Bbc News Today

[tamaris]

BBC news today five English councils told to adopt integration plans. When I lived in Spain I started learning the language a year before I went there. I think this money would be better served on the NHS. Just saying.

[naomi24]

bhg, I’d hazard a guess that your brother in law wasn’t dependent upon Spain for housing, child education, health and social care., etc., etc. I think there is a difference.

[bhg481]

In all fairness I must say that I think there is a marked difference between moving from, say, England to France and Pakistan to England. Not only is the language different but also the alphabet, religion, food, music etc etc etc. Admittedly people volunteer to move here but it's understandable that they would choose to live close to someone with the same national characteristics as themselves.

[naomi24]

Tamaris, but fundamentally the Spanish are your ‘own type’. Okay, the language is a barrier but apart from that culturally there’s not a great deal of difference, whereas with the people this scheme is aimed at the cultural differences are enormous. I agree with ummmm.

[tamaris]

I get your point but it is still a huge difference to what one is used to. At the time I was still working also.

[Gromit]

My own town is smaller than those mentioned, but there definitely is a lack of integration between the indigenous people and the Bangladesh community. They have been here for 50 years, and if anything the problem is worse now than then. They worked in the cotton mills, and they were ‘forced’ to communicate and join in. Since the factories closed, the second and third generations (who all speak good English) tend to work in their own small businesses and meet the public professionally, but not socially. Even sports, they have cricket and football teams and play in leagues, but they are all Bangla teams.
There isn’t much crossover, but I do not see how money will solve that problem.

[Garaman]

Too much emphasis is put on integration. Different cultures have never integrated and haven’t needed to. London has had pockets of different cultures for hundreds of years, and been better for it. Different classes of white UK citizens don’t really integrate. What is needed is mutual respect.

[emmie]

i totally agree, don't see why we are constantly bending backwards for people, if they don't want to learn the language so be it.

[ummmm]

Nail on the head, Garaman, it's respecting each other.

[ummmm]

I think they should learn the language.

[ummmm]

Khan was on the news saying his mother didn't speak any English when she arrived here. He taught her and he said it changed her life. If you don't speak the language you very limited.

If we go to another country there is a good chance they all speak English.

[naomi24]

Garaman, I disagree. London has always been diverse and in my experience people from all cultures, except one, have integrated well. The problem here is reluctance.

[naomi24]

//Nail on the head, Garaman, it's respecting each other. //

Respect has to be a two way street - and it isn't.

[tamaris]

'There's a good chance they all speak English' ummmm that is so incorrect.

[emmie]

Naomi, as a life long resident of the capital, i am not sure that the Chinese community ever integrated well, not the older ones certainly. and there are pockets where there are just Italians or those of Italian descent where i have come across they speak their own language first and foremost. The same for the Greek and Turkish community

[emmie]

i does get my goat when i go into the CAB or council offices and every form is in many different languages, often with interpreters on hand. The doctors is the same, many people who go there, at least the times i have been are non English speakers. Learn the language it opens up a whole new world.

[Garaman]

We may have a different understanding of what is meant by integration , Naomi. For example, I wouldn't say the Chinese in London integrate with the British because they mainly mix with other Chinese, and they rarely employ British people. They do though seem to live side by side with the British quite happily. Would you say they integrate?

[Garaman]

Sorry, Emmie, didn't see your post.

[emmie]

garaman
as i pointed out, no they don't especially..

[naomi24]

emmie, as has been said it’s natural for people to cleave to their own but there’s a difference between that and a deliberate decision to cut oneself off from the rest of society as completely as possible.

Garaman, see above.

[ummmm]

Emmie - That's what Khan was saying. Just simple things like going shopping. I went into a Polish shop and all the goods were Polish. It made shopping very very hard. But the shop workers could speak English.

They open a shop aimed at their own community but they are very welcoming to everyone. There's the difference.