Thornyone wrote:I’m not sure of the latest figures, and since the next Census is due next year, they are out of date. However, suffice it to say that the “white British” (which was the basic population of the city until the first wave of immigration) are now in a minority, maybe 33%. The original Asian immigrants were chiefly Hindu. They settled largely in the Melton Road/Belgrave Road areas of east Leicester. The Muslim population was/still is strongly represented in the North Evington area, but Muslims have spread out and their numbers have increased.
There are areas of the city with fewer Asians, in particular the large former council estates in the west side of the city. Asians tend to have larger families than native Brits, so the numbers of Asian children is proportionately higher.
Multicultural policies have tended to encourage ethnic (originally) minorities to hang onto and celebrate their separateness and differences to the detriment of harmonious integration into mainstream “British” culture. (When I was at school years ago there were quite a number of Poles, children of WW2 soldiers, who spoke Polish at home, but were otherwise fully integrated into Leicester society).
Why do many Asians live parallel lives.They (often) speak an Asian language, and religion tends to play a much bigger part in their lives. They identify as Asian first and foremost. In short, whilst earning a living here, many otherwise lead the sort of lives they would lead in India or Pakistan rather than the sort of lives which most native Brits do.
The answer? I have no answer. Fortunately I have no children either, so concerns about where this country may be some years hence are not mine.
AIUI multiculturalism is a multitude of cultures living alongside each other peacefully,with an overlap of cultures.
IMO it would be wrong to try and make ethnic minorities become of 'white british' culture,freedom within a society is the freedom to practice what ever religion one chooses and to speak one's native tongue,though it's particularly advantageous for all the community if the immigrant or ethnic group learn to speak and understand the langauge of (in this case)the UK.
Not only does it help integration but makes life easier from a purely practical stand point ie;understanting laws and rules of the land they live in.
I'm aware that some first generation ethnic people,particularly the women,don't speak English which limits their integration and is more than likely a cultural attitude toward women,but I think this is dying out as each generation passess.
What might seem like parallel lives is a preservation of their particular culture,which I have no problem with so long as it breaks no UK law.
Thanks for taking the time out to respond to my question.