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In my view, categories which reflect some sort of ‘identity’ are needed for specific purposes and we should only use them if the purpose is a good one (for example to plan services that are non-discriminatory and sensitive to needs);  then the categories should be geared for the purpose. Please not labels for the sake of it – it just confuses identity!  The comment I made earlier was that refugees and asylum seekers are included – or should be – within the current categories in the over-arching term BME. The tendency to exclude refugees and asylum seekers from the BME category (often by people who claim to be in BME) thereby depriving them sometimes of services for BME people may well be an indication of discriminatory attitudes (a ‘us and them’ attitude - sort of racism). However, there may be a case for considering refugees and asylum seekers in a separate category (at least until they become settled) since they seem to suffer discrimination / disadvantage over and above that suffered by other ‘settled’ BME people.  Incidentally, in many countries of mainland Europe ‘migrants’ seem to include a wide range of people even people whose parents – sometimes grandparents - were born in Europe, not just recent migrants.

 

Suman

 

Suman Fernando
<http://www.sumanfernando.com>

Hon. Senior Lecturer in Mental Health
European Centre for Migration & Social Care (MASC)
University of Kent at Canterbury, Kent CT2 7LZ
Visiting Professor in the Department of Applied Social Sciences
London Metropolitan University

From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the UK [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sanyal Neil
Sent: 27 January 2009 12:15
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: probably us.......RE: A Friday afternoon question! on BME definition

 

How about "BAMERAS" - Black and minority ethnic Refugee and Asylum Seekers! We could go on for ever couldn't we? Someone has made the point, probably Suman Fernando, in the last few days on this forum that labels are not always a good thing. The trouble is that many of us like to use them!!

Neil

 

From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the UK on behalf of Sarah Toule
Sent: Fri 23/01/2009 16:53
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: probably us.......RE: A Friday afternoon question! on BME definition

This is interesting. Many organisations involved with BME (or BAME!) groups also work with Refugee and Asylum groups, so I’m wondering where the R comes in? i.e. BMER.

 

Sarah Toule

Cancer Equality & The Prostate Cancer Charity

 

 

From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the UK [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jane Fountain
Sent: 23 January 2009 16:06
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: probably us.......RE: A Friday afternoon question! on BME definition

 

Probably from us - the Centre for Ethnicity and Health (now part of the International School for Communities, Rights and Inclusion) , University of Central Lancashire - and you remembered it very well!  I HATE the abbreviation!

 

Our intros to reports etc always had the following:

 

The authors are very conscious that various terms are used to refer to the many diverse communities in the UK.  We prefer ‘Black and minority ethnic groups / communities.’  This reflects that our concern is not only with those for whom 'Black' is a political term, denoting those who identify around a basis of skin colour distinction or who may face discrimination because of this or their culture:   'Black and minority ethnic' also acknowledges the diversity that exists within these communities, and includes a wider range of those who may not consider their identity to be ‘Black,’ but who nevertheless constitute a distinct ethnic group.

 

 

 

Jane Fountain

Professor of Substance Use Research

International School for Communities, Rights and Inclusion (ISCRI)

University of Central Lancashire

Preston PR1 2HE

UK

 

tel:  +44 (0)1772 892 780

 

From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the UK [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Claire Randolph
Sent: 23 January 2009 15:46
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: A Friday afternoon question! on BME definition

 

Hello

 

Can anyone help please I asked recently whether we should use BME or BAME and the consensus was BME.

 

I now have a further request. I remember reading ages ago that when writing BME in full I should write it as Black and minority ethnic communities, with the Black having a capital B to represent all the various communities who identify as being Black. I now can’t find where I got that from. Does anyone have a written/published definition written anywhere so I can share it with my communications team.

 

Thanks

 

Claire

 

Claire Randolph, Community Development and Volunteering Manager
Asthma UK, Summit House, 70 Wilson Street, London EC2A 2DB
T 020 7786 4922  F 020 7256 6075 
[log in to unmask]
 
Visit our website at http://www.asthma.org.uk
Ask an asthma nurse specialist at http://www.asthma.org.uk/adviceline 

 



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