Discrimination Against South Asians

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Discrimination While some South Asians have enjoyed great success in their adopted countries, many have experienced discrimination at some point. During the first big wave of South Asian immigration to the UK in the 1950s and ‘60s it was not uncommon to find signs stipulating ‘No blacks, no Irish, no dogs’ at guesthouses. Not all migrants encountered outright hostility, but few experienced a warm welcome either. Some of the reasons for this frosty reception can be found in history. The theory that so-called ‘coloured’ people (i.e. non-whites) were inferior to Caucasians was well-entrenched in the European psyche. This had been reinforced by colonialism, where most of these ‘coloured races’ had been conquered and put under European rule. Accepting them now on equal terms was not easy for some. Another factor was fear of the unknown. These newcomers were visibly different, spoke in strange languages, or with funny accents. They ate exotic food and practised foreign religions. Some felt they were too different to be part of Britain. Things have changed in the UK, in general attitudes and law, but some South Asians still face discrimination and remain disadvantaged in areas such as access to jobs and services. Discrimination can be faced not only by new migrants, but also by the children or grandchildren of the first generation of settlers. The reasons behind discrimination have evolved in the last 50 years, but are essentially the same as before, with a few new dynamics. There are still those who hold the belief that white people are superior to other races and therefore do not believe in treating others equally. Some may not explicitly subscribe to this, but have fixed stereotypes of Asians, believing they are incapable of certain activities, such as jobs they feel may be too physically or mentally demanding. Others are simply ‘uncomfortable’
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