preston where I live is more multi-cultural... Majority white British, but large communities of Gujeratis, Pakistanis, Sikhs, Polish, Romanian, Carribean, and all the diversity of overseas students at the local university. And even within the one city there are different ethnic dynamics.. Where we live the "urban village" is diverse but a little above the deprivation level, and because of a single local school and long term community work most people get along OK.. and there are good relationships and real friendships between folk at the mosque, the church and the two Hindu Temples. Over the other side of town where we worship and are involved in community work things are more of a struggle and more raw... with some tensions from time to time..
The other point is the link between "Christian" and English identity (being CofE and all that).. which contrasts with the racist othering of Muslims... Of course there are real differences of belief and religious practice.. but it does tend to get so confused with ethnicity and racism.. We need to keep working away at this issue in the church.. but over 40 years we don't seem to have come very far.
I'm loving your blogs, keep it up please. Are there ways it can get out to a wider audience.. For example do you know the evangelical facebook group EDGE?
Shalom.. Greg