大象传媒

My family and I moved to the North East form the Kent/London area in 1996. We moved to the Consett area in County Durham. Each one of my family have experienced verbal abuse from people in the area and even physical attacks on one of them. The verbal attacks consist of "Cockney Cxxxx" and "Fxxxx off back to where you belong." This has been so called adults shouting this at children. We know that in an area as this full acceptance will never happen.

On what I have described one would conclude that this is a case of racism, but here's the problem, my family and I are white and born and bred in this country. The only thing that makes us different to the people giving the abuse is our accents. As our skin is white it can't be racial - if we had coloured skin or were travellers it would be racial. Abuse and discrimination has the same effect no matter what colour you are.

There are a quite large amount of people in the North East, and not just Consett, who are be definition "Racists" and you don't have to be coloured of from another country of culture to be on the receiving end.
B.N.

Last night I sat and watched in disgust the arrogance of this woman's view about Newcastle not bringing a place to bring up her child.

I am interested in why she was allowed in my view to give a one-sided view and never fully investigated her rash comments. I am not racist, I work with Hindis, Sheik's, and Muslims and I am a white Christian British citizen and have lived and grew up in Newcastle for over 30 years when the family came back after my father served in the forces.

I went to school with Asians and learnt about different cultures, yes over the years I have seen bullying but that was done by both whites and Asians.

Now I am awaiting the arrival of my second child, why is this relevant basically because my child will of mixed heritage, my child's father is a lovely family orientated person and is MUSLIM and from AFGHANISTAN, he respects my Christian faith and celebrated Christmas with my family and is looking forward to the baby's birth.

We have discussed how we are going to educate our child regarding religion and his cultural heritage. We have decided that he is to learn both faiths and when he is old enough he will have a choice, I accept that there will be problems but we are educated and open minded and will deal with any problems in a responsible way. Our child will be loved for who he is and not what religion, colour or creed he is.

People like the lady in last night's broadcast are the people who create more problems with in our mixed communities than any rational, normal Geordie does.

Please don't think that all people in Newcastle are the same WE ARE NOT. This report was so one sided that I feel obliged to have my say.
Dawn Anderson

This one is a bit of a dilemma. Not being native to Newcastle I believe that anyone coming to the city will be genuinely taken aback by the warmth and humour of most people. However, being dark skinned it is clear that there is still a disturbing minority of extremely ignorant and stupid people living here. Whilst to a certain extent it seems inevitable that every area will have such populations, what I do often find disheartening is that a lot of people in the area attempt to minimise racism and even imply that it is somehow the fault of the victim.

Racism is NEVER acceptable, and if the indigenous folk realised this we could rid ourselves of the disease quicker.
Mobin

I could not believe the arrogance of this lady's view to Newcastle not being a place to bring up her child because of her ethic background. Everywhere you live and go you have a degree of racism and it cuts both ways, what I could not believe was that she focused mainly on what a minority of Asian people have encountered and not what everyday Geordies really think.

What upset me most was that she centred in on the bad things and never really looked at schools and community projects that are bringing all ethic minorities together in a mutual understanding of the cultural difference with in the UK today.

My daughter is in a relationship with an Afghan Muslim and he is a lovely man who respects her religion and her cultural background and she in return is the same with him, during eid she fasted with him and she has always supported him and he too celebrates with her on our Christian holidays. They have a rich cultural heritage between them and yes sometime they do get nasty comments but these people are poorly educated or just plain bigots. They never ever bring race, religion or cultural differences into their relationship and are like any normal couple...

Newcastle is one of the friendly places to live, yes we have problems but name me a big city that does not.

Her view was biased and offensive and what does she know since she admitted living in London and not knowing the changes that the city has under gone, what does she know.
E. Anderson

I would like to point out that Narinder's family were not the only Asian family living in West Moor 20 years ago.

My Grandma Joan Peppiatt, who was born in Burma and was of Burmese origin (now called Myanmar), lived on West Moor Drive in West Moor for over 25 years (from 1977ish) until her death.

She moved to England with my granddad Neville Peppiatt (born and bred in Newcastle), during the Second World War. As far as I'm aware she did not suffer any racial abuse, and was seen as more of a 'china doll' figure due to her beautiful features.

West Moor therefore, in my eyes, is not and has not been a place of any racism.
Louise Peppiatt

I am writing to express my extreme disappointment with tonight's programme. The views expressed by host Narinder upset and offended my family greatly. As a resident of the West Moor area and an ex-pupil of Narinder's school I strongly disagree with claims that racist bullying is rife in the North-East.

Whilst attending the school, several of my friends were from ethnic minority groups and I have never heard any of them complain about racist comments. Narinder's own family are key in the community and are held in high regard by the residents...

While I agree that there will always be the minority of small minded bigots throughout the country, including Tyneside, I strongly feel that the majority of Geordies accept you for the person you are not the colour you are...
Lauren Laydon and the Laydon family

Hi Inside Out, just watched your programme with interest and concern. My name is Paula Archer and I am Dept. Manager at Stepney Bank Stables in Byker. We have been running a course for school children in Newcastle called 'Horses know no colour'.

This very successful idea brought together our local Police force and children from schools where racism had been a growing concern mainly due to the increase of asylum seekers in the community. We used our horses to work with young people to teach then how to communicate. Riding allowed all the children to have a 'shared experience' that they could chatter about. It is an amazingly successful project that received commendation from The Chief Constable of Northumbria Police.

None of the children would mix at all when they entered the stables in fact the atmosphere would be very tense. It was fantastic to see the change as they left the stables all excited and friendly.Teachers remarked that these changes were lasting. That's the way to do it!
Paula

My name is Lee Irving and I am 32 years old, I currently reside in Longbenton but I was brought up in Newcastle's West End (living there for 22 years). The West End of Newcastle (Elswick in particular) is home to a large Asian community and the house I lived in was about 100 metres away from the Malvern Street mosque so integration with Asians was an every day occurrence and obviously as I grew up the subject of racism was never far away.

All my life I have heard stories on the television, the radio and read in the newspapers about the racism towards Asians and the degrading treatment received in everyday life in Newcastle, but from my experience it hasn't been racism all one way.

When I was 9 years old, I was playing on some waste ground with a friend when we were set upon by two Asian women. We were dragged into a disused building where we were locked in a blacked out room for approx 10 minutes after which we were dragged into an upstairs office (being kicked and punched all the way).

An Asian business man... was angrily accusing us of breaking windows around the back of the premises, it got to the point where he was threatening us with severe beatings if we didn't own up, of course being 9 years old my friend and I were so frightened we were hysterical and at this point the man must have realised the situation he was in and let us go.

When I got home I was in total shock and I had bruises on my face and body so my mother immediately rang the police, as soon as they came my friend and I gave a short statement and then went across the road where the assault took place.

The Asian business man came to the door but claimed he could only speak a little English (even though he knew quite a few swear words 10 minutes before) and claimed that no women were in the building! My mother understandably went berserk and had to be restrained by the police officer who threatened to arrest her unless she calmed down. Nothing ever came of the incident, we were advised by the police officer to forget about the whole thing he said it "wasn't worth the hassle".

After an incident like this I could have easily used it as an excuse to become a racist, especially living in an area with the reputation Elswick had, but over the years I have made some very good friends who are Pakistani and Indian In most cases I think that the Asians that are willing to interact are the ones that don't get the problems, I have known Asian families that weren't willing to interact and who were as racist towards whites as some whites were towards them.

I have no doubt that racism has and will still be a factor in many peoples lives and I also think that it will never go away despite all the education available, but when it is being highlighted on television by a so-called-celebrity, her final summing up really annoyed me.

Newcastle is not perfect... Large steps have been taken over the last few years, just look at the football both on the terraces and the pitch. St James Park used to be a breeding ground for racism and this was evident on the pitch by the obvious lack of black players, but this has changed dramatically over the last few years and racist chants, thankfully are a thing of the past.

Comments from Narinder like "I would never bring my kid up in Newcastle"... can be very damaging to Newcastle and the North East and doesn't give a true reflection of life here, PERSONALLY I WOULDN'T WANT TO BRING MY SON UP ANYWHERE ELSE.

I hope that the race debate doesn't just end on Narinder's report and that you give a chance to show that Newcastle isn't living in the dark ages and that the people up here aren't all racists.
Lee Irving

Jocks, Taffs, Yanks, Poms, Krauts, Micks, Cannucks, Ruskis, Chinkies, Pakis, Mackems, Smoggies, Geordies. Racist descriptions or terms of endearment?

The people of the North East are famed for their friendliness and openness and a huge factor in that is the ability to overcome adversity with a smile and a joke. I have friends from all parts of the world, embracing all cultures, skin colours and religions and the reason such friendships develop is because we can ridicule and joke about our differences.

The problem that exists in today's society is that the poison of 'multiculturalism' has created a fear state; decent, ordinary, hard working folk are scared to embrace those of different cultures for fear of the PC police...
James Houghton

As two educated professionals born and raised in the North East we were extremely disappointed to see the Inside Out Report featuring Narinder Kaur. It was the inflammatory generalisations that annoyed us most...

Every Friday we enjoy a take-away from the 'chinkies' but referring to the takeaway is certainly not a derogatory statement. Merely a statement of fact. I am a redhead and have been party to every manner of taunts. As my mother stated, ginger people receive far more abuse than any racial minority but are polls carried out about the North-east being 'Gingerist'?...

We both have many friends from a variety of ethnic backgrounds who love the North East and the fact that people are honest and thoroughly free of the ridiculous inhibitions which exist amongst the societies in the South.

I have lived in Coventry and refuse to believe that a ghettoised community can be seen as integration as Kaur seemed to suggest.
Helen Houghton

Often racism is debated in the vein that the British are racist against those from other cultures. I find it sad that cultures that state they are persecuted by Caucasians here are just as lacking in charity to those who are not wholly identified with them.

I was shocked and hurt for a good friend of mine when shopping in Newcastle to see how shopkeepers in three shops run by Muslims treated her. She is a respectable educated Hindu woman who took me shopping in the East end of Newcastle.

She wore respectable English dress and spoke to the shopkeepers in their language but I observed that they made her wait until other Muslim customers were served and they would not look at her. In one shop I had gone in ahead of her so I was not apparently with her and I was treated better than her!

Our whole shopping experience left me feeling uncomfortable and there was a tangible air of hostility I had not experienced when shopping alone in this area before. According to her this is not a rare experience for Hindus in shops run by Muslims in Newcastle.

We went in a shop run by Hindus where both of us were treated with courtesy and made to feel very welcome yet we were doors away from the other shops.

It does not take any great intellect to work out where the most money was spent but maybe some prefer to lose trade rather than treat people with respect.
Dawn

Only very rarely do I become as incensed as I have been tonight by the attitude of Narinder to her home city...

Let me fill you in on my background - I'm in my late 40s, working class and grew up in the west end of Newcastle. Where I grew up in Lemington, an Asian family had a shop. These people were considered a valuable part of our community.

Two of the younger children and attended our local school.

I have to say I cannot recall a single incidence of a racist nature at school, that's not to deny that there weren't any - not everyone was or is as accepting of 'strangers' as my parents (to whom I owe my liberal outlook on life ).

But I would venture that real racists are very much in the minority but because of their bigotry, they tend to be more vociferous.

When I started work, at Parsons, in Newcastle one of our fellow workers was also a Sikh - he was a good friend of mine at work and has now become a successful businessman, which makes me very happy for him. But once again I never heard a single racist comment - everyone accepted him as 'one of the lads' (bear in mind we were, all of us, from working class backgrounds).

I was deeply upset by Narinder's attempt to brand the entire population of Newcastle as racist (brushing aside the lady in the Sari shop, who had never experienced any racism growing up in Newcastle!).

The 'criticism' that the North East is the whitest region also makes me very angry. T IS NOT OUR FAULT!!! The very same perceived 'isolation' that prevented us from being awarded the super casino (and no doubt the city of culture) would also appear to be a barrier to immigrant families moving to the area.

My wife is from Leicester (Narinder claimed she suffered no racial abuse there ) and I am still impressed by the way the way the Asian community is integrated into the city, but to suggest that there is little racism is patently untrue - I (as a resident of the "horribly white" North East, have listened to the stomach churning racist language of some of the white population of Leicester.

yours fumingly
Ian Dickinson

I am appalled and offended by the disgusting report on Inside Out this evening.

I have never felt so strongly about a programme to write in and complain. However in our current society, where minority races find it necessary to make critical comments about an area which has come so far in accepting all races I feel I must voice my concerns.

Newcastle for better for worse has clearly become a multicultural area and is home to many different nationalities of asylum seekers. I have vast experience and qualifications in Immigration and Asylum and have worked over a long period with genuine people who are pleased to make this area, Newcastle, their home. As someone who has first hand knowledge I can see both positives and negatives in both sides of the 'race argument', however I feel that Narinder from Big Brother is not the ideal person to highlight this.

As she said herself she left the area at an early age, living in Leicester and London. She has clearly compared her experiences from 30 years ago with today and picked a fist full of people from the Asian community to highlight it has not changed. It would be interesting to see how many people were asked for their comments in the making of this pathetic documentary.

Of course there is likely to be some abuse physical and verbal aimed at some Asian families and of course this is abhorrent. However this is true of the disabled, ginger haired, ugly, fat, too thin, and so on, and we know that this is not exclusive to Newcastle, or indeed to the UK.

Let's face it, racism is not a problem confined to Newcastle City walls or the white cliffs of Dover. In my opinion over the top documentaries such as that or more likely to drive a bigger stake between communities rather than bring them together in harmony...

(Narinder) has taken the North East and labelled it in one word RACIST, generalising our welcoming race; the Geordies.

I finish how I began, disgusted and left feeling upset.
Ian Wilson

I am quite disappointed in tonight's programming involving racism. I think Kaur's representation and views of Newcastle and Geordies is too personal, and to be honest I find it disturbingly offensive...

Comments like, "You know what? I'd never bring up my children in Newcastle" and "It begs the question, what is being done to change these old fashioned attitudes?" are offensive to everyone who lives in the North East, regardless of race, I bet she wouldn't be saying that if she still lived here.

If she doesn't like Newcastle she can live elsewhere...

Let the Geordies of all colour and religion continue life in our beloved multicultural Newcastle.
A.R

I am white, born in UK. I am aged 60 years and male. I work in sales. I was brought up to have an open mind and to think and reason out situations. I was not racist for the first 50 years of my life but have become increasingly so as time progresses.

My pet hate is when I am talking to people in the ethnic community they are just plain rude. Fine if the conversation is one on one but as soon as there are two or more then suddenly people who can speak perfectly good English start speaking a language that I don't understand, then turn back to speaking perfectly good English.

I was told it was rude to whisper, yet these people clearly don't want me to hear what they are saying which I find offensive and carry on a conversation as if I wasn't there. (applies to the Welsh also). I have only had one experience where this has not happened and countless where it has.

Am I trying to separate myself from them or they from me?? Live in segregated areas, ghettos if you like... dress a clear demarcation from the norm in this country but then they don't want to show their faces either, just the same reason as Hoodies, I guess.
Alan

I watched the show this evening and was impressed at how the show and former Big Brother housemate Narinder was going to examine and explore the treatment of ethnic minorities in Newcastle.

However, I, as a white Geordie, am extremely insulted to hear the words. 'I would never bring up my children in Newcastle' broadcast to the country. The programme was interesting to watch and sad to hear that racism such as the examples given were still present in schools and the young community. However, the host seemed to be examining incidents of children but I highly doubt that Newcastle is the worst place for ethnic minority children to live.

Geordies are known across the country as a kind people - fair enough,we can be a bit wild - but I have travelled across the country and heard Geordies referred to as 'salt of the earth' and people 'who would do anything for you'. Sadly, I believe racism will ALWAYS exist in children and schools, you can be picked on and bullied at school for having the smallest difference to the rest of the class. Being of another race makes you just as much a target to children as your height or hair colour

It is the adult population that should be examined when questioning racism in cities. Narinder neglected to this, and as a result, she has painted a very modern and changed city as a place of intolerance, hatred and revulsion because bullying exists in schools; a fact which, let's face it, can be applied across the country.

Again, I really enjoyed the show but feel that the host has set Newcastle back as a major city of England and, hopefully not, but the result may be that the British public takes her advice, and avoids Newcastle as a home, while scaring ethnic minorities into moving away from Newcastle!!
Alex

As a Geordie I found Narinder's comments about Newcastle sickening - racism is EVERYWHERE and no way should the city of Newcastle be singled out for this I'm surprised at 大象传媒 and at Narinder as a fellow geordie to be saying this.

All Geordies are by no means racist but this program has singled us out to be I think showing that program was stupid. So does this mean that the 大象传媒 think Geordies are racist? Yes I agree racism is something that is high on the agenda in Newcastle but is no different to anywhere else and it was seriously unfair for Newcastle to be shown as a racist place to be black and white have been worn on the shirts of are heroes for years.

Show racism the red card.
Fraser

...If we are to address what is clearly an important issue can we have some research based on something other than selective anecdotal evidence...
W Mason

I have to say Narinder Kaur talking about Newcastle being a racist city, NO it not am a Geordie and am please to say, I am a Geordie. I went to skool with a few Asian kids and we all got on. And Narinder says West Moor was not nice growing up in. Well I live in Killingworth which is up the road from where her family live and I go into her family shop who are really nice people.

When I hear her say Newcastle is a racist city I really don't like to hear that, Newcastle is one of the best place to live and grown up in the UK I think. I think there will be a few Geordie people who will not be happy with wot she said because I am not happy with her saying Newcastle is a racist city
Carley

I think it's a damn disgrace how someone from Newcastle can say that there own city is so racist. Racism is something that affects all community's from all parts of the UK. Newcastle is a place where all walks of life are welcome, and I do admit there are parts of Newcastle that maybe racism does happen, but all communities have that.

I also would like to mention where was all the other white Geordies it just seemed like it was a one sided discussion.
James

I don't think that the whole of Newcastle is racist as Narinder is saying. I think she is generalising the whole population of the north. Yes, some people are, but allot aren't, she should know about generalising people...
Kjon Henson

I appreciate that everybody has different views and has experienced different situations but it is totally wrong to label Newcastle and the North East as a whole, especially as only a few people had been interviewed.

In any part of the world a person visits there will always be racism to both whites and blacks. Racism in the North East is in the minority yet we all get tarred with the same brush. Racism is absolutely disgusting and morally wrong and should not happen anywhere. But labelling Newcastle as racist is not helping the cause at all.
David

I'm a white man, and I settled in Newcastle 3 years ago after moving up from London. Now there's a racist, hateful and violent city.

But Newcastle racist? On the whole, the answer has to be no. Ignorant to cultural differences? More than likely. Kids learn from parents.

Newcastle is an amazing place. And immigration really is adding to the colour. Long may it continue.
Jeff

I'm white and I moved to Newcastle from the South West 6 years ago.

I have worked here, full time ever since, and I have always been shocked by the level of racism among the people I have come to know and work with. The contrast with pretty much the rest of England, is amazing.

I have family up here; my grandparents are essentially racist and six years of living here has unfortunately soured my once once multicultural outlook; I laugh at 'nigger' jokes, I would never have done that before. If there is one thing that has always sickened me about the city I love, it is the disgusting racism that not only permeates, but sometimes dominates the Geordie social element.

This problem needs to be addressed with the young Geordies right now!
Jamie

I grew up in Darlington, Co. Durham. I went to school there and encountered many racist attacks a young child.

My first day at school I was pushed into one of those prickly bushes by another child, who taunted me with unpleasant names. That was back in the 60's.

Our neighbours were generally pleasant, and liked our family, but there was odd ones who would shout slogans made up just for us black kids. "Nigger, Nigger pull the trigger, bang bang, bang! Eany Meany Miny Mo, Catch the Nigger by the toe, If he squeals let him go, Eany Meany Miny MO". Today they have adapted the saying to say Tigger. There were so much more unpleasantries I could recall.

At our infant school we were the only black family. During senior school their were a few more black children. What I did know was that only a few of the teachers empathised with us. They would quote "sticks and stones can break your bones, but names will never hurt you" as if it was a true fact. All the while I would be thinking, "but I am hurting"!

Things have changed today. I now have two children of my own. People don't say out loud how they are feeling, they show their racism in a much subtler way now. When standing in the school playground, you could see the mothers clasping their children's hands tightly so they don't come over and play with the little black girls.

I decided that I had had enough, and a couple of years ago we moved to a multi-cultured area where people were much more able to accept us for who we are. Human beings - all part of this one big HUMAN RACE.

For myself I believe the quote in the Bible that says, "The man (or woman) that fears God and works righteousness is acceptable to him".

My take on what happened this year in Celebrity BB, is that the three Girls, Jade, Jo were just voicing what a lot of people in this country feel.
Anon