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Conducting semi-structured interviews with ethnic minority people in my hometown of Luton for my PhD thesis, an area of research which could do with development is intergroup tensions BETWEEN and WITHIN UK ethnic minority groups. "Non-white v white" narratives are very limited.
Here are some examples of views and statements made by Luton-based ethnic minority participants who contributed towards my PhD research. Interestingly, my general observation was that some of the most critical statements were made towards other non-white ethnic minority people.
UK-born male originally from DHAKA, Bangladesh: "SYLHETIS from Bangladesh generally lack drive and ambition. Many have lived here in Britain for decades, yet their command of English is woeful. They should cut down on religious observance and work towards becoming more educated"
Bangladeshi-origin female council officer: "When I have discussed services for vulnerable people in South Asian groups, I feel there is a fairly dispassionate attitude from other people. This doesn't only include white British management, but also Black Caribbean co-workers".
Zambian-born Black African male: "Black Caribbeans are nothing like "us". How some people try to lump black people together is beyond me. Their [Black Caribbean] pride in their own culture is weak, and their understanding of family is totally different from most African people"
UK-born Black Caribbean male: "The biggest tension when I was growing up [in Luton] was between Black Caribbeans and Pakistanis. I trust Pakistanis the least as a group to be honest. Based on experience, they tend to band together, even if someone in their group is clearly wrong"
Such accounts only serve to demonstrate the complexities involved when it comes to developing a more socially cohesive British society - one which is so incredibly diverse in terms of race, ethnicity and religion.
