Ethnicity

Ethnical background is being a form of debate for long periods in the past in foreign countries. I am about to give my experience and views about this already talked about concept. Since being a son of a migrant I lived on flesh how is like to be a man with no land. Let’s be clear about the fact that the creation of concepts like tribe, country name, border, passport, visa are all created by us for us. If I were a powerful man back in the 1800s I there could be a country called Adil. Basically someone clever had decided to divide us humans into poor and rich, not happy with that comes more types of divisions country, religion, skin colour, cast, and goes on.
My father migrated to Venezuela in the 1960s for better quality of life. Back then Venezuela had a very prosperous future and very rich present. He got an offering as a Professor in the Universidad de Oriente, in the city of Cumana, with the help of Abbu Nasir. If you ask him today I believe he will give you that same answer he did gave us 25 years back, that “Venezuela is a nice country to live, Venezuelan people are very friendly, and they will accept you in their community even if you are from a different country” I think back in mind there were so many incidents that made us believe different from what my dad was saying.

The one incident that I recall with strong details is also mention in one of Abbu Nasir’s book “Faceless Enemy”, when my dad and Abbu Nasir were going to some place in Abbu Nasir’s Mercedes Benz on one the main road of the city if Cumana a guy came with his pick-up impact on the Merc, which did a spin of 360° and started to burn. This guy had the nerve of coming out of his car and scream you are screwed foreigners. I was 5 by then I do remember the whole thing for some reason or the other.
Back in 1998 when I went to the USA, and enrolled in the State University of New York as a student, where I did encounter very broad and diverse ethnical groups, even clubs made with the countries name which the group belong too. Indian Pakistani International Club imagine who would want to be member of such club, it is obvious that would be either an Indian or a Pakistani. Now I sit a laugh at it but, back then it was really a relief to have a group of people with whom one could share cultural activities. Indeed there was a very small part of this country with the concept of ethnicity because the existence of grouping in between their own people. The communities were so big that they won’t feel the need of having brought up the fact that countries back home are enemies, e.g. India and Pakistan.
Now in U.K. there is a different ball to play. Even the most simple application from contains a part to be filled called Ethnic Background, to top it up thank god the government has make them write under the law the you are not to be judge by you ethnic group or religion. Of course this is optional, if you want to fill it or not. Asda part of walmart is the first company that I have encounter breaking the rules of not being eligible by your group. How can you explain that majority of people working for one of the branches are from one country only. There are also exceptional cases I might say, but if you are lucky you will be one. Otherwise you will have to struggle, and you will have to keep the fight up with these kinds of companies to exist here.
Back in my home town where I was born, they say that I am not part of them since I have left them from long time back. The concept is that one cannot survive in a rough environment like the one they have. Outsider! Is what they see even if one has the same ethnic group (country, colour, religion, cast). Finally a man with no land. Love to all...

DiL.