The outsider within

"You're Fired" especially if you are too quiet, and sit in the shadows!

I was watching the Apprentice a few days back.

For those who don’t know, its one of these infamous reality shows, where contestants come together and do various jobs and tasks in the hope of being given a job, an ‘apprenticeship’ as it were with somebody rich and famous. In this case its the rather crass Alan Sugar who interogates and then ‘fires’ one candidate every week.

I don’t religiously follow the show, but every now and again I have watched it as it runs from one season to another.

So why am I talking about it?

Well, this week an Asian chap was fired, the comment being that he was too much in the periphery, and didn’t lead from the front. Alan Sugar needs leaders, fierce dragons, and bulldogs who will religiously fight to do the tasks given. A few weeks back a bearded Muslim guy was fired for the same reason: Being at the periphery, sitting in the background whilst others do the work.

In fact its a recurring theme for most of the Asian candidates from season to season, as they get the famous finger pointed with those dreadful words of “you’re fired”.

Whats going on? Is there racism involved? Are the candidates really awful? Are they really not interactive and fierce enough?

Personally, I agree that the Asian candidates have been guilty of lurking in the background and not leading at the front. From my own experience I know as an Asian kid, I was never graciously welcomed by many of my white counterparts. My opinion was never sought, and neither was I made to feel welcome amongst groups of white kids. Sports were particularly nerve wracking as you were always the last one to be chosen, and then put in goals if playing football!

Teachers were no better. Many were not particularly encouraging, and never gave me any hope for high aspirations or dreams. I don’t consider my experience to be unique, and very likely the Asian candidates on the Apprenctice shared similar problems integrating into British society. As a result, just like them I would often sit back in the periphery, lurking in the shadows, too reserved and needlessly frightened to offer an opinion or viewpoint.

The ill effects of such an environment still persist with me to this day, and as The Apprentice reveals with many others too.

I still believe that subconsciously Asians still feel that they are not as good as their white counterparts who will kick a fuss at the smallest instigation, whilst we grin and bear it. Integration has not been achieved and will take generations to come about. I hope my move to the USA will give my kids more opportunities than they will ever get in the UK.The US is a land of strangers and many of those Asians who opted to go there instead of the UK seem to have done better. They are also much more patriotic to the US than many Asians who live in the UK are to ‘Queen and country’.

The Holy Prophet Muhammed, upon be peace, in his last sermon to over 10,000 companions gave the following advice (paraphrased):

The Arab is not superior to the non Arab, and neither the white over the black, except in regards to piety.

In Allahs sight at least, we will not be judged by the measures borne of human fraility.