Jerseygirl

The company applies for a GC.

johnwoo

I've learnt from experience, not to rely much on ones employer.
Visa requirements have changed since I came to the USA. I've had a good life in the US, but so have my family and my contemporary's back in the UK.
No two people feel the same, just read moving back to the UK posts. Impossible to say what's a better life for any one person.

TexanScot

Whilst not explicitly "foreign born", both the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Mayor of London were born to Pakistani bus drivers, whilst the Home Secretary was born to Ugandian-Indians.

All three are second generation immigrants, and there is at least one other member of the Cabinet who was born to Ugandan immigrants.

I can't speak to your personal experiences, but I look at some of the media rhetoric against ethnic minority politicians here in the US and I actually feel damn proud that you can get a fair crack of the whip in the UK, and that being Black or Asian is no barrier to holding the highest offices in the land.

I know that the UK hasn't always been such a tolerant place and I know that there are still idiots who hold prejudiced and racist views, but the UK has come a long, long way in my lifetime and notwithstanding the dinosaurs and idiots, it's one of the best countries in the world to be a minority regardless of your color or your sexuality.

petitefrancaise

ask your kids. This is white privilege speaking. "I can't speak to your personal experiences" exactly.
Crazybrit, good luck to you.

zzrmark

I am happy to hear that your experience has been a positive one but it sounds like you mix with professionals in the upper middle class echelons, I think that if you were to leave the cosmopolitan, ethnically diverse, centres things might appear differently. There is an undercurrent in the rural areas where they might be nice as pie to your face but when in their little whites-only enclaves some of the chit chat is deplorable. The white empire attitudes are as strong here as ever they were in Europe.
Sure the racism is more overt in the UK, I haven't been called by my childhood nickname of Ghandhi in a long time but white racist asshole kids are never as subtle as adults and as an outdoor worker, in Britain and Florida, an all year round tan is expected of even the most lily white skin types.
I think a lot depends upon the area in which you live, people tend to be far more accepting of each other when they live and work in etnically diverse areas.

Moses2013

I doubt it's any better in the US. The only difference for you now, is that nobody really knows what p*ki means and you would fall under such a small minority, that nobody would even notice you.
It only really starts when a small minority grows and people suddenly notice you. If you were African-American, you wouldn't say the US is better. Being white does not mean that you'll never be a victim of racism either. You just have to ask many Polish people in the US and they can tell you about the Anti-Polish sentiment. Go to Africa and you will find that Albino hunting is very common, so people are killed because they look different. Try entering Angola as a Nigerian. Look at the Turks and Greeks. There are so many examples of racism and skin color alone is just a very small percentage. You can even feel racism just because you have a football jersey on.

TexanScot

Get in the sea with that "check your privilege" nonsense.

I told him that I can't speak to the fact that someone called him racist names 30 years ago because I wasn't there, before further acknowledging that yes, there are indeed still a minority of racist and bigoted people in the UK even today.

I stand by my claim that in spite of that, the UK is still - today at any rate - one of the better places in the world to be a racial or sexual minority. I don't think it is utterly impossible for racial minorities to succeed - Her Majesty's Government is evidence enough that this is not the case.

Is the UK better than it was 30 years ago? Yes.
Do we need to do more? Yes.
Should we rest on our laurels? No.

I'm not sure what more you want from me - do you disagree that the UK is not vastly, hugely improved from where it was 30 years ago? Do you really believe that "nothing has improved in the last 30 years"?

That's utter nonsense and we all know it.

The UK is a far cry from a land of milk and honey but come on, I'm not as blinkered as you are trying to paint me and I don't need to be Black, Asian or LGBT to recognize the despite the vast changes that have taken place in recent decades, or the fact that there's still more to do in spite of it all.

Jerseygirl

Just to let everyone know, and save time being wasted replying...crazybrit has left the room.

Hiro11

My parents live part of the year in Old Naples (yes, it's really called that). I've been going there for about 15 years, my impressions:
1. It's really hot there in the summer but heavenly in late October and mid-March.
2. It's full of rich, old white people who only live there part of the year, like my parents for example. These people are generally type-A personalities who have retired from type-A careers and now have nothing to worry about except the fact that their damned neighbor's driveway being insufficiently sealed, a matter they will certainly bring up passive-aggressively in the next HOA meeting.
3. There is a large number of thriving businesses in Naples that cater to the needs of old, white, rich people. Law firms, investment management firms, fancy doctors, people with advanced degrees in golf course maintenance, Pilates instructors who charge $200 a session etc.
4. The beaches and sunsets are undeniably world class.
5. Pretty good schools for the children of doctors and wealth managers. Surprisingly good parks, playgrounds, pools etc as well. A large tax base and a small number of children helps here.
6. There's a huge, distinctly creepy swamp directly to the east that no one goes to, despite it being one of the most amazing ecosystems (real, live alligators are literally swarming there) on the planet.
7. There's not a lot to do if you don't like golf, tennis, buying Fendi bags, getting plastered on free samples at Total Wine or sitting inside in air conditioning and watching Fox News.
8. Reasonably good restaurants, some very good. Lots of places that will sell you a $79 steak that may in fact be worth $79. Some fun dives if you know where to look.
9. RSW is one of the best airports in the US. No frills, but incredibly efficient and easy to deal with.

carcajou

This has long been the stereotype of Florida retirees. Not without justification.

zzrmark

Those part-time Neapolitans are a different class to those we get just a smidge further up the coast. We get the local ones who live on the delipidated parks and do their best to give Floridaman a run for his money - running around naked or shooting each other come to mind!

carcajou

Have you ever witnessed some of them arguing about how much to tip at a restaurant? Feral.

zzrmark

That's more a Snowbird trait, the locals that have retired to the dire parks don't have two nickels to rub together, let alone go out to anything posher than the drive-thru!

And yes, I have, that and kicking up stink because their well done steak doesn't have the texture of my work boots.

scrubbedexpat097

So Hiro11 is really Jerry Seinfeld!!

Mallory