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A subject which has grabbed headlines in recent times and how it manifests itself in cricket is described nicely by [MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION] in this weeks POTW!
Congratulations to him
http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/showthread.php?294479-Racism-in-cricket&p=10783087#post10783087
Congratulations to him
http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/showthread.php?294479-Racism-in-cricket&p=10783087#post10783087
Racism in England has reached a funny point.
There is still the elitism at the top of the class system, where if you are Imran or Majid Khan or Benazir Bhutto and you go to Oxford University you are above 95% of white British people in the class system.
But if you are from more humble roots and you are of Asian origin and appear affiliated with that background - through dress or language - you are viewed as less British than if you are of West Indian origin.
There is a really complex interface here between race, language and culture. One of the reasons why I'm one of the few educated British people who voted for Brexit is because I viewed it as deeply racist to accept Freedom Of Movement for European Union citizens (99% of those who arrived were white) which acted to at the same time minimize Commonwealth immigration.
[MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] talked about his experiences when he was excluded as an Under-13 cricketer. It always appalls me that someone like him may have a dual cultural background, but is British in every way, steeped in every cultural influence from Paul Daniels to Duran Duran, whereas Polish immigrants "look" white but have grown up in a different culture in their own country, which they largely remain immersed in after they move to the UK.
If you stopped a dozen Polish or Romanian immigrants in the street and interviewed them about British culture, cuisine, anything, they would clearly be seen to be less "British" than British Pakistanis. But still colour-based prejudice trumps that.