I live under a rock when it comes to this sport because it never interests me. Cricket. This usually makes me a bit of an outcast and a "weird Asian" because I don't enjoy a sport that most south Asians get a boner over.
Within the British Asian community exists a multitude of inter-communal issues such as caste, religious difference etc. One thing that does appear to unite - and disjoint - south Asians regardless of their roots is cricket. Tournaments such as the IPL, the Ashes etc either emphasise pre-existing rivalries between countries (notoriously India and Pakistan) or unearth the hidden pride and glory from the depths of various fans' hearts.
The English cricketer Ravi Bopara represents a large chunk of most young Brit Asians whose parents are immigrants. Many, myself included, view Bopara as an individual who demonstrates that young British Asians can get into sport and become professionals. I know many young, talented British Asians who want to become successful sportspeople but abandon their dreams. Surely this should propel Bopara into being a role model showing that you can enter professional sports make a decent career from it. From the report that I read, one thing that shocked me was when other British Asian fans turned against a Sikh man who was supporting England. They called him a "sell out" and a "coconut." I immediately thought of the controversial Tebbit test proposed by Tory politician Norman Tebbit, which has in this situation, been reversed. Whilst racism appears to be at a low in the UK, it is only so because of political correctness which has resulted in it being swept under the carpet. An issue that has come to light, is discrimination within the south Asian community to each other. Should Brit Asians be supporting India or England? Is it really a form of betrayal if you don't support India?
I don't have an issue with who supports who - at the end of the day cricket is supposed to be enjoyed as a sport, not a brown people point scoring contest or a public demo of racial pride. This has sparked off the notorious row about "multiculturalism and integration into British society" - something a lot of people thought had been 'sorted out.' In 2011, a survey showed that in England and Wales the percentage of British Asians was 5.87%. With a significant population that is ever growing come many concerns such as integration and unity. One: we need to start supporting each other to nurture the talent that we have. Two: is there ever going to be enough visibility to represent Brit Asians in the public sphere? Whenever a south Asian actor appears on a TV show or a soap (Eastenders) most Brit Asians I know cringe and squirm. Instead of berating them and subconsciously making them a spokesperson for all Asians; think of them as an individual. It takes guts to appear on TV or go into an industry where none have gone before. They are just ordinary people with talent.
The past 50 - 100 years of race relations in Britain has been tempestuous to say the least. Horrific crimes such as the Stephen Lawrence case and the deaths of 13 black teenagers in a house fire in 1981 are examples that scratch the surface to reveal a plethora of cases regarding racial discrimination in Britain. Such cases have been a crucial part of the black British experience and its desire for equality and representation. The fact that more and more black Britons are entering sports such as football, rugby and cricket should be a sign that ethnic minorities are becoming a part of Britain's changing landscape.
What can be done to address racial attitudes to each other and within ethnic minority groups? Is it a good idea to open up the race debate? Or let bygones be bygones?
Within the British Asian community exists a multitude of inter-communal issues such as caste, religious difference etc. One thing that does appear to unite - and disjoint - south Asians regardless of their roots is cricket. Tournaments such as the IPL, the Ashes etc either emphasise pre-existing rivalries between countries (notoriously India and Pakistan) or unearth the hidden pride and glory from the depths of various fans' hearts.
The English cricketer Ravi Bopara represents a large chunk of most young Brit Asians whose parents are immigrants. Many, myself included, view Bopara as an individual who demonstrates that young British Asians can get into sport and become professionals. I know many young, talented British Asians who want to become successful sportspeople but abandon their dreams. Surely this should propel Bopara into being a role model showing that you can enter professional sports make a decent career from it. From the report that I read, one thing that shocked me was when other British Asian fans turned against a Sikh man who was supporting England. They called him a "sell out" and a "coconut." I immediately thought of the controversial Tebbit test proposed by Tory politician Norman Tebbit, which has in this situation, been reversed. Whilst racism appears to be at a low in the UK, it is only so because of political correctness which has resulted in it being swept under the carpet. An issue that has come to light, is discrimination within the south Asian community to each other. Should Brit Asians be supporting India or England? Is it really a form of betrayal if you don't support India?
I don't have an issue with who supports who - at the end of the day cricket is supposed to be enjoyed as a sport, not a brown people point scoring contest or a public demo of racial pride. This has sparked off the notorious row about "multiculturalism and integration into British society" - something a lot of people thought had been 'sorted out.' In 2011, a survey showed that in England and Wales the percentage of British Asians was 5.87%. With a significant population that is ever growing come many concerns such as integration and unity. One: we need to start supporting each other to nurture the talent that we have. Two: is there ever going to be enough visibility to represent Brit Asians in the public sphere? Whenever a south Asian actor appears on a TV show or a soap (Eastenders) most Brit Asians I know cringe and squirm. Instead of berating them and subconsciously making them a spokesperson for all Asians; think of them as an individual. It takes guts to appear on TV or go into an industry where none have gone before. They are just ordinary people with talent.
The past 50 - 100 years of race relations in Britain has been tempestuous to say the least. Horrific crimes such as the Stephen Lawrence case and the deaths of 13 black teenagers in a house fire in 1981 are examples that scratch the surface to reveal a plethora of cases regarding racial discrimination in Britain. Such cases have been a crucial part of the black British experience and its desire for equality and representation. The fact that more and more black Britons are entering sports such as football, rugby and cricket should be a sign that ethnic minorities are becoming a part of Britain's changing landscape.
What can be done to address racial attitudes to each other and within ethnic minority groups? Is it a good idea to open up the race debate? Or let bygones be bygones?
1 comment:
OK not going to try and enter into the race debate, but there are a couple of points on offer that I can comment on.
1. Talented young Asians competing at the very highest level of sport not only means their desire to integrate and represent their country, the UK, but equally a desire from other communities to encourage this. Noted, there are still too few Asians involved in top level sport, this is not that they don't have the ability, but maybe they don't have the support from the Community? Maybe a post for another day.."Do Asian Communities undervalue sport"....something like that...
2. Who do we support? Back in the days whenever India played England, I would root for IND. When England played against any other nation, I would root the opposition. Why? No idea. However I am proud of being a British Asian and proud of what this country has given us. In the recent IND v ENG final, I was rooting for ENG to win even though somewhere hidden in the chambers of my thoughts I was happy with the eventual outcome. I think a balance can be achieved...
3. Players like Ravi B and Monty P should always get the full backing of the community, and I mean ALL of it, not just their respective faiths. Regardless of the fact that we have Asian's representing ENG in various sports, we should root for them against any opposition, even if it's India.
Just some minor thoughts. MJAR
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