White.

Has anybody been watching the "White" series (i.e. "Is the white working class disappearing?")?  I watched a really good part of the themed series last night dealing with immigration to the UK, primarily from Eastern Europe.

I was amazed at some of the things I saw watching this.  Primarily, the willingness of Polish immigrants to the UK to take up any job, particularly jobs that no British person wants.  One of the stand out jobs was vegetable picking -- 10 hours, starting with leaving the house at 6 and getting home quite late -- on a farm in the countryside.  The majority of the people working on the farm were Polish and Lithuanian, and the manager said that in the past four years, only three Brits had actually come to him seeking work -- and this is a job that is always available and quite prevalent!

The host of the show went outside to a job centre in Peterborough, where there are tonnes of Poles and other Eastern Europeans.  There were quite a few men outside drinking, complaining that the Poles were taking all of their jobs.  I was shocked to hear this exchange:

Host:  Well, I have a job of interest for you.
Man:  Yeah?
Host:  £7 per hour.
Man:  I'm listening.
Host:  Vegetable picking on a farm.  Squash.
Man:  Hell no.  You've got to be kidding me.
Host:  There are tonnes of positions here.  Picking squash.
Man:  Don't all the Czechs, Poles and Slovaks do that?
Host:  Well, because the English don't want to do it.
Man:  No way I'm doing that.  Hell no.

Later, another exchange.

Host:  Why are you here?
Man:  To look for a job.
Host:  Have you had trouble finding a job?
Man:  Yeah, cause the immigrants come here and will work for like fifty p. an hour.
Host:  What types of jobs? 
Man:  All of them.
Host:  I have a job for you.
Man:  Yeah?
Host:  £7 per hour.
Man:  Yeah?
Host:  Squash picking in the countryside.
Man:  *Laughs*.  That's an immigrant job.
Host:  Well, only because the British don't want to do it.
Man:  They'll work for anything.
Host:  It's £7 an hour, you could do it too.
Man:  I ain't doing that.  *Opens a can of beer*

Has anybody else seen this series?  Last week there was an episode focused on Asian immigrants in Bradford and in this episode, as stated, it was primarily focused on Poles and Eastern Europeans in Peterborough.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/white/

I haven't watched any but I keep reading about them in the TV pages. They do sound interesting. I'll have to check if the BBC has put them on their podcast thingy.

Those two men are why people should lose benefits if they turn down two job offers or refuse to attend five interviews without a good reason. And "No, I ain't doing that!" is NOT a good reason.

I haven't watched any but I keep reading about them in the TV pages. They do sound interesting. I'll have to check if the BBC has put them on their podcast thingy.

Same here - I keep seeing adverts but forget to watch when the show's actually on.

I watched the episode last night, the reactions to the job offer by the locals didn't surprise me in the slightest, nor did the fact that the polish were willing to take on these jobs.

I've worked with a lot of poles in recent years and have found them to be nothing short of hard working and loyal.  I always wondered though why they were here, I know that wages are higher here than in Poland but so is the cost of living?  But I didn't realise just how low the wages were, one of the women last night said that she earned £100 a month in Poland, that really shocked me.

I will watch it again, i thought it was really well made.

What annoys me is that those people hanging outside of the job centre (and there are no doubt people like that in every city in Britain) on the dole, not doing anything to get jobs that are readily available are complaining about immigrants "coming over and stealing benefits".  Stealing benefits?  They're working 40+ hours a week and paying their taxes like any lawful worker in the UK.  Unlike some who are standing in front of the job centre thinking that they are above certain types of work.

Honestly, no shame in £7 an hour with that type of work.  Those people should be jumping at the thought of that employment.

I've worked with a lot of poles in recent years and have found them to be nothing short of hard working and loyal.  I always wondered though why they were here, I know that wages are higher here than in Poland but so is the cost of living?  But I didn't realise just how low the wages were, one of the women last night said that she earned £100 a month in Poland, that really shocked me.

I think a lot of them just come for a year or two to save money up to spend back home, like a lot of working holiday makers do.

I liked the documentary last night.  It showed exactly the pathetic misconceptions a lot of elements in British society have about immigrants and I was amazed at how hard some of these people work.  

I especially liked when the people moaned about immigrants mooching off benefits and then they showed examples of the youth of today refusing jobs because it's easier to not work and drink beer on the street with your mates.

I taped it, but will watch it tonight.

When my grandmother needed a home health wokrer during the day my dad, back in the U.S. hired a Latvian or Lithuianian.  She was a doctor back home, but made more money in the U.S. doing home help.

In pretty much every show of this series so far there have been people saying, "We should ban immigration altogether".

I always wonder, where do I fit in?

Nobody knows I'm a "foreigner" until I open my mouth and answer a question or ask one.  I'm just an English girl until I say something, and then I become an American or Canadian or wherever people think I'm from. 

Foreigners all coming over to steal benefits.  International students covered on the NHS.  I've heard people complain about this.  But honestly, I don't feel guilty getting free medication and doctor's appointments.  My uni fees are £9,600 per year, and that is three times what the English student pays.  I suppose 2/3 of that goes towards the privilege of being in the UK, and I honestly think that justifies my use of the NHS, etc.

Whenever I hear statements on the news or on programmes like this about how "all" foreigners are reaping the benefits of the UK system and how immigration should be stopped permanently, I always wonder what these people would consider me to be.  Would I be okay because I speak English and because I'm fair skinned?  Or would I still be trouble because I'm not British born?

I think a lot of them just come for a year or two to save money up to spend back home, like a lot of working holiday makers do.

This is what actually surprised me the most about this program. I was under this impression too, but a number of the immigrants that they spoke to said that they would like to stay in Britain, and that they felt that this was home now. It was also interesting to see the flip side--that there is now a lack of male workers in Poland in some areas, and they are actually now actively trying to encourage Polish emigrants to return.

I thought the program was very well made, and very interesting.

I think the Times had an article last week that the number of outgoing Poles exceeded the number of coming by the end of last year.

A number of them said that they wanted to raise their kids at home.  Meh.  Some will come, some will stay and by the third generation you won't be able to tell them apart from the "natives".

Whenever I hear statements on the news or on programmes like this about how "all" foreigners are reaping the benefits of the UK system and how immigration should be stopped permanently, I always wonder what these people would consider me to be.  Would I be okay because I speak English and because I'm fair skinned?  Or would I still be trouble because I'm not British born?

There's definitely a snobbery against certain types of immigrants.  People who b*tch about immigration around my American husband often say "Oh but I don't mean you, you're ok!".  What does that even mean?  That he's ok because he's white and speaks fluent English?     I'm sure a lot of you guys have experienced that too.

There's definitely a snobbery against certain types of immigrants.  People who b*tch about immigration around my American husband often say "Oh but I don't mean you, you're ok!".  What does that even mean?  That he's ok because he's white and speaks fluent English?     I'm sure a lot of you guys have experienced that too.

Yes that's exactly what they mean.  That and the fact that Americans come from a country that's perceived as more affluent than the UK.

There's definitely a snobbery against certain types of immigrants.  People who b*tch about immigration around my American husband often say "Oh but I don't mean you, you're ok!".  What does that even mean?  That he's ok because he's white and speaks fluent English?     I'm sure a lot of you guys have experienced that too.

Whenever I hear statements on the news or on programmes like this about how "all" foreigners are reaping the benefits of the UK system and how immigration should be stopped permanently, I always wonder what these people would consider me to be.  Would I be okay because I speak English and because I'm fair skinned?  Or would I still be trouble because I'm not British born?

I think that's the crux of the matter, immigration is a cheap way for politicians and news papers to play the race card.  How does the song go 'Everyone's a Little Bit Racist...'

It's a very unfortunate side of human nature that you see all over, from the Swiss 'Black Sheep' to that 'Mexican-Proof-Fence' in the USA.

How often on here do you get a new poster bemoaning how unfair it is that they can't move here when we 'let all the Eastern Europeans flood in?'