West Yorkshire resident here so probably MUCH better placed than some regular posters to comment on issues of both integration and segregation.The fact is we have experience of both here but I recent years there has been a worrying shift to the latter amongst some,and I stress some,of the Muslim community.A rise in more fundemental religion and deeper entenchment in parts of the Asian community have been gradually causing concern.
Back in the late 60s my mum,as a health professional took it upon herself to learn Urdu so she could help the Asian women attending her clinics, and I regularly went with her as a teenager to do home tuition visits helping the same generation of women to learn some English.I found it fascinating and rewarding- and it was the start of a love affair with curries and samosas ! In particular I remember befriending a lovely 14 year old, the same age as me, who then suddenly disappeared from the family home.Both mum and I were very upset to learn sometime later she had been sent back to Pakistan for an arranged marriage, and had died in childbirth.That has always stayed with me ,and as I followed my mum into a career in midwifery and over the years saw first hand that still worryingly large numbers of girls and women were still not learning enough English,or being 'allowed' to integrate.Despite huge efforts from education, healthcare and our council. Obviously many girls did storm ahead in terms of education and achievement. But still way too much repression.And at these times the local market and town centre was ablaze with the glorious colours of shalwar khameez and saris.
Fast forward to today and observing the increase of full burka as the dress code,again for some,and the increasing feeling of ghetto mentality amongst SOME of the Asian population .That's not racist ,that's reality and therefore I wholeheartedly welcome Dame Casey's report.On the whole my home town has been welcoming,tolerant and appreciactive of the many benefits multiculturalism have brought, and how hard most of the immigrant community have worked and contributed.I'm immensly proud to have brought my family up here ,and how welcoming and tolerant generally it is.There is simply nowhere else I would rather live,and that's as much down to our wonderfully diverse population,as to the stunning countryside on our doorstep.But as my daughter found out a student in Bradford recently walking through wholly Asian areas respect for her an English,and very modestly dressed woman, was not always quite as forthcoming.Quite the opposite.Hearing about the Rotherham scandal came as no surprise, and as this report highlights it's time to stop being quite so PC and really be honest about the impact a large influx from different cultural backgrounds can have on our our communities.Especially if its over a short period of time and puts huge pressure on local resources as has been the case in some areas,Peterborough for example.Reflecting back my 94 year old mum said to me very recently we got it wrong.We made too many concessions,too many leaflets in every which language etc.And that's from a die hard Remain voter !
Ps. POGS if you still read these threads but don't post hello to you .Loved your post from Leicester last month.