SomaliNet Forums

Is racism in the UK alive and well, or is it exxagerated victim hood mentality?

https://youtu.be/Y7p92CBo7xA

It's best to not invalidate the lived experiences of other people. They are entitled to how they feel.

My opinion -

When people hear about a disparity in achievement or opportunities among a segment of the population because they belong to a certain social location, gender, ethnicity and/or race, they might feel demoralized. They could choose to resign themselves to inaction (victimhood mentality) or do something radically different to change their circumstances (growth mindset). Opportunities exist even for the disadvantaged. Why not galvanize their collective efforts and create an organization dedicated to increasing workplace diversity, or better yet form a startup. I wonder if there are any government grants in the UK that encourage the hiring of ethnic minorities, whilst providing young professionals with remuneration while allowing them to gain much-needed work experience. This could help to reduce the unemployment gap. They should also explore opportunities in business/commerce. I would also ask them to consider degrees that are higher in demand i.e. computer science. And in this day and age we, have access to so many online tools where people don't need to go back to school by learning to code. And if life in the UK is hard, consider going elsewhere. There is no use staying in a place that makes you feel stifled.

Let me leave you with this. If the shoe doesn't fit, stop trying to mold yourself to the shoe. Get a new pair.

I have dozens of relatives in the UK, and practically every single girl that went to school, is an A+ student,
and all of them are either entering uni or finishing.

The boys however are 50/50 about half did not do so well..
im one of those that did ok, i was always a B student, got more C's than A's.


i think its upbringing, parents tend to have a hands off approach to boys, while somali girls get the asian tiger mom treatment,

gurey25 wrote:I have dozens of relatives in the UK, and practically every single girl that went to school, is an A+ student,
and all of them are either entering uni or finishing.

The boys however are 50/50 about half did not do so well..
im one of those that did ok, i was always a B student, got more C's than A's.


i think its upbringing, parents tend to have a hands off approach to boys, while somali girls get the asian tiger mom treatment,

I don't thin its the tiger mom syndrome. I think girls tend to be less free than boys in the community. A girl stays home, is always among spies watching her every move. Sometimes Schooling is an escape of boring housing sitting. boys have all the fun, why would they force themselves In tedious hard work?

Makes sense, but an escape from tedium will not mean A+ marks,
that takes dedication.

Sophisticate wrote:It's best to not invalidate the lived experiences of other people. They are entitled to how they feel.

I agree. Hence the question mark in the title. But personally i'm conflicted on whether this is victim-hood mentality or truth... in truth it's probably a bit of both.

Sophisticate wrote:My opinion -

Sophisticate wrote:Opportunities exist even for the disadvantaged. Why not galvanize their collective efforts and create an organization dedicated to increasing workplace diversity, or better yet form a startup. I wonder if there are any government grants in the UK that encourage the hiring of ethnic minorities, whilst providing young professionals with remuneration while allowing them to gain much-needed work experience. This could help to reduce the unemployment gap. They should also explore opportunities in business/commerce. I would also ask them to consider degrees that are higher in demand i.e. computer science. And in this day and age we, have access to so many online tools where people don't need to go back to school by learning to code. And if life in the UK is hard, consider going elsewhere. There is no use staying in a place that makes you feel stifled.

Couldn't agree more. I would add a few things. I think it is easy to blame recruiters, but applicants should consider that maybe they just weren't the best applicant. They also ought to get into the habit of asking for feedback. They should take the time to consider how they can improve future job applications. Opportunities for discrimination have been almost removed from application processes - at least in the UK. Application forms are anonymised; names, ethnicity, religion, age, address details are removed; sometimes even university/college details are removed. At the application stage, people are usually only considered on their experience, their qualifications and their words.

Speaking from personal experience i would say that recruiters get more 'crap' applications than 'good' applications. A lot of people cannot be bothered to jump through the basic administrative hoops and hurdles i.e. fill out the application form in full, provide additional information if requested, prepare for the interview, research the company etc. For every good application, there are usually about 5 crap applications. Out of 40 applicants there might only be 1 or 2 appoint-able people that are qualified, experienced and that performed well in their interview.

Applicants should therefore ask themselves some reflective questions, such as: do i have the right level of work experience? Do I have the required qualifications? Can I work my way up the career ladder in this industry? Do i need to gain additional work experience? Am I preparing for interviews as best as I can? Have i researched the company? Should I consider trainee positions? Should I apply to smaller firms? Do I need to be geographically mobile? Should I seek help with my applications/CV? How am i coming across in interviews?

I would urge people not to get too disheartened, for where there is a well there is a way.

Ofcourse institutional racism exists, from school to higher education level to the work place! You have to have a lot of self-belief and parents/family support to make it within this system. Don't let them win and never give up. I have had clear instances of disencouragement from white mentors in school doubting my success, overtly discriminatory interviewers/employers and met just plain stupid people along the way.Today I want to tell them: look at me now! Twirl on them haters