Why do English born and bred "Indians" support India?

[NMH]

Heritage is still a strong contact with a region - especially for peoples who may have a whole family heritage rooted in it.

In the US, many blacks have such disdain for the way their history through slavery came about - and 'African American' is a racial term they embrace. Facts like they probably wouldn't be free or even still in existence if they weren't part of a people wrested from that continent seem to escape many of them, but hey ho. They have names after US presidents, i.e. Leroy Washington, or African styled forenames like 'Akesha'. I have a friend whose family are from Benin, named 'Benin' - so his parents obviously wanted to enforce the link with the place.

Then there's Rod Stewart - who claimed his negro soul is wrapped in tartan, ever since he was a cockney.

My family name and heritage is rooted in jockland, and because of that I have an interest in the family origins.
On another side it's cockernee, so there's another origin that I find fascinating
However when it comes tae fitba, there's nae middle ground - and despite early days of wanting the Scots to do well in tournaments, I couldn't help noticing that they don't share any such regard, and go the other way in many cases to support our opposition.
So, it's England and nothing else. I might want the country I'm living in to fare well in sports, but not if it's against England.

For the Indians and some other migrant races, they can be alienated by the people of the country they are living in - so there's even more reason to lean towards supporting the activities of their country of origin.

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

This old chestnut …
*
When I left the forces I went to Uni in Coventry, as you would aspect loads of Asian students, which was a 50/50 split between Indian and Pakistani extraction. I raised this with a couple of the lads that I got on well with. Answer from both was ‘ I could drape myself in the flag of St George, speak impeccable English, know more about English cricket than anyone else in the crowd … but it would still only take five minutes for someone to call me a Paki bastard.
Says it all really.
*
I went to Euro ’96 for England/Spain game. Three Asian lads done out in Flag of St George etc give it there best only for some twat behind them saying we don’t supporting England. Fortunately the day was saved by a rather large chap, who set the twat straight, interestingly the rather large chap wouldn’t have looked out of place at a BNP march.

 

[sten_super]

Show me EXACTLY where i've tried to paint a picture of snarling anti british fervour , seriously , i'll be amazed if you can, as for why they support the england football team , perhaps because there isn't an Indian one to my knowledge ? I havent tried to suggest an anti british angle at all, but i've never met anyone from an indian background who DOESNT support them at cricket.

I must confess to having overstated the case somewhat, but you did compare the situation to the ruddy Balkans, which I think shows a bit of a lack of perspective!

Then you'd be wrong, it turns a country into nothing more than a vast transit shed with little common ground or shared history, if this weakness disguised as tolerance continues then there is a lot of trouble in store for future generations of this country , just look at the balkans.

 

[beorhthelm]

You support the national team of the country you most identify with, simple , nowhere near the same as support for a club side.

theres no rule that says you have to select the place of your birth when identifiying your sporting interests. there is virtually no cricket in ordinary schools yet at home dad, unlce and grandad will all be rooting for india/pakistan. so which do you think they are going to pick, their fathers team or some other team that no they have contact with (teachers, other kids at school) are bothered about. really the question should be why do English born and bred asians support cricket at all. again, same answer.

i know what your trying to portray, but i know many asians who see themselves as English/British and only in cricket is there any change from this. a bit like many who have Catholic backgrounds tend to "support" Celtic as a second team.

 

[Pavilionaire]

The position is further complicated by the fact almost half of the England side are Boks.

 

[alan partridge]

I was at Lords with a couple of friends were are exactly as you say, born and bred English, but from Indian heritage, and they couldn't exactly put their finger on why they do it, but it seemed to come down to the passion for the sport. They were brought up being told about the great Indian players, while the English influence was far more football. One of them did actually say that he would support England against India in football, but not in cricket.

A simple answer that makes a lot of sense.

I can't stand Rugby. I couldn't give a shit if it's England playing. I don't care if they win or lose.

A lot of people seem to think there should be some kind of law about who you support. I'm half Spanish and often get the 'well you've got to chose haven't you?'....'oh your Spanish today are you?' etc. f*** off I have to choose. I support both teams in Football. Head to head I support England. It's really very simple, but a lot of people, even friends of mine don't seem to be able to 'understand' it. I find that pathetic. I recently had a row with a mate who suggested to me I didn't know where I came from. He's made comments in the past about football and stuff, I've let it pass assuming he's only winding me up but I didn't let that one go.

Cricket, haven't got a clue, sorry, carry on

 

[User removed 4]

I must confess to having overstated the case somewhat, but you did compare the situation to the ruddy Balkans, which I think shows a bit of a lack of perspective!

I think that in future generations we will be storing up a balkan style conflict if this issue isnt nailed! try going to australia and supporting england despite being born and brought up there , despite what what many on here may want to think , in general, immigrants wherever they may hail from, are HERE because it's better then THERE, multiculturalism has a lot to answer for when it comes to social cohesion.

 

[goldstone]

This old chestnut …
*
I could drape myself in the flag of St George, speak impeccable English, know more about English cricket than anyone else in the crowd … but it would still only take five minutes for someone to call me a Paki bastard.
Says it all really.
*

There is a simple solution. Go back to wherever you or your parents came from.

If the tables were turned and I was living in India (or similar) and I was racially abused I know exactly what I would do pretty sharpish ... go home.

 

[User removed 4]

There is a simple solution. Go back to wherever you or your parents came from.

If the tables were turned and I was living in India (or similar) and I was racially abused I know exactly what I would do pretty sharpish ... go home.

That aint going to happen, like I said , the overwhelming majority of them ARE home, they just need to start realising it.

 

[Peterrhodes]

For the same reason lots of brits support brazil. They are better than us or historically have been.

 

[alan partridge]

There is a simple solution. Go back to wherever you or your parents came from.

why on earth should you go 'back' to wherever your parents came from because some knuckle scraper abuses you?

and why do we have to be left with the thugs?!

 

[NMH]

theres no rule that says you have to select the place of your birth when identifiying your sporting interests. there is virtually no cricket in ordinary schools yet at home dad, unlce and grandad will all be rooting for india/pakistan. so which do you think they are going to pick, their fathers team or some other team that no they have contact with (teachers, other kids at school) are bothered about. really the question should be why do English born and bred asians support cricket at all. again, same answer.

i know what your trying to portray, but i know many asians who see themselves as English/British and only in cricket is there any change from this. a bit like many who have Catholic backgrounds tend to "support" Celtic as a second team.

I could see your point up until the last sentence - whereupon you make a statement far removed from any relation to the preceding!

Supporting Celtic because a person is Catholic, is so vicarious and yet only associated with sectarianism - not heritage, social groups, or basically any well-founded reasoning. Same as the need to 'hate' Protestants through sport. Religion has nothing to do with sports, except by a idiotic choice - which just has such a tenuous relation to patriotism.

 

[User removed 4]

For the same reason lots of brits support brazil. They are better than us or historically have been.

Possibly the laziest, most ill thought out post in christendom !!

 

[Brovion]

Then you'd be wrong, it turns a country into nothing more than a vast transit shed with little common ground or shared history, if this weakness disguised as tolerance continues then there is a lot of trouble in store for future generations of this country , just look at the balkans.

I can actually see where you're coming from with this. Is England/Britain a multicultural nation? Or simply a multi-national economic region with no common threads to bind us all together? I would maintain that it is the former, but I accept it can't happen without a bit of effort from both 'the locals' and 'the newbies'.

That said I don't think the fact that 2nd or 3rd generation Indians support India at cricket as opposed to England is a definite sign that we're on the slippery road to 'Balkans Britain'. There are far more serious racial and cultural divisions than two groups of people sitting together in the heart of the British Establishment swapping banter as they watch a cricket match.

 

[Hotchilidog]

That aint going to happen, like I said , the overwhelming majority of them ARE home, they just need to start realising it.

They need to start realising it or WHAT?

Pretty offensive stuff there Bushy think before you post.

 

[seagull_special]

I would always encourage my son to support England even though he lives in the UAE, I am sure many UK born Indians and Pakistanis love this country but support the team of their fathers and grandfathers.

 

[User removed 4]

They need to start realising it or WHAT?

Pretty offensive stuff there Bushy think before you post.

Offensive in your head,thats all, there was actually nothing implied there, i get the impression you WANT to be offended, but come tio think of it , they need to start realising it for reasons i outlined earlier, there is a whole load of trouble being stored up for future generations if this issue isnt sorted, perhaps YOU should think before YOU post instead of trotting out the hackneyed party line about being offended as soon as the truth starts to become a little painful.

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

There is a simple solution. Go back to wherever you or your parents came from.

If the tables were turned and I was living in India (or similar) and I was racially abused I know exactly what I would do pretty sharpish ... go home.

Whoosh .....

 

[Ex-Staffs Gull]

Plenty of second generation English in Australia supported England in the ashes!.

 

[HovaGirl]

There is a simple solution. Go back to wherever you or your parents came from.

If the tables were turned and I was living in India (or similar) and I was racially abused I know exactly what I would do pretty sharpish ... go home.

I lived in Scotland as a child and suffered some anti-Jock abuse when I first arrived in England, until I ironed out my accent. I couldn't go home without my parents, because I was only 8. My father had escaped from Eastern Europe during the war and he also suffered racial abuse in Scotland and England. He couldn't go home, either, because my mother was English and his children were Scottish, and none of us could live as homeless people under Communism. His father had been killed and his mother lived with her new husband and her two married children, so there was certainly no room for us.

Demanding people go "home" to their country of origin is nigh-on impossible once they have set up roots and established a family and career or job.