Hello~!

I'm with...Tamanna~!

Again~!

We were talking about racism earlier

And we're just going to have this- - If you're scared about talking about racism I think you should turn away.

I've been planning-

Like, it's been on my mind, yeah

I want to make a video about racism in the UK as a British born East Asian.

But erm- - It still exists.

I can talk about racism for like a whole day.

It's something I'm really passionate about

And something Tamanna is really passionate about as well.

So, we thought we would talk about it today.

It's going to be a bit... controversial and a bit sensitive

But it's got to be done because no one likes to talk about it.

Racism in the UK is so subtle

That people are too scared to say anything

But I think - - Which is why we need to talk about it!

But I think the problem is that because it is so subtle

people will think that it doesn't exist.

It does exist!

It definitely does exist!

It exists, but if you say to people, "Oh this has happened to me",

They just think, "Oh...but you're probably being a bit sensitive"

Or you know what I mean?

Or "You're looking into things a bit too much"

But they don't understand that every day occurrences of little things

can really get to people.

I think the problem is the definition of racism itself.

So like, I feel like generally people just think racism is discrimination against a person of a certain race.

(However there are different forms of racism. Racism is more than just explicit racial acts).

I just feel like there are different levels of racism

So you kind of get the "explicit racism"

which is like when someone starts shouting at you on the street,

Calling you names, or like spitting at you, and throwing stuff at you

But I think nowadays it's more systematic (Racism can also be systematic and implicit, which is why racism in the UK can be subtle).

But like as you get older,

So like, when I was younger

I used to get called names, people would spit at me,

People would like tell me to go back to my own country,

And throw stones at me,

Throw eggs at me,

Egg my house, things like that.

That's just disgusting...

But those are normally by young kids

Especially males

Young male kids who are around 10 years old or like 13 years old

But as you get older, so like now we're working, it's a different kind of racism.

And it's very... subtle...

- I don't know how to [word it]. No, it's really systematic

So I think it's really ingrained in our society

That people are treated in a certain way

Or like they'll have an unconscious bias about someone because of race/ethnicity, whatever you'd like to call it.

But it's...

It's hard to describe...

Because they have policies and they talk about "equality" and all that jazz

If you say, "Oh, I think I'm being discriminated against because of my race"

People are like, "No, you're not!"

Because there's HR and equality policies

And there's this and that

And it's all just...

Nonsense.

It's hard to talk about

I feel like when you're younger you get that explicit racism where people are calling you names, things like that.

But now I'm older and at work, it's more like an ignorance thing?

Like they're not aware about your culture, your background...

And how...

*not good at explaining lol*

And how...it affects you? I don't know how to word it.

It is massively ignorance because they will say something

That is offensive

Like you'd get offended by it

But they'd have no idea what they're saying

For me-

Like, we're both Asian but we're different kinds of Asian

We're different kinds of Asian

But in the UK

Asian is her Asian. Brown Asian.

My Asian they call us "Oriental"

They don't call us "Asian"

Wow, you're like a dish

We're a f***ing dish

Yeah literally you are! -I'm an exotic dish!

You're Oriental! Like what?

The thing is, right

I always used to use the word "Oriental"

Like me and my friends, my fellow Yellow friends

We always used the word "Oriental"

Just because it differentiated us between each other (South Asian vs. East Asian).

And it makes it easier for other people

I like to say "East Asian"

That's what I [prefer to say too]

But everyone used to say Oriental (and many people now still say Oriental)

Even I used to say Oriental

But like the last few years (~5 years ago) I've just found it a bit offensive

I just prefer to use the word "East Asian"

Don't call us Oriental. Please!

It's more geographic. It makes sense!

Because you're talking about geographic location, right?

Yeah! - You say east!

But like when I was in school - - I'm South Asian. [East Asia] is people who are from China, Japan, Vietnam wherever

Etcetera! Exactly!

And like, when I was at school, I was like, "Yeah I'm Asian!"

And they'd be like, "No, you're not Asian!"

Yeah!

Like, "Excuse me?"

Like you're trying to define me? - Excuse me?

Like I don't know my own identity?

I guess people don't know my ethnicity as well on YouTube

But like, everyone's been asking about it...

Which I don't really understand why it's such an issue

I'm Pakistani! My name is Rezwana Khan! (private joke lol)

Come on!

Like I get soooo many questions of people going, "Where are you from?"

"Where are you really from?"

"Where are you really really REALLY from?"

or "Where are you ORIGINALLY from?"

OMG! This is going to get me mad

Because I get asked this

ALL.

THE.

TIME.

Where are you from then?

*sigh*

I'm from UK!

I'm from the UK!

But~! - Were you born in the UK?

(sarcastic) WELL NAHHHHHHH!

No!

I'm from the UK

But if someone asks me though

"Where are you from?"

My natural answer is, "I'm from the UK."

Because this was where I was born, this was where I was raised. That's where I'm from!

And then they'd be like, "Oh no, but like, where are you REALLY from?"

And I'm just like, "...London?"

And they're like, "No, but like where are you like really REALLY from?"

And I'm just like, "...London?!

And they're like, "No, but you know, where are you like ORIGINALLY from? Like where are your parents from?"

And I'm just like, "Yeah...That's the question you wanted to ask!"

That was the question!

That's the question you wanted to ask!

But you know what, the other day I was asked...

So this woman came from America- bless her, she seemed really sweet.

And I was with one of my friends, so my friend is Black Caribbean basically

So we're there getting breakfast and she says, "Oh, where are you guys from?"

And we just looked at each other like, "Sorry, what do you mean?"

Which one do you mean- Do you mean this one or do you mean THIS one?

There are so many ways of answering that question.

Like I don't know which one you want to know but bless her.

"Where are you originally-" like don't ask that question!

Just go-

If you want to know, you go, "What is your ethnicity?"

There we go!

But I feel like that's a bit of a [personal question]. (I personally dislike being asked my ethnicity by strangers because I think it's irrelevant).

I don't mind if somebody asks my ethnicity and they knew-

Like if you're going to ask-

Yeah, if you're going to ask that question, you say, "What is your ethnicity?"

You don't say "Where are you really from?"

If you're going to ask me what my ethnicity is and I say Bangladesh

And you're like- Bangladesh?

Bengali!

Bangladesh!? I seriously need to school myself haha

If I said Bengali, and that means nothing to you, why are you asking?!

Like if you know about like the differences between Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and Indian people

It just becomes a thing. (It just becomes a label. People are only "curious" so that they can categorise you).

Oh! And the answer to the question is that...

My Dad is from Hong Kong

And my Mum is from Vietnam

But technically we're ethnically Chinese

But it's very very confusing (to me at least lol) so...

There you go

THERE YOU GO! The answer is out! OK, you can go now!

Someone was SO curious that they even PM'd me on Instagram!

Just to ask me where am I "really" from!

Like that's crazy!

Why would you do that!?

What about this person? What ethnicity were they?

I don't really care, they were Asian of some kind.

It's always the other Asians!

They always feel the need to know what you are, what you do, what everything.

My kind of Asians do that as well actually

It's such an Asian thing to do. - It's an Asian thing

It's just because they want to know whether you know-

Like OK, now you know,

Now you know, what is this piece of information going to do for you?

Change their lives! - Does it make you like me less?

Or like me? Does it really matter!? Like seriously!

They might be related to you

People were like debating where I'm from

I'm not Korean by the way. I just can speak Korean (kinda). That's all.

Everyone was just like...

OMG

Now they know...

Now you know, can you shut up now!?

No more DM's on your Instagram!

Don't DM me asking me!

That's so...

RUDE!

They were like, "Hi, can I ask you a question?"

I was like, "OK...Depends what it is."

And he was like, "I'm just wondering like where are you like really from? Because you're not British, right?"

Right?

And I was just like, "Er...excuse me?"

Wow...they didn't even let you answer the question!

Excuse me?

Like they just asked you a question and they just assumed

I know! I know! But it's like why would you PM someone

Just to ask them where they are "really" from?

That is so rude!

I'm sorry, if you're watching this, that was so rude! Don't do that!

You can't even define it sometimes, do you know what I mean?

There are people who-

Some of my friends they...this is a weird one

So they're ethnically Indian, but their parents then migrated to Tanzania

Yeah yeah yeah yeah!

But they now live in the UK, like born and raised in the UK

But what are they ethnically then? Like how do they class themselves?

Yeah, because it's like part of your identity! - Because they're both!

So like my mum is from Vietnam, and my Dad is from Hong Kong

And I grew up hearing like 4 different languages

Because my Mum speaks Vietnamese, Cantonese-

We speak Cantonese at home

But like Cantonese is my Mum's 5th language or something

How many languages does your Mum speak?

My Mum speaks- Wait...

5?

Wait- my Mum speaks...*counts again*

Are you sure?

LOL WAIT

She speaks Cantonese

She speaks Vietnamese

She speaks her own Chinese dialect (Teochew/Diojiu)

It's like a rare dialect

And then...

She speaks English

And then... she kind of speaks Mandarin as well.

Oh, by the way!

Mandarin and Korean are just two languages that I learnt myself.

The language I speak at home is Cantonese.

There you go~

Because people were like asking, "Are you Taiwanese or something?"

And I'm like, "No..."

And people were asking, "Are you half White?"

And I'm like, "No...do I look like I'm half White?"

Like seriously...lol