Unimagined: It makes you think
Imran Ahmad recently asked me what I thought about his book Unimagined some time ago.
Well to be brutally honest - I really enjoyed it. My wife is reading it now and she is enjoying it too. I have some affinity with Imram - I grew up in the 70s too and remember The Saint, Space 1999 etc and all the stupid clothes we wore because they we thought they were be cool. Confession: I had a cardigan knitted by my mother in honour of Starsky from Starsky & Hutch. In fact I think she knitted it for my sister but I stole it. I must have been 10.
However, coming from Liverpool we had little contact with the Indian Diaspora - I didn't even eat a curry until I went away to university in Leeds.
Our main contact with any ethnic minority was the African community of Merseyside and I don't remember any ethnic tension at all. Although I do remember one friend saying I ran "like a nigger" - thought that was a compliment when I won the inter-school 400 metres! I was 14 so what did I know.
I think that the British-Pakistanis could easily place themselves at the centre of things by re-claiming the word Paki - Imran I would welcome you views on this.
Paki and Proud is a good rallying point. Or Brown and British and Sorted. I hope this doesn't sound trite as my business partner and me were thinking of doing an exhibition on this at the Art of Propoganda.
Everyone - let me know your thoughts. Imran we did it recently for David Pearce and The Damned United.
4 comments:
Hi Ian,
Thank you for this. I was awaiting your verdict with nervous anticipation.
My first thought is: I never had a Chinese takeaway until I went away to University. It was beef in black bean sauce with green pepper, with fried rice, to be precise. I remember it well. It was such a huge and heavy quantity of food that it made me really slow and drowsy. My eating at home had been much better regulated.
But a more considered response I will give after I've done all my (work-related) homework this weekend.
Best regards,
Imran
Hi Imran,
"But a more considered response I will give"? - You sound like Yoda!
Look forward to hearing from you. My wife is currently reading the book now and no doubt she will give you a message too.
Kind regards
Ian
Already Thursday it is and much work I have had.
Next thought - the word 'Paki.
Growing up, I was the only 'Paki' around, and the word, when I heard it, was always prefixed with 'f---ing' or used with the imperative to 'go home!' (I was always touched by their eloquence and originality). It was always a term of abuse and lacked the affectionate nuance of 'Aussie' or 'Pommie'.
Years later, I was shocked, on a work-related training course, to hear a colleague refer to 'Paki shops' (we were talking about consumer packaged goods distribution). Eventually it dawned on me that, in some quarters, it was just a short, lazy word, just like Aussie, and carried no intent to offend.
It's all a question of our neurolinguistic programming.
By the way my wife really enjoyed the book but was a bit disappointed it ended so swiftly.
What's your next project?
Ian
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