Allira
Yes, we've lived in mixed areas in London and found that some people (mainly those from India and Ugandan Asians) wished to integrate, they were enterprising and ambitious, others stuck to their areas and did not. People from Pakistan tended to stick to their own areas and did not integrate even though they worked with others of different nationalities.
Strangely enough, the Indians and Ugandan Asians did not get on. Different religions perhaps? Different class? I never asked.
I have lived close by to, and now drive 4 days a week to our very settled Pakistani community.
(I also drive past the Somali community, as my city has taken in people fleeing that war torn area, and thats the only place in my city where I have sometimes see the burka)
That particular community is well integrated. The towns "head" Mosque is also there.
it is most certainly not a "no go area", although of course there are no-go areas such as some alluded to.
On the other side of town there is a larger community where there are also peoplefrom Bangladesh, they are living in houses once occupied by no dying industries.
I'll start by saying that surely we all recognise that there are white communities which are pretty much "no go
I have a friend who lives over the other side of town in a small estate. Its actually a nice little fairly new build estate, but even in daylight the times I've visited I've been aware of small groups of young people sort of guarding it, staring hard at "incomers". I was stared very hard at on my last visit.
Just think of the Kray brothers in the East end of London, and we definitely have pockets even locally where although its not as no go, they are unsafe and we wouldnt go there or let our children go there. I could name 3 or 4 areas in the city for certain and it must be the same in other cities, surely? We are looking at areas controlled by white "gangs" who dont take kindly to those attempting to enter "their" turf.
But back to the Pakistani community I know best, and in fact specifically, as I used to go to art classes at the church-turned-big community centre where volunteers taught English, and the kind of classes where women only tend to go, like stitching and embroidery. They also have social activities,
Alas, post Covid, funding has been partially cut, and it has only limited classes, but I still just now could find English teaching of course, which draws in people to the centre making it truly multi cultural.
There are social events (the picture shows a "mum's and children's day)..multi cultural art group, toddler group (see pic), Support buddies, where anyone can get help filling in forms, either though educational or language difficulties.
So in the local Pakistani community I am seeing changes as the third and fourth generation biomes more and more integrated. I see groups of women, for example, who although they wear a headscarf, dress is oh so pretty clothes and soft headscarves, hardly retiring, but enjoying: I see the walk home from school, and that many of the girls do not wear a headscarf any more as do more and more of their mums. I can honestly say, I have not personally seen a women walking "respectfully behind her husband" - in our local lovely family centred park, park, people are there from all over, including Pakistani families or couples for a day out, and I see laughing, equal relationships. clearly this is at one end of a scale, but its does happen. Just last night coming out of Sainsburys there were a group of young Pakistani women and two children: all the women were dressed in Shalwar Kameez and looked enviably gorgeous, even alluring: I've often thought how practical those outfits are too -no worry about revealing your legs if they aren't quite as you'd like). The girl had no headscarf and was wearing her school uniform.
You see, after school, both boys and girls going to classes to teach their culture and the girls do wear their headscarves for that.
There is also a "new breed" of women around uni age who wear Islamic dress (*Iam*) has specifically mentioned this. its not the black all over clothing at all, its "smart modest dress" and its a commitment to their religion, just as I as a Quaker in meetings wear "simple dress".
I'll end with this snippet as I typed in whether girls or boys did better at school: even in Pakistan, its changing
"In Pakistan, there's a complex situation regarding educational performance, with evidence suggesting girls are increasingly outperforming boys in some areas, while also facing greater barriers to access and retention in education.
To summarise: on the whole there is from all but the very specific group of Pakistanis who take a "hard line" on matters Islamic rather than one that is happy to integrate, and there are very real signs of women being more liberated, and men accepting that:, and that there fore
-unless those who are hostile insist "it aint so" push their line - and what is better as regards change - the carrot or the stick?
