YIKES!
 

Okay. My first real wobbles.

Watching BBC1's immigration show "Too Many Immigrants"... is England really that adversarial towards people with a slightly different accent? I have a Canadian accent (obviously), and my British-born husband has a Canadian accent... are we really going to make people that upset with us, or is this really just propoganda? And if it is, why would BBC want to cause rifts?

Kinda nervous now, what if my neighbours hate me because I'm Canadian born? :ohmy: Really, this is very scary to me, we're jumping two feet in on this, giving up everything here in Canada... and what if we have no chance because we're considered "outsiders". Or is this more EU migrant workers or what? Is it an ethnic thing? I'm from the commonwealth, does that help?

ACK!!!

Re: YIKES!
 

I haven't seen the programme and I'm still in the US (moving back next month), but I would be absolutely amazed if there were any problem of that kind for you.

Sadly a few ****wits (sorry, kindest term I could think of) feel enabled by some of this UKIP stuff to spout their bile, it would only be like the Tea Party types in the US though.

Don't forget TV programmes tend to be sensationalized.

Re: YIKES!
 

I have watched a few of those shows and I too am a little concerned because I have a slight US twang and my kids and husband have solid American accents. There seems to be a growing resentment for immigrants taking jobs, getting benefits and not assimilating into British culture.
This seems to be everywhere though, a product of the recession.

Re: YIKES!
 

There is absolutely no resentment of immigrants getting jobs, contributing to the country and assimilating.

There IS resentment of those that don't get jobs (make that don't try to get jobs) live off the taxpayers and don't assimilate. This has nothing to do with the recession and everything to do with too big a welfare state and not enough safeguards against exploitation of the system.

Since you and your family don't appear to be in this second category I don't believe that you will have experience of unfriendliness or resentment.

From reading some of your comments one would think that you have been out of the UK for several decades, yet you only left in 2008. I think you will find that, if you return to somewhere like Cambridge you will not find much has changed.

Re: YIKES!
 

I suppose... I guess as a tourist (to this point) I was never noticed anything, but now knowing that we'll be facing some of this maybe in how we're perceived in job searches, housing, relationships with our community. I mean, we really are there to completely absorb the British culture... my Hunny would eat fishnchipswithmushypeas every day of his life from now on given the chance ;) and I'm one of the Great British Bake-Off's biggest fans, but still, our accent and possibly vocabulary will identify us for a little while anyhow. We're trying to incorporate a more and more British terms for things (like chips for fries, rubbish for garbage, lorry for truck, etc) as we near the moving date. But will it be enough to "fit in"?? I just want us to fit there, I want to be British. Maybe that will work in my favour? (being Canadian, I already have the correct spelling of words... that's gotta help, eh? LOL!) *WOBBLES*

Re: YIKES!
 

sandiegogirl, sorry, I know it looks like I ignored your post, I think we cross posted. Anyhow, those are comforting words, thank you. :)

Re: YIKES!
 

Hmm ... Really??

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...e_Logo.svg.png

Re: YIKES!
 

Don't be ridiculous, you don't have to become a pantomime British person! Relax, you'll be absolutely fine "me old china" ;)

Re: YIKES!
 

I am by no means claiming to have 1st hand knowledge or experience on this - it is merely my/our perception based on the shows we have watched, as I said. There was a doc called 'Why don't you Speak English' and another 'Make Bradford British' and a few others centered on those issues. There were definitely quotes of 'their taking our jobs' from people. I don't think those issues are non existent as I have had conversations with family and friends in the UK about this. Of course opinions differ on that, whether immigrants are 'taking jobs' or 'they should work and not scrounge off the tax payer'. I do know that things are not as severe as documentaries make them to be, I wouldn't be moving my family if I didn't think things would be ok for my husband and kids.

To the OP I don't think the issues raised in the documentaries will affect you much. I am a researcher at heart so I always want to know the good, bad and the ugly, but I take everything with a pinch of salt. As I am sure you do.

Good luck!

Re: YIKES!
 

I said *I* had the right spelling of words ... but ya got me on that one. I'll have to start searching my Oxford dictionary again... :) Thanks for the heads up! ;)

Re: YIKES!
 

Yes, I finished watching the shows (two episodes) and I think I understand it was more from a "what are they taking from us" mindset, though I have to admit, even the hosts were scripted to note about "do they contribute to our society"... I'm a contributor by nature, so if that's what people are looking for, we should be golden. ;) Little less wobbly today.

Thanks!

Re: YIKES!
 

I know of at least four young Canadian people who are now living in Scotland or England and none have mentioned having difficulties with their Canadian accents in the UK. I think if someone is pleasant, assimilates as best they can, don't try to be what they're not, don't speak with an obviously fake 'English' accent, just enjoy the adventure and they will easily and quickly find friends. Just be yourself!

Re: YIKES!
 

Most of the immigrants who are 'taking our jobs' are actually doing jobs that Brit job hunters feel are 'beneath' them or don't pay as much as they think they should be paid.
The people who take part in these documentrries are picked so that they get the best television, it would be no good picking a group of people who didn't have any problems, would make for a boring programme, so they look for people with very definite views, and who are p for an argument. Didn't watch the programme as I saw the trailers and thought it would jusst be a rehash of many other programmes, didn't watch 'benefits street' either as that was just a sensationalist programme, and I wonder if those taking part declared their earning from the programme.

Re: YIKES!
 

Agreed!

As for not wanting to work (mentioned in another post), there are Brits and Immigrants alike who fit into that category. It's a mindset not a nationality thing. I agree that benefits are too generous and too easily acquired for the lazy.

Re: YIKES!
 

*Canadian Tyre

;)

Re: YIKES!
 

Ah, but remember, the Canadian TIRE thing is that they are trying to be accommodating of the french Canadian population who call them "tires" with an i.... ;)

Oh how I won't miss that! (the french-english thing!)

Re: YIKES!
 

Nonsense. It's nothing to do with accommodating anyone. Tire is spelled tire everywhere in North America !
If you write Tyre in North America folks would assume that you were referring to an historic place in Lebanon ! ;)

Re: YIKES!
 

For what it is worth, my perception is that it is not having a foreign accent, but which foreign accent that matters. I wouldn't expect any difficulty for someone with a white Commonwealth or American accent.

Having said that, my friends in Britain include Eastern Europeans, French and Germans, but none reports any day to day difficulties. I've not seen the TV programmes, but the prejudices of someone living on a council estate in Salford are not necessarily those of the majority of the population.

Re: YIKES!
 

Good to hear!!! :) Thanks! *wobble over - return to regularly scheduled stress...*

Re: YIKES!
 

Yep, I would agree with that. May find a bit of light hearted banter, but nothing more than that.

Don't stereotype................... it leads to prejudices. :)

Re: YIKES!
 

:o

True.

Re: YIKES!
 

Well that's exactly IT isn't it. How can anybody really profess to know the ins and outs of racism and prejudice against immigrants (real and imagined) in the UK unless they've 'been there' on the receiving end - many non-whites, particularly blacks, who were actually born in the UK have lived their lives daily in the teeth of this issue, being perceived as undesirables and on benefits and scroungers and therefore worthy of abuse simply due to their skin colour, including having this attitude shown towards them by the police. Ask them!

If you are white, what could be the problem, no matter what your accent is?

Admittedly a recent (May 2014) re-survey (British Social Attitudes) has revealed that something in the region of 34-35% of Brits now freely admit to being racially prejudiced, which is fairly consistent with similar surveys for the longest while but what does that really mean in daily life in terms of how it manifests itself for what seems like a high percentage, which went down in the 90s and has now gone back up?

A lot will depend upon where one chooses to settle. London will be one thing but the West Country something entirely different - much tougher for some minorities, particularly where there is economic deprivation, which could make the natives pretty hostile to just about anything, but even if not.

Re: YIKES!
 

Oh me neither... To live somewhere where both languages are treated equally, or even better where there is only one language. :thumbup:

Re: YIKES!
 

I would like to point out (before I get seen as anti-french), I speak both french and english fluently, grew up in Montreal, and have no issue whatsoever with most french people... the politics and "poor us" mentality that the separatists have, though, annoys the socks off me. They have it good... if they'd only count their rainbows instead of their thunderstorms. But yes, it will be nice to live in a place where I don't have to be ashamed of being english!!!

:)

Re: YIKES!
 

I've lived and worked in my current place in the UK for over 20years and I still have people tell me they wish 'immigrants' like me would stop taking all the jobs and housing from the locals. There are idiots wherever you live but, hopefully, you can find somewhere to live where they are the minority.

Re: YIKES!
 

Yikes! Me too!!! Yes, though... there are idiots wherever you live. We have some idiots down the street from us who won't let their children play with our children (no big loss, I feel kind of the same after an encounter where the husband screamed at my young son because he had invited their girls to vacation bible camp a few summer ago... oh brother. He was only 9 and trying to be NICE to invite his friends to something he was enjoying... but *shrug* whatever.)

People are strange. Sometimes I'm stranger than most. LOL!
I hope life treats you well, and GOOD ON YOU for being a VALUABLE PART OF YOUR COMMUNITY!!! *Rolling eyes at the naysayers!*

:wink_smile:

Re: YIKES!
 

I expect to hear some similar comments when I return. To Americans, I sound British but to the British, I sound American. Truly, though, with people migrating all over the world and evidence of a global economy, it is only going to be the ignorant ones who make such statements, so just ignore it. "Idiots" is quite right - and they are everywhere.

Re: YIKES!
 

I have an idea... let's park all the idiots on one obscure island in the pacific somewhere and the rest of the world can live in peace! :) Sound good? I agree about the global economy. Maybe I have a different perspective being born-n-bred Canadian, we are a multicultural society, I'm used to seeing people of all nationalities everywhere... and you know what? It makes life RICHER, not poorer! I mean, I can go to chinatown and get a glimpse of something that three or four generations ago was only "stories"... nope, I can see it, I can taste their authentic foods, I can enjoy the colours of their clothes, I can be fascinated by their language. Recently I was listening to a couple of men speaking in a store, and I got up my courage to ask them what language they were speaking, it was Punjabi... it was SO pretty to listen to! Honestly, even not knowing what they were saying, it is so rhythmic and soothing... I just love having been born in a time where we can travel the world, and the world can travel to us. I hope to be a very successful "immigrant taking their jobs and housing" - and welcoming other contributing members who are also entering the UK. Really. That show scared me for a bit, but now I'm more determined to make it work. :)
Blessings and cheers to multiculturalism! ;)

Re: YIKES!
 

It doesn't matter which political poll you look at in the UK these days, immigration comes either top in terms of political priority (meaning there is and has been too much) or near top. I don't think it is a matter of there being a few idiots but a general sentiment that immigration has got out of control one way or another, hence the now real possibility that the UK will leave the EU if they get to vote on it because the average man in the street can't see the economic benefits from membership. Those that don't care are often well to do and living in London who see ethnic groups adding a little 'spice' (Sorry!) to their comfortable lives which are in no general way impacted by migration other than in supporting their property prices.

Indeed the UK is SUPPOSED to be a multicultural society but many feel that it is a failed one and this is a reason for the upshoot in levels of extremism within certain groups who feel their 'voice' has equal weight to be heard in spite of their outlandish views.

Having been away from the UK for almost 40 years I am bracing myself for the changes that have quite clearly taken place - hopefully they are not too difficult to actually live with rather than only be over there as a visitor from time to time.

Re: YIKES!
 

Windsong - how are your plans coming along to return to the UK? Hope all is well.

Re: YIKES!
 

In my experience, most Brits don't even consider Canadians to be foreigners. The worst that will happen is that people will keep singing the Monty Python lumberjack song at you assuming that you haven't already heard it 10,000 times.

Re: YIKES!
 

ROFL! Well, so far Hunny has had an interview with a company, very positive, and one with a recruiter that specialises in his line of work, also positive. So I'm counting that as a good omen. :) teehee, lunberjacks. Ironically our older daughter is in college and eventually wants to go into forestry management... Hahaha, how Canadian of her! ;)