WOW britain????

Question

well i just got back from my trip to London and it was fun but also, kind of disapointing.

I had visited London about 20 years ago, and it was fantastic, but after this trip it didnt feel the same.

I was mostly in northwest London and its all full of muslims and indians who dont seem to asimilate to British culture...it felt like i was in south asia/middle east rather than britain at times.

I also saw many mosques, and what not...its disapointing to me that this is happening to britain because it has such a rich history.

Answer 1

Neither have many of the Irish, Australians, South Africans, the African communities, would you like to object to our presence as well?  Part of London's own rich culture & history is the immigrant communities.  There have been thriving Asian & Indian communities in London for 40 years and more.  Urban London where people actually live their lives is completely different to tourist London.  

We always look backwards with rose tinted spectacles, the issues that bother us today are not the things that bothered us when we were young, perhaps you were looking at London with more jaundiced eyes on your recent visit.

Answer 2

London is multicultral place and the fact that u only went to one part of London does not mean u can say the whole of London has no british culture.

Answer 3

"Wow, Britain" to you too. =D

One of London's greatest strengths is its diversity and the way it can always take in anything new, from anywhere in the world.

You say you were here about 20 years ago. Well so was I (I'm a Londoner born and bred, and though I've lived and worked in many other places, I always seem to come home in the end.)

Now in 1985 you might not have seen such a big Asian and Muslim population (though they were here, and I'm glad of it!) -- but you could have gone to Brixton, or Harlesden and Willesden and complained you felt like you were in the Caribbean rather than in Britain. Me, I went there to buy Jamaican import records, guava juice and the only mangoes you could get in town then. This was a time when spice shelves in supermarkets never stocked cardamom pods or cumin or whole cinnamon -- just little sad bottles of flavourless dust.

In 1985 we already had the flagship Regent's Park Mosque (built 1977). It's been joined since then by one of London's most glorious modern buildings, the Hindu temple in Neasden. It's an architectural marvel, and a joy to visit.

And 40 years ago, the East End and Golders Green would have looked to you like a backlot from "Schindler's List", with Polish Jews chatting in Yiddish in half the shops.

And so we go on -- back in time: even a thousand years ago, London was a mass of immigrants -- Saxons, Normans, Gauls and Celts. Go back further -- the Romans didn't just bring us good roads and baths, they brought most of the known world to our doorstep (the Roman army was collected from the whole Roman empire, from the Middle East to western Brittany.)

Have I made my point?

We are a wonderful mix of colours, creeds and languages. There have always been times of tension, when one or other of them had yet to settle in.

My lot came over with the Danes. I have a strong feeling that the locals didn't like it one little bit at the time. But eventually they stopped burning and looting and built the city we now now as York (Jorvik, in Old Norse) among other places.

I do look forward to your next visit. Who will we have next time to disappoint you? ;D

Love from a proper City-born Londoner, from family traceably English for the past 400 years.  (Added only in case you doubt I'm qualified to comment.)  X-)

Answer 4

I'm sorry that you had a problem with multicultural Britain, but that's your problem - not ours! Britain has always gained strength from its diversity. I'm sure  1000 years ago the Anglo-Saxons felt uneasy when they saw Norman buildings, I'm sure 2000 years ago the ancient Britons didn't like it when they saw Roman forts, but the Roman and Norman culture merged with that of the Britons and Anglo-Saxons. All are now part of British culture. In years to come the same will be said of the new people coming to the United Kingdom today.

I must go now to have a chicken tikka masala.

Answer 5

er its london! what do you expect? theres hardley any people whos heritage is orginaly british here anymore :)

Answer 6

DON'T COME BACK THEN!!

Answer 7

I'm not sure if there's any brits left in London :-)

But yeah London has been accepting people of many nations for thousands of years, its nothing new, and even though they may not necessarily get into the "English culture" (whatever that is... football, drinking, whatever), its how they live life peacefully and with respect for others that makes it all work.

Answer 8

Not sure what your q is???

Answer 9

nw london has many mosques??? where?? the only one i can think of is regents mosque but that was there when you came the last time...lol, i Live in nw london and i know the areas very well from golders green right through to st johns wood and i can happily say that your observations are crooked! either you are lying and just wanna stir up some fuss or you cant tell the difference between a hindu temple and a mosque. and as for the asian thing, asians have been in london for well over 20 years by now so not much should have changed there either.  I think the main differences within 20 years are the rise in eastern european immigrants and the d**n conjestion charge.And as for middle eastern people, they only really live in the west end and perhaps places like edgware road, there wouldnt be a noticable amount of arabs living in other parts of london thats for sure. But again they have also been there for well over 20 years, try 40 instead

Answer 10

yes mate cant agree with you more, i think white people are the ethnic minority now. I hate it mate, they way they come here and have us build them mosques and stuff, we have not asked them to come. I hate the fact that everything you say is racist these days as well, freedom of speech is gone. It is disapointing but it will get worse, more and more will flock in. These immigrants are getting everwhere as well its the same accross the country. This is probably the reason the whites are all trying to move out!!

I dont think your statement was racist at all, you have not personally made a gesture at these people, you said they dont seem to asimilate to British culture which is true they don't, if i lived in india it would be the same for me there. What could I add to their culture nothing. I feel they are the same here. I was told by an indian guy the other day that this country had, "had it" years ago when they all started coming over, cause there is no stopping them. The thing that annoys is that they feel as though we owe them something, i was driving the other day and cut someone up, admittadly i was in the wrong, then this black guy shouted out the window "f*** off you white b*****d! Whats up with that??

Andrew g, he asked what brits though of that, thats what I think, my opinion is nothing to do with you or anyone else on here, could not care less what you think. Please please don't offend me "t*t", ha ha! travelled a couple of miles to where exactly, south london, or east london, its worse in both of those areas!

Answer 11

Wow, I think you might find you have just insulted MANY British citizens! Yes, the UK has changed, but all of the history and culture is STILL there! Nothing and nobody is going to replace that! You are forgetting that the "Muslims and Indians" you saw ARE British citizens - many of them are third or fourth generations. If they want to build mosques, let them - I don't go around waving my fist at people building churches just because I am not religious. Each to their own. As for them not integrating - well, I think for the most part you are wrong again. Yes, they have their own areas, but I think that is to be expected. Instead of looking to the negative about their presence in the UK, look to the positive - chicken tikka masala would not be Britain's number one favourite dish without them!

Lastly, Muslims and other ethnic minorities have a huge, DAILY struggle with racism in the UK and although I am sure it wasn't your intention, your question was very racist and sad to read.

Answer 12

Well perhaps if you could have been bothered to travel just a couple of miles away you might have seen something different...

But then you might have met a complete t*t like bru86, which the country seems full of at the moment.