Stories of South Asian youth in Britain
Collected by Amal Malik
"My approach as an outreach champion was to capture individual experiences of South Asian youth in Britain.
A large part was to avoid stereotypical narratives of the romanticism of immigrant struggles and diaspora stories, and instead allow people to share their realities of growing up in Britain. From exploring the realities of racial trauma from racist attacks, to living on fragmented lines between the borders of South Asian homes and wider British society, the relationship of immigration and the state, the interviews were not only meant to show an expression of South Asian of culture but how to navigate life in Britain.
My particular focus on oral history was to allow for a more accessible learning means, and to allow for a more creative approach to our understanding of the archive, so people could discuss their relationships to community, race, sexuality and nationalism in Britain."
Amal is a final year history undergraduate at the university of Warwick. She particularly specialises in gender and queer history as her research focus in her degree and personal work, particularly on black and people of colour communities. Her twitter handle is @itshababes and you can find her at Amal Malik on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Amal's research project was part of Setting the Record Straight, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
listen to the stories
Aleesha, who is a communications manager and political columnist, describes fond memories of her childhood in a British South Asian household saying how her parents were born in the UK and her grandparents in Pakistan. Aleesha recalls watching Bollywood films and Pakistani dramas with her mum and how she grew up with mostly white middle children so tried to shed her identity to fit in with popular white cliques at school. Aleesha became more politically aware at college learning about the nuances of racism and finding self-validation as a South Asian woman through expressing herself on social media. As a teenager Aleesha became a staunch anti-Islamophobia online activist through Facebook and Twitter, her politically awareness grew through finding a diverse group of friends at university. She describes how she regrets nothing from her past as it helped her become an outspoken South Asian woman and ends with a message of love to her teenage self.
Amani, who is a writer, was born and currently lives in London but was raised in the states moving around a lot with her family. Amani ends up at a high school in New Jersey with a large number of East and South Asians so felt part of the majority, her household was a blend western and Indian cultures with her family being Muslim but not devote. Amani describes being incensed whilst at Exeter University due to insidious racism in the UK and being one of the only non-white people there, this motivated her to become a spoken word poet expressing her experiences of Islamophobia. She then talks about moving to London and her love of the city as well as getting involved in the queer POC night life scene. Amani discusses her current work in relation to her activism, she ends by saying that if she could she would tell her teenage self to chill out and have more fun.
A.R., who works as a barrister in London, describes how growing up he moved around a lot due to his dad working as a Dr, he recalls a happy childhood in rural Kent and the challenges of moving to Manchester. Whilst in Manchester A.R. met other South Asians who bullied him for “acting white”, he found validation through encountering diversity in young Hindus during his time at an Indian youth camp. A.R. talks about using MSN messenger to socialise and boost his confidence during school and how he was pressured by family to be a very high achiever. He got into Oxford to study history which A.R. explains he had an interest for through hearing family stories of times in India. A.R. also discusses the issues of South Asian non-representation in history classes at British schools and the racism he encountered at Oxford, he goes on to describes the presence of anti-Black racism within the Indian community. A.R. ends by saying how he feels it’s difficult for teenagers nowadays due to the pressure of high performance and to conform on social media.
D.P., who grew up in the East Midlands, describes not having many fond memories of his difficult childhood. He lived in a rough part of Leicester surrounded by National Front members. D.P. was a nerdy teenager who joined the Air Training Core and didn’t have any friends; he was rejected by white kids and felt very isolated at school. D.P. was one of many South Asian kids in primary school but was one of the only non-white students at his secondary school. He discusses being bullied by his white peers and teachers which his parents ignored, this only added to his isolation and internalised racism. During the 80s D.P. went to university in Birmingham where the majority of his friends were Muslim, he discusses his disillusionment with the police and how pubs and clubs were overwhelming white non-safe spaces. D.P. describes how his internalised racism lasted until his 30s but then acknowledged his self-worth and realised he had a voice and could be an activist. D.P. ends by saying how it’s good to uncover the stories that are less savoury in multicultural history projects.
Growing up in Britain possessed many challenges. My parents originate from South Asia who at the time migrated to the UK for better opportunities and livelihoods. Whilst growing up in the UK I suffered a lot of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation which all contributed to my poor mental state in the long term. I continue to actively fight the prejudice and hate which still exists within UK societies by getting involved in programmes that provide better education and awareness of some of the issues affected in the south Asian community.
Tell me about your school experience - In school there was so much division and segregation. A group of whites were formed in one corner and a group of BME in another. You could sense racial tensions between these groups. Several fights broke out in the playground at the time. Detention and punishment was imposed to many children in the school.
What was family life like? Family life was difficult growing up. I had many problems but did not know who to talk to them about. My parents did not listen to my worries and ignored me as child. I felt very angry, annoyed and upset whilst getting older. Money worries, sexual relationships, employment, career options all crossed my mind at the time. I had an older brother who thought that I was very unusual and different.
How did you find school? School was challenging as I was constantly bullied, victimised which affected my ability to concentrate and complete my studies. I got into several fights whilst at school. I did learn a range of subjects at school and overall achieved some good grade. I really enjoyed wood work and resistant materials as It allowed me to undertake carpentry techniques.
What did you do when you left school - did you work? I had no other choice but to earn a living. I learnt that If I wanted something I would have to work for it. My dad strongly said when I finished school go to work and bring money home to provide for the family. The first job I had was stocking shelves in Kwik Save supermarkets. I had no other option despite even though I wanted to undertake education or develop a career. I did not want to argue or challenge even make my parents upset as I loved them.
Were you quiet political as a teenager and if so what were you involved in - Integration, segregation, racism and community cohesion were all playing factors at the time. British south Asians faced a lot of inequalities therefore at the time the policies of the Labour Party allowed better representation as a result I actively got involved in campaigns. I did a lot of door to door knocking at the time around raising the profile of the Labour Party. The Conservative party on the other hand had other motives in play with the BNP and right wing party politics. I saw a lot of hate crimes at the time.
What are the biggest challenges of being a teenager? The biggest challenges were putting trust in people and forming meaningful relationships. As at the time It seemed there was a lot of hate, self destructive behaviour and anti social behaviour, deregulatory terms seemed normal. The term bashing - seemed to be used and applied a lot. People appeared to be vile and had hidden agendas. Financial stability I searched a lot as a teenager.
Ansar, who lives in London, describes growing up in Bangladesh and coming to the UK at the age of 15 to join his father in Luton. He recalls his surprise at the ethnic diversity of Luton and enjoying British food in school meals, during his teenager years he forged a love for music fashion and British subculture. Whilst living in London in the late 80s Ansar got heavily involved in the Acid House scene which for him felt like a safe and inclusive space for people of colour. Ansar discusses being part of the Asian underground dance music scene and how living in Tower Hamlets was like a mini Bangladesh. In East London Ansar encountered violent racism far worse than Luton which politicised and motivated him to get involved in anti-racism movements. Ansar ends by saying in-spite of the racism and gloomy weather coming to England was everything he had hoped for and he found happiness here.
Athika, who is a political activist living in Cardiff, describes her experiences growing up of how her parents preserved their Bengali traditions whilst mixing with British culture and how she became political aware at a very young age spending time with her activist grandfather. Athika discusses the ethnic diversity of Cardiff and the supportive nature of the large South Asian community in her area. She speaks about going through an identity crisis in school experiencing family pressure to be more Bengali and peer pressure to be more white; in her later teenage years she connected to a sense of self-worth and loving her Bengali heritage. Athika discusses the importance of traditional Bengali dress especially in politically active circles, she goes on to describe how Asians have to fight harder than white people to get the same opportunities and the importance of marginalised voices speaking out against racial inequality. Athika ends by saying to her 15 year old self to be proud of her beauty and her mixed British and South Asian culture.
Khakan, who lives and grew up in Birmingham, recalls fond memories of his childhood spent at parties and days out with his large family during the 70s and 80s. He was a shy child so struggled making school friends but tried to be a good Muslim boy by impressing his teachers and family. Khakan’s dad was a political activist and as a teenager Khankan got into politics through joining a theatre youth group, this was a space where he was able to explore his sexual identity. Racism and homophobia was very prevalent at Khakan’s secondary school and as a teenager he hid his sexuality whilst secretly wishing to be a Goth or New Romantic. He talks about growing up with the AIDS epidemic and section 28 and dealing with religious guilt of being a gay Muslim. Khakan found sexual freedom when he travelled to London and attended an LGBTQIA diverse drama school. Khakan goes on to discuss the social support group he runs and the importance of support networks role models and representation for LGBT South Asians.
Mufseen, who was born in Brighton in 1991, spent most his time as a kid in between home school the local Mosque and his dad’s restaurant. Despite Brighton’s ethnic diversity Mufseen’s world felt small as his family only socialised with other Bangladeshis though Western culture was part of his youth, like watching Charmed with his 5 older sisters. Mufseen struggled with his sexuality and bullying at school but couldn’t tell whether the harassment was racist or homophobic, he describes distancing himself from being Bangladeshi when coming to terms with his sexuality and only later realising the damage this did and how important his culture is. Now living in London, Mufseen is part of the Queer South Asian scene going to nights like Club Kali, he discusses how the scene is more focused on Indians and Pakistanis and that there's not much space for Bangladeshis. Mufseen also describes the issues of LGBTQ activism being carried out through a white lens and the struggle to learn South Asian queer rights. He ends by telling his 15 year old self you can do and achieve whatever you want it’s just that nothing worth doing is easy.
Nadia, who is the Labour MP for Nottingham East, was born in Nottingham raised by a single mother living in different parts of the city where she experienced different forms of racism. Nadia recalls fond childhood memories in a tight knit family with her mum and brother and discusses the complexities of growing up 2nd or 3rd generation immigrant. Nadia talks about feeling isolated at private school as it wasn’t a friendly space for working class people of colour; she struggled to engage in class due to issues around race never being discussed. As a teenager Nadia joined a youth art group where she really found her voice, this was a space where Black and Brown excellence was celebrated. Nadia describes being politically aware from a young age and having an interest in the Labour party which she inherited from here parents, she also discusses the importance of young South Asians engaging their families political issues by having conversations at home. She ends by telling her 15 year self to trust her instincts and to not stop speaking out.
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Saima, who is a community activist from Birmingham, recalls growing up in a working class immigrant family who didn’t have much but had a lot of love and fun singing along to Bollywood music and Pakistani folk songs. She worked as a music journalist writing about mostly white left field music and began to revisit South Asian songs from her past introducing them into her white social groups. Saima describes dealing with aggressive racism after 9/11 and how all people of colour need to unite to fight systematic oppression; she touches on issues of privilege and erasure of colonialism in British school curriculums. Saima speaks about online activism and empowering young people of colour describing her own experiences as a politicised teen, she goes on to discuss her time working in media being marginalised in overwhelmingly white spaces. Growing up as a queer Pakistani Saima endured abusive exclusion and describes the importance of being visible as a queer Muslim woman of colour, she ends by saying to her 15 year old self to not be afraid to challenge others and that there is no shame in the authentic you.
Sairah, who was born and raised in Birmingham, describes being spoilt rotten as a child by her large British Pakistani family and fond memories around food and cooking. Growing up her family were rowdy but conservative, educating women was frowned upon by her grandparents but encouraged by her parents. Sairah went to a mostly Asian all-girls school where her and her friends had secret phones and MSN boyfriends they hid from their families. She describes not understanding herself as an ethnic minority until she went to university in York as Birmingham felt like a safe space, it was during this time Sairah realised feminists issues weren’t necessarily valued in class as they were always encouraged at her school. She describes having to prove her individuality at university as she was one of the only non-white people so seen as a representation for all South Asians; this prepared her for navigating white middle class spaces working in the arts. Sairah also talks about how pushing feminist and equal rights issues instigated positive change in her family, she ends by saying to her 15 year old self it’ll be ok and to be more grateful for the sacrifices her parents made.
Sara, who is a civil servant living in Manchester, talks about happy memories of her childhood home with parents who were liberal for the Pakistani community. Sara recalls some of her struggles at school and having to deal with racist physical and verbal abuse, this motivated to become a high achiever and then later a feminist. At the age of 16 Sara started getting into House music and partying with the LGBTQ crowd at the Haçienda which lead to her flopping her A-Levels and moving to Leeds. Sara describes feeling completely at home during the time she lived in Fez as part of her university course. She also discusses 9/11 triggering a hyper-consciousness over being Muslim and knowing life would never be the same again. Sara talks about how music was such a big part of her life as a teenager with Bollywood films and House and how she felt totally safe with the LGBTQ scene at the Haçienda as they were her people. She ends by saying to herself 15 year old self to study harder and go out to travel more as your youth only happens once.
Shermeen, who is currently studying at Warwick University, describes fond memories of growing up in Birmingham and going on family holidays to Pakistan. She talks about being shy at primary school and how her social group were family friends so an extended part of her Pakistani community. Shermeen discovered herself as a teenager through being exposed to cultures outside of Islam at her mostly white secondary school, by sixth form she figured out a balance between her Muslim background and the white British culture she was a part of. In her teen years Shermeen took inspiration from her dad becoming politicised supporting minority Muslim groups and advocating for Trans Rights, she also cut her teeth representing her country at a model UN conference whilst at secondary school. She describes struggling at university with being extroverted but not interested in drinking or lad culture and how it was during this time she began to question cultural norms of her Muslim upbringing. Shermeen ends by saying how important it is to question these norms but how it’s also vital to have people around you who understand and support your cultural identity.
Tahirah, who is a 19 year old youth ambassador for Wales, talks about her fondest memories of growing up in Swansea with her grandparents who taught her Bengali whilst her mother was working as a nurse. Tahirah describes how she built connections with other young South Asians through attending youth clubs at local Mosques; she was the only child of colour at primary school which shifted when she went to an ethnically diverse secondary school. Tahirah started volunteering from age of 6 with fundraising in her local community which lead her to becoming a youth ambassador, originally she was involved with educational volunteering but then later became more politicised. She speaks about her love of weight lifting and how it is very rare for a South Asian woman in her community to be so active in sports. She describes how South Asian food and celebrating at traditional weddings is central to upholding her Bengali heritage and ends by saying how lucky she was to have her community around her growing up in Wales.