Subject came up in another thread, and if the topic has been done to the bone elsewhere then would someone send the link.

There is some suggestion that people of African descent born in the UK do not consider the UK as home.

Yes of course we do in terms of address and knowing where to go when we get off the plane from a holiday destination etc., but in terms of thinking about our identity, the suggestion is that majority of us do not consider the UK as 'home' (stated in a deep tone!)

Why is this? Why is it when I went to Egypt in 1989 I felt at 'home' for the first time in life, followed up by my trip to Barbados and Brazil? What's this about? I think it has something to do with identity.

However, African American's or Caribbeans do not appear to have these hang ups and when I went to Brazil, there didn't appear to be an issue there.

Interestingly, I got talking to someone last night who has been studying in the UK for the last two years, was born in Kenya and spent the bulk of this life so far living in NY. The thing of relevance to this post, that he stated last night was, NY is more in touch with Africa than London.

That's interesting, because it seems to suggest that we are not in touch with our African roots. It is also paradoxical that NY can have more 'African' shops and so forth, but have Black Americans proud to be living in and defending America to the death.

Your thoughts please.

Fem'.

Its a shame cos the answers no. No matter hard you try can never feel totally British. I would love to go to an England football match, wear an England shirt and support my country's team and feel a sense of belonging to somewhere.However there are so many emotions which refrain me from doing so such as the countrys history, how we're treated within the system today and the sort of people i would be standing next to who i cannont identify with.

In the back of my mind ive always got the thought that i do not want to grow old here and i imagine thats because i do not truly regard it as my home. The painful fact also is that nowhere at present is my home either. How can it be. Your home is somewhere you live or have lived, and know every crook and cranny of. Although i would love to call Africa or Barbados my home i have only been there on holidays. I would have to make them my home by moving there.

For me the the term "your home" when referring to the country you regard as your home is more than a technicality. It carries deep rooted patriotic emotions. If you ask me where my home is within London i'll tell you Forest Hill.

Greetings ppl

For what its worth, we the non whites are here on lease. No matter how meany goals black footballers score for england, black businesses are started, or black people appear on tv, or enter politics, all of us including you asians (who think your so white) are here at the sufferance of whites. The only why that our standing with change is if they (whites) are educated about the sacrifices black people have made to give them the life style that they enjoy so much. That education will only came about when we have a say in how the schools are run, what appears on tv, the papers and what is heard on the radio.

Think I'm talking shit?

The jews per head have more power and influence than any other minority. Still doubt? You tell me WHO in your life time have the banks EVER given money back too.

The so called "holocaust" survivors and their families.

Where in the Black community is the people with the brains, ambition and can see the big picture who will lead the wayblkwonder"Mmmmm"...blkheadbang

offtopic.gifIf they went through 2yrs of agro and got paid, how much would we get for 500yrs??? Thats a dam big MMMMMMMMMMMM

blktrainersGonna get lunch..brain hurts

Le Moor wrote:
Le Moor, I agree with you here. The sentiment is not in the technicality but in the 'partiotic emotion', nice term.

I guess I didn't know I didn't consider here as home until the day I 'felt' (emotive) at home in another country, and then another and another.

I also believe that their are loyalty issues, we are not celebrated as hero's in this country at all. As has been stated, it doesn't matter how many goals are scored, or how much we contributed to the establishment of the NHS system, we just don't count. Why is that?

@BP....Does that mean after the *wedding* you won't be tagging along with meback to the Congo???:P

And there was me dreaming!.......

No darling, you might be born and bred a brumie BUT this uk is not your home.......i intend to drag you back to YOUR properhome after the honeymoon is over! And no arguments please, You should know by now that us women from the heart of Africa are just too stubborn to waste your arguments on!

So start packing sweet heart.........the train is coming to take you homebaaabyyy.......

dimoke wrote:
@ Dimoke, that tickled me banana.gifbanana.gifbanana.gif

Femergy & Forum: Its funny you brought this up, because it made me recall two examples that brought this issue home for me recently;-

The first was when the FA, brought out a DVD of the greatest English footballers, with not one black player in it, I'm sure many will remember the uproar over this.. Well on BBC radio London this was discussed and woman phoned John Gaunt and said that Ian Wright wasn't British, the presenter asked her why?because he is black came the reply.. So the presenter pressed on are you telling me that no Black person, even if they are born here can be considered British, yes came the reply..

Now me you can't get more British that Ian Wright, when England are playing you see my man jumping up and down getting all patriotic and look there them still don't see him as British..

The second example happened recently at work, a client asked me directly where i came from 'inference' fairly obvious.. Being mischivious I replied 'I'm English'.. No no the woman replied where were you born.. I relied again 'here I'm English'.. My woman's not having this.. No no she retorts 'where do your parents come from?'.. The devil took me at this point and I said very firmly they are 'English'.. My woman is still not having it.. no no you can't be English... Why I ask innocently knowing full well why.. She declines to reply..

What makes this story even more interesting, was that this woman was clinically mentally ill, a manic depressive who needed urgent and i mean urgent hospitalisation.. Yet in even in her madness she could accept me as being English, so tell me what is the chances that sane European could or would accept me as English?

Call this home yu mus be madd!!!

for someone like me who has only been in this country for 10 years.............i don't see it as home.

but

i guess if parents been here 40 years + and children are born here.........then they have the choice to see uk as home.

simple as

it is a choice.............confused3

Kunjufu wrote:
Is this the fundamental difference between Black people born in the diaspora and us in that they are not denied their birth-right, which seems to be the case even if you are 5th or 6th generation in the UK? But are there not Africans who have been displaced in Africa who feel the same (two different issues I know)?

I realise that a lot of Black people are in this country through choice e.g. Windrush years, and prior to that the Merchant Navy/colonial years, but what of the Black UK's that have been here since slavery (those in Bristol and Liverpool for example), would you say that they also feel as homeless?

@All, I am female.

but then i have to add

the white people in Sudan and NIger even though have have been their for 40 years+ and have children.................they children INSIST in being called British..............wonder why? i guess for some the distance from the "African" label.......the betterconfused3