“Everyone in Britain Has Always Had the Right to at Least Two Identities: Everyone's Got at Least Two Flags.” Sunder Katwa
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Welcome to Two Nations - a big discussion “Everyone in Britain has always “He rubbed on his hand. He put his • How many countries do you come from? about where you come from, who you cheer for • Do you want England to win Euro 2012? and what it says about you. had the right to at least two hand out. I thought he had a bug identities: everyone’s got at least on it, a bite or something. ‘What • Should people who compete for Team In July we’ll watch Team GB do their thing at two flags.” you sayin’ Daddy?’. He said, ‘Son, GB live in the UK? the Olympics. But do we really care if they • Do your family all cheer for the same win? Do they represent us? Would we rather Sunder Katwala, Director of you’ll never be able to go because team? England win at the Euros? Kaspian, as it British Future of the colour of your skin’.” happens, wants Germany to win. Oliver wants John Carlos, Olympic 200m • What does who you cheer for say about England to lose. Ros doesn’t care. What do you? you think? Maybe you’re only interested when “It’s hard. This phrase ‘we’re all Bronze Medalist, 1968 • Is it better to be mixed race? India come to play cricket. born equal’... This is a myth. The • How long does it take to become British? These days there’s no obvious ‘test’ for being truth is, if you’re born poor. Or “But you never forget the ties that • Do all immigrant communities living here British. We all have stories that weave in and you’re born of colour... It’s going to bond you to the seamless comforts feel the same about being British? out of each other that have somehow brought be harder.” of another haven, us to this place here, now, to this tiny corner of • Is Team GB representative of the UK this amazing city. David Lammy, MP for Tottenham It’s a love for two nations. today? But it makes me feel no different.” • Why are some countries better at some Tonight is about celebrating and sharing those “Jamaica in the attic in a dark blue Kim Nyamhondera, Two Nations sports than others? stories. Being British, it seems, only makes sense when we know about each other. trunk” • What makes athletes of dual nationality Hannah Lowe, Three Treasures compete for one country over another? • London has 45 non-indigenous communities of more “It turned out that in a class of “It’s easier for someone to say Gemma Cairney presents The than 10,000 people. 30, for 20 of the children, English that I’m Asian rather than Muslim. Weekend Breakfast Show on Radio 1. • Only 15% of Britons feel that people who settle here should support ‘our’ sporting teams. wasn’t their first language. And of Muslim and gay is the hardest Ruqsana Begum is the British female Muay Thai Kickboxing Champion. • British Asians have the strongest sense of ‘British those 20, 7 couldn’t speak English one. And you put Caribbean on belonging’ - 70% say they belong to the UK strongly, compared to 66% of white Britons at all. There wasn’t alot of support top of that... and then I’m in weird James Massiah is a poet and wordsmith from South London. • There are nearly 1 million mixed-race people in the for the teachers” territory. I think it’s easier for British UK Mandy, ‘London-exile’ on the Isle society if you’re in one ‘band’.” Hannah Lowe is a poet based in • Approximately 1 in 3 people living in London were of Wight Keith Khan, Producer of Brixton. She teaches literature at a born in another country college in Islington. Hackney’s Olympic Carnival • 90% of Londoners are proud to be from London “London does something so Jasmine Cooray is a poet and training • 36,000 people in Tower Hamlets were born in psychotherapist living in London. Bangladesh - the largest foreign-born community in positive, that other cities can’t “I’m from Wales. To me, I’m not a London Borough do. Even cities that pretend to be English. I’m Welsh, but I’m British. Keith Khan is an arts producer, currently • Nearly everyone in Headstart (facilitators included) multicultural. The co-existance at I’m proud to be British. I’m proud to working on a carnival for Hackney. was born in another country or has a parent who was times is so incredibly positive - you be Welsh.” Kayo Chingonyi and Keisi Morina are Headstarters. • 157,000 people living in London were born in Ireland can’t calculate how it’s working.” Deborah at a Jubilee a party, Sources: GLA/ONS/British Future Craig Taylor, Author Catford .