Hannah Merchant
What is Britishness ?
As part of a socially-engaged creative writing portfolio , HANNAH MERCHANT developed this opinion piece due to her interest in issues such as race and colonialism . She focuses on what Britishness is to her and all the nuanced and overt connotations that are associated with it . She approached the opinion piece reflecting on her own lived experience as a young Pakistani woman and how it compliments but also clashes with her British-born identity .
A question I ’ m often asked is “ Where are you from ?” and I usually answer London . Maybe even Paddington , if they want specifics . However , this answer is usually insufficient , as its often followed with “ Where are you really from ?”. The emphasis being on ‘ really ’ as my Britishness is questioned for not fitting into a Euro-centric ideal . This BBC sketch perfectly depicts how this question becomes a game to people of colour although sometimes it does derive from a place of curiosity . I like to play this game , almost a ‘ guess my ethnicity ’, as I find it interesting how people often make assumptions based upon stereotypes or their perception of a culture . Many are often shocked , or perhaps embarrassed once I reveal my ethnicity . Britishborn Pakistani . However more questions follow , as I am whitepassing and do not fit into their perception of what a Pakistani woman should be .
Growing up in West London , I was exposed to diversity and multiculturalism every day . Most of my school friends were from ethnic minority groups , and attending a predominantly Arab primary school , ironically white
34 became the minority group . This all changed once I moved to Kent around the age of 14 . My norm of diversity started to crumble with this move , as I was previously surrounded by a melting pot of cultures but now suddenly surrounded by a sea of whiteness and middleclass tendencies . Although I am white-passing and if I so wished , I could hide or even shield myself behind this ‘ whiteness ’, I still felt isolated . I was unsure why I felt this way until years later until I acknowledged the lack of Asian representation in many home counties and thus delved further into my own identity and the complexities within it . This made me start to question what really is Britishness ?
I had a discussion with my mother about whether we felt British or English and our responses varied . I often find I refer to myself as British , as I believe labelling myself as English alludes to images such as the St George ’ s flag . Rather than seeing this flag in a patriotic light , I see it as a symbol of extremist , rightwing politics and even racism . My mother ’ s response differed from mine and she sees herself not only as Pakistani but English too , despite being