No Man’s Land

In Anne East’s experience, many British born individuals – especially of nonwhite heritage – are suspended in an identity limbo. Brought up British with no ties to parental culture, yet not fi tting the stereotypical appearance of an ‘ethnic’ Briton. Having neither the ability to claim one culture as their own or be fully accepted by all groups within British society it’s a no-man’s land of cultural loss. For such individuals navigating the system is relatively easy on the one hand – language, customs, social cues and expectations are all ingrained, yet the prejudices faced reinforce the painful disconnect between self-identity and social assumptions. Anne explores this chasm in more detail, how it is to feel one thing and yet be perceived as another. How do people in this limbo feel? Why is culture so important? And how does it feel to experience that cultural no man’s land?