(This post was originally published in the Huffington Post)
Every British Asian has played out a version of this conversation:
‘Where are you from?’
‘Brighton.’
‘No, before that.’
‘London.’
‘Um… I mean, originally.’
‘Lewisham hospital.’
‘Sorry. I mean your parents. Where are they from?’
Now here’s weird. You’re making small talk with a complete stranger; you expect to be asked what you do for a living, what team you support, what car you drive perhaps. But to lead with a question about where your mum and dad lived when they were little, and this before you even know each other’s name? What kind of freak does that? Continue reading “The British Asian Inquisition, or How I Came to Accept I’m From India Even Though I’m Not”
shihabsjoi.com 