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Let’s Be Honest: The conversation on immigration is neither neat nor simple.
Manage episode 494944925 series 3668816
Let’s Be Honest: The conversation on immigration is neither neat nor simple.
So in this episode, Rachel and Simon wade straight into the mess of history, aspiration, personal fear, good intentions and the fear of getting it wrong which make it so complicated.
Simon unpacks the historical waves of immigration since the War and the reaction which exposes public ambivalence and ingrained biases, caught between welcoming diversity and grappling with the underlying uncertainties which for so many reflects reality in UK workplaces. Born in Australia, Rachel tells how she was compelled every year to show up Britain’s intimidating immigration hub in Croydon, until she could finally become officially British in front of a cardboard cut-out of the Queen. Meanwhile,
The discussion challenges simplistic, binary views on race, identity, and integration. Behind every headline statistic and heated debate are real human stories, the personal experiences of immigrants. Central to the conversation is the crucial role that curiosity and language play in shaping inclusive workplaces.
As Simon explores the changes to Dagenham since his family owned it in the 16th and 17th centuries and the initial peculiarity of some loo signage at Edinburgh University, they confront serious questions: What role does language really play in integration? How do we move past simplistic narratives about race and identity to foster genuine workplace cohesion? Why questions of race may be morally black and white, but practically they are more complicated. And who wore Union Jack shoes at a citizenship ceremony?
The episode invites listeners to view immigration not as a monolithic policy matter but as a multifaceted human challenge requiring thoughtful integration over assimilation, inquiry over offence, and fact-driven conversations over fear-driven narratives.
Expect laughter and a healthy dose of fearless candour as they untangle myths, misconceptions, and the genuine anxieties that shape Britain’s diverse workplaces.
Official immigration stats
NHS staff stats
King’s Fund reports on immigrants and health
Social Attitudes Survey
https://natcen.ac.uk/publications/british-social-attitudes-41-national-identity
Attitudes to race – IPSOS
https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/attitudes-race-and-inequality-great-britain
EVENS (Evidence for Equality National Survey) 2023 (Guardian article)
Tomiwa Owolade critique of the EVENS
Instructing Animosity: How DEI Pedagogy Produces The Hostile Attribution Bias (Rutgers 2024)
https://networkcontagion.us/wp-content/uploads/Instructing-Animosity_11.13.24.pdf
For more about Rachel: Who Is The Fearless Facilitator? - Fearless Facilitator
For more about Simon: Who We Are – Diversity by Design
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