A friend writes.....

My Dear Bernard,

First a 'big thank you for having 'Pange Lingua' on your web. Really cheered me. Please find three important attachments from today's "Observer."

Just a personal experience on arriving in Britain. In the former British Colonies, the contact we have with the English is through the Civil Servants who worked and of the Europeans through the Missionary Priests in predominantly Catholic areas like we come from.

Hence, we have this pre-conceived idea that all English are well read in their literature, politics, etc, etc. As for we colonials, we have read all most all the English Classics from Dickens to Hardy, Shakespeare to Brontes. In Colombo and major cities and in the Catholic suburbs, most state assisted schools were run by Religious Orders, mainly OMI, SJ, OSB. Hence, there was upper and lower middle-class and skilled blue-collar workers children fluent in English and well read.

When products of these societies arrive in England, they have this belief that they are coming to a 'Mother Country' and they will be accepted as part of that family. At the start it is difficult to distinguish between naked racism and subtle racism. We have the advantage of being able to navigate confidently between two cultures and two languages, at the drop of a hat. We are confused, as to why the host community look at us in a different way. Why are you not accepting us as part of or an extension of your society? After all, it was Macauly who said when he designed the education system for the colonials: "we want Indians in colour but British in values and aspirations."

This how the conflict starts. On arrival, we do not meet Ratigans, Bowmans, Wisharts and Clarks. Our first experience is in the shop, in public transport, in the Church. It is later we learn and adjust ourselves to face real life in the mother country. In the Church they look at you in a strange way because you are able to recite the Sanctus, Angus, Gloria and Credo without any problems. How can he or she do that? They are not white.

I thought, these views will help you to do your project with a better understanding.

All the best,

Love

Shirley