WHERE DO YOU COME FROM?

"BUT WHERE ARE YOU REALLY FROM?" Smugly asked the quintessential English couple emblazoned with a Poppy Union Jack Pin.

"You go first." I insisted,

"After you" , respectfully.

"British we are.." they let loose with pride and glee,".. "born & bred"."...."..can't you tell...".

"Splendid" I replied, "me too" "And your parents also..?" I asked curiously.

"Yes" they affirmed "Your grandparents too - and great grandparents?" I inquired."..

"Erm.."

"Alright. Lets trace your family tree as far back as you possibly can..?". I'm intrigued..

"..Well then..I know my grandad hailed from Scotland, married my nana" he replied..

"So he was an immigrant then, therefore you too? Right?" I said sympathetically.

"No." They rebuffed.

"Sorry I don't mean offence, technically you are an IMMIGRANT by definition" consoling them.

"..Well on my side my great granny is Irish and she came over first from Ireland.." said t'other with a feint Irish twang.

"Therefore she was an immigrant, consequently you too" I confirmed.

"No.. really.." "..erm.. some french ancestry on my mothers side. German ancestry on your uncles side.." peering over to the other half.

Finding common ground "Just like the Monarchy which is Germanic stock. Its proven the British Royal family have german roots, their ancestors are immigrants from Europe.."

"It appears WE'RE ALL IMMIGRANTS".

Not that it matters.

A multicultural hotpot of Celts arriving in 500BC from Europe, Belgic immigrated from Continental Europe and settled in 950BC, to the Romans in 43AD immigrants from Italy, Vikings immigrated to England also the Angles and Saxons and Jutes. Before and after World War I & WWII the Germans to Jews and Russians to Polish, Scots and Welsh, to Pakindians from Hindustan and Arabs from the deserts and Africans, Irish and Japanese and Palestinians to everything in between.

Immigrants everywhere it seems likened to sesame seeds in Tahini. "Different colours and ethnicity and religions and cultures and appearances - all still bleed the same...Right?"

"Bloody foreigners."

"..If you say so..." they quipped bitterly.

Neither would you refuse a blood transfusion from an immigrant if your life depended on it, irrespective of skin colour: black, brown, white or multicoloured - let alone racism and discrimination and bias and prejudices and microagressions.

"I'M NOT BEING RACIST, BUT.." I said "..we all had to come from somewhere, considering the geographical nature of an Island - 'The British Isles'. The clue's in the name.

T'is an Island of immigrants - including you..!!

Always was - has been,

Always will be.

You've been served.

Eat up.

SECONDS. Of the 68 million people in the UK 82% in England and Wales are White [immigrants] , and 18% are BAME (black, Asian, mixed or other ethnic group). 2021 Census data.

Food for thought: Only 9% of The British Isles is built upon as developed use whilst the majority 91% of land is vacant and uninhabited. Of which 73% of the country is designated as farmland, 5% natural land, and 4% green urban etc). After Brexit the UK imports 48% of total food consumed because the UK is not self-sufficient in food production and hasn't been for some time.

Rafakut Ali. www.rafakut.com