Myths and misrepresentation
Shifting the Lens
“Preconceptions can be quite harmful, when people place certain labels on you.”
Hollie, Juproop, Paula and Tiffany discuss their experiences of stereotypes and microaggressions, and why authentic representation is so important as part of this year’s Shifting the Lens series.
“I have had interactions with people where I feel they have made assumptions about my identity, without knowing anything about me”
Stereotyping, racial bias, and discrimination are sadly still experienced by many people across the UK. These attitudes and behaviours can often have a profound effect on people’s lives.
Hollie
Undergraduate, Department of Life Sciences
My hometown in the West Midlands is small and very White. At primary school, I was one of just two Mixed heritage kids. When I went to secondary school, it was better, but I was still used to being the only person that looked like me in a room and because of that, you obviously stand out. When my hair’s out, it's pretty big and so I’d get a lot of people touching it. I know they don't mean it, and it’s because they haven’t grown up around people like me. I also had plenty of more ‘subtle’ comments growing up, like when people would say “I’m so tanned, I’m the same colour as you”.
If you’re talking stereotypes, I do get some classic ones. Being Jamaican, I get a lot of “you must smoke so much weed” and “you must be a Rastafarian”. People don’t necessarily mean them in a harmful way: a lot of the time they’re just perpetuating what they've watched on TV or they've seen in the media. But I know that these small comments can grow. You hope that when it does, you feel safe to call them out and that the person will learn and perhaps next time they’ll point it out to someone else, and so on. I know it can be scary and sometimes not the right environment, but you hope that gradually it will make a difference.
Another question I get asked a lot is what kind of Mixed heritage I am. They assume that your dad is ‘the Black one’. It’s that automatic idea – never a question, always a statement.
Juproop
Undergraduate, Department of Chemical Engineering
Being Punjabi and being Sikh is two different things. Punjab is a region in North India, so it does not mean you have to follow a specific religion. There are Punjabi Hindus, Muslims and Christians, but because the most prominent Punjabis out there are Sikh, everyone automatically associates the two of them, but that’s not always the case.
Sometimes I have been mistaken for being Muslim. I can see where it comes from because I know in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, men also wear turbans. But they wear a different style of turban and the majority of the community from those countries is Muslim. In the early 2000s, after 9/11, there were many, many cases in the US where Sikhs were mistakenly identified as Muslim and they were attacked due to Islamophobia. Thankfully, we have moved on from that, but I think it’s important to shed more light on what wearing a turban is about and why a Sikh wears a turban.
Paula
Teaching Fellow, Faculty of Medicine
Colombia and Latin America have some negative stereotypes associated with them, many related to historic events. It’s sad that people have those associations, but I have to be honest and recognise that those historic events are remarkably important in the history of the country. There’s a history of drug cartels and violence that is very real, and the pain of those events still exists today. These stereotypes have been expressed several times in films and for a long time, people wouldn’t travel to Colombia.
I have seen that begin to change with people recognising and appreciating the positive elements of our culture – the coffee, the beaches, the parties and dancing. What I try to explain to people is that overall, the people who were involved in violence are a tiny percentage of the population.
It’s good to talk to people who are from different places to find out more about their home country. I’ve had this experience myself when travelling. Something special about Imperial is that because it’s so diverse, people can engage with other cultures without having to travel to another country.
Tiffany
Senior Teaching Fellow in Educational Development, Centre for Higher Education Research and Scholarship
One myth about people from Asian cultures is that people can be quite reserved and shy and don’t speak up. Obviously everyone has different personalities and behaviours, so sometimes those preconceptions can be quite harmful, when people place certain labels on you. Asian culture is very broad, and upbringing and family background shape individuals in so many different ways. Myths and preconceptions can be quite dangerous – I have had interactions with people where I feel they have made assumptions about my identity, without knowing much about me.
“If we don’t use language appropriately and we’re not mindful of what we say, then people get hurt”
Microaggressions can be subtle, invisible and insidious and are often targeted towards underrepresented groups. As with stereotypes, these intentional, and often unintentional, comments and actions have a negative impact on others.
Tiffany
Microaggression happens pretty often, particularly when people are not careful about the way they use language. Language can be quite powerful and if we don’t use language appropriately and we’re not mindful of what we say, then people get hurt. A lot of the time people aren’t conscious of that.
I led a project called SIDUS – Supporting the Identity Development of Underrepresented Students. It was an educational research project that aimed to enhance diversity and inclusion, supporting students and the community to foster a diverse learning environment for all.
One of the key themes that emerged from the project was students’ encounters with microaggression. Some gave examples where they were asked questions such as “Where are you from?” and followed by “Where are you really from?”’ The persistent probing gave the impression of disapproval towards their initial response, as if there was a predetermined answer they are expecting to hear.
Juproop
In Sixth Form, I was one of only two turban-wearing Sikh Punjabi boys. One negative experience I had was a substitute teacher saying my name wrong, twice. This was after they correctly said my name whilst doing the register. First, they called me Jagdeep and then they called me Gurvinder. I challenged the teacher and said, “You said my name right the first time. My name is not Gurvinder, it is Juproop”. He apologised, but I don’t know if he was trying to be funny. There is a stereotype that everyone wearing a turban are all related and we are all just one person.
That has been my only negative experience throughout my life and it came quite late. I would say I was quite shielded from that and I think that comes down to the British values of being accepting. I am free to express who I am and not face persecution or outward racism about who I am, what I am wearing and what my choices are. Generally speaking, I’ve found people are very accepting and they are very open to learning. When I started university, I met a student who had grown up outside of London and they had not met a turban-wearing Sikh person before. They were really curious and it was my opportunity to educate. I have a unique platform in that I can educate others about my culture and my identity and hopefully, spread a bit more awareness about being Punjabi and Sikh.
Hollie
At Imperial, I think I’ve had more instances where problematic comments are made about class than ethnicity. Imperial is so multicultural, so I think everyone's used to meeting people from different backgrounds and ethnicities, but I think a large proportion of imperial is still privately educated. There have been instances where a British person didn’t know what free school meals were, and other times where people haven’t understood why others would need an Imperial Bursary or financial support.
Not everyone will feel this in the same way I do, but class feels like a bigger issue than race to me. It’s also intersectional, so my experience is shaped by my identity as a working class Mixed heritage woman. I find that comments with racial or misogynistic undertones are much more likely to be called out than class-based comments. I think that’s because there are lots of conversations happening in society, and gender and ethnicity are things many people have been taught about from a young age. Comments on class just aren’t challenged in the same way.
“Authentic representation is listening seriously to people’s voices and taking action.”
For staff and students, seeing themselves represented in an organisation or within society more broadly, can help with a sense of being and belonging; but ensuring that representation is truly authentic is key.
Juproop
Talking of authentic representation in the world of music, Diljit Dosanjh recently performed at Coachella and became the first turban-wearing Punjabi person to perform at the festival. He was also dressed in a traditional authentic Punjabi outfit. Diljit was not sought out to perform at Coachella as part of a tick box exercise, but because his audience is large enough to take him to Coachella.
I first started listening to Diljit because my mum used to listen to him a lot when I was younger. Back then, he used to do traditional Punjabi music and he would sing about very traditional kind of topics. Over the lockdown, I started listening to BBC Asian Network, which celebrates British Asian culture and music. I love that they exist! I recognised Diljit because he is also a famous Punjabi actor. I would say he is a role model for me – his music and acting kind of spearheaded the way I interpreted my culture. Because I thought, “if he can do it, then so can I”.
Tiffany
Authentic representation is not a tick box exercise. A lot of statistics focus on the proportionate presence of people from different backgrounds. It is good to bring people of different backgrounds to the community, but it’s not enough. Authentic representation is about listening seriously to those people’s voices and taking action. It’s about seeing changes in how people treat others and how we deal with inappropriate behaviour. It would often mean talking about things that make us uncomfortable. As they’re uncomfortable, it’s even more important to talk about them because if we don’t, nothing will happen.
Authentic representation is important to me and I’m willing to share what I think about certain issues, but on the other hand I get these opportunities to speak because I’m from a minoritised background. I have participated in other interviews and sometimes I just wonder – do people want to speak to me because of my cultural background or because I’m part of an underrepresented group? Are people really interested in the things I do or do they just need my face? I hope that the things I share can make a real impact on our Imperial community, and it might empower and inspire people – not just people from underrepresented backgrounds.
Paula
I believe that people and society should be continually looking for ways to make things better though I don’t think we’ll ever get to a point where we can say things are perfect. There are, however, always opportunities for learning and growth.
What I’m afraid of is when good intentions become a box-ticking exercise and actions become more about meeting targets than doing something because you’re thinking about the importance of diversity and culture. We should all continue to support any policy that includes diversity as an important part of the agenda, but without forgetting why it’s important.
Hear Juproop, Hollie, Paula and Tiffany talk more about myths and misrepresentation.
Photography by Jason Alden.
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