See also: French colonization of the Americas – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_colonization_of_the_Americas

Hi Mike.

My parents were immigrants to England from India in the 1950’s. They became British citizens. I, and my siblings, were born in London. We were British from birth. My nephews and nieces were also born in London, and were British from birth. They are all now in their late teens and early 20’s. Their native language is English, not Urdu. As is mine. This is because we were born in England, are British citizens, and have always lived in England (simple, right?).

I refer to myself as Ms (not Begum – Indian for Mrs), when giving myself a title. And I consider Ms to be my real title, not Begum. This is because I’m English and I live in England, not India (also simple to understand, I think).

Like all non-white British people in England, my family has had its struggles with the racism and ignorance of others.

If anyone told me my real name is Begum Saleem, not Ms Saleem, because my parents were born in India, I would say they were racist, regardless of whatever other amusing point they were trying to make.

If someone laughed at my nephews and nieces because they don’t speak Urdu, and assumed they were stupid because they don’t, I would say that person was racist, arrogant and lazy in their thinking, and I would be depressed that they found such a thing funny.

Immigrants and their descendants can’t win, can they Mike? We’re attacked if we can’t speak English, and now we’re attacked if we can’t speak the language of a country far away. When will we just be allowed to be British? How many generations does it take, Mike? Because three obviously isn’t enough.

Yes, your article is about Trump, and the amusement you bizarrely feel that a third generation immigrant (because he’s presumably still an immigrant to you, as am I, no doubt, as are my nephews and nieces) can’t speak what to him is a foreign language. But your article hurts *me*. Because it reminds me that, in the eyes of so many people, I’m not truly British, and never will be, and there will always be someone around to remind me of that.

And I guess what surprised and disappointed me most was that this viewpoint – that immigrants and their descendants will always be considered natives of another country, and therefore English will never be considered their native language – came from the political left, not a right-wing commentator. No refuge for me anywhere on the political spectrum, eh?

Just so you know – I hate Trump, and I hate his racism. But I believe both should be fought courageously and intelligently, not replicated by the left-wing websites I rely on for news. There are plenty of legitimate reasons to attack Trump. His inability to speak a foreign language isn’t one of them.

Best wishes,
Amena