West Midlands

[Big_Tera]

Sikh migrationary patterns are quite different from the Pakistani migrationary patterns.

Observations from Birmingham/West Midlands is that Sikhs for some reason always live in the outskirts/peripheries of Birmingham, particularly in the Satellite towns whereas Pakistanis have always lived in the more innercity areas.

Give credit to Sikhs where it is due, we are quick to progress to wanting to live a 3 bedroom semi with a driveway (formerly nice green lawned garden which we can quickly concrete over), whereas Pakistanis are stuck in their two up, two down terraced houses. In that perspective is that we are more progressive.

What I find interesting is in Birmingham, the premier Asian Shopping area is Soho Road in Handsworth which is has traditionally established by Sikhs, even though Pakistanis in Birmingham outnumber Sikhs about 5 to 1. You would think that it should be in Alum Rock or Sparkhill but it isn't. I am sure that typically in sterotypically Pakistani migrational patterns, the Sikh established area and businesses probably attract them like flies around horse manure and they are opening Halal shops/restaurants like nobodies business there (could be wrong, if someone can confirm if this the case)

In terms of reproducing kids, most Sikhs value standard of living above everything most things. We prefer to have 2-3 children because we can provide a good standard of living, live in nice houses in the suburbs, send our children to good schools. Sikh women have always worked in the UK since our community arrived and therefore it has a major impact on how many children you will have. It is only recently you are seeing Pakistani muslim women working in larger numbers.

Further question, when the expression "no go" area is used, what does that actually mean? Does it mean that a non-muslim goes into a heavily muslim area and they are driven out because they are threatened and intimidated or is it the sight of muslims concentrated in one area puts people off?

I agree with this. They produce alot of kids because of the backwards thinking. ie have loads of kids and then claim benefits.

Not all muslims are like this but alot of them have this mentatlity to sponge of the state while drug dealing on the side and driving taxis on the sly to supplements their incomes.

But we shouldn't be concerned with their activities let the authorities deal with them. We as Sikhs should just concentrate on ourselves.

[luckysingh99]

................Sikhs and Pakistanis have always lived side by side and worked side by side and visted each others houses and festivals since the first ones came to Birmingham in the late 1940s to date. Look at facts and not fiction, people get on very well. Also most Pakistanis are now moving to Hall Green, Hodge Hill, Great Barr and other areas which are nice areas and can be described as having large Pakistani communities.

I beg to differ with you here.......... The sikhs came first in 1940's and there were hardly ever any muslims until much later. There may well have been the odd 1%....but it was mainly punjabi sikhs.

You say they lived happily side by side and make it sound like they chose to live next door to each other ?................Again, I beg differ. .....The sikhs have always moved into any housing areas first and usually safer, cleaner areas that are mostly middle white folk. Whereas Pakistanis have never made this move but they have always had the tendency to follow and move to where sikhs are residing or where sikhs may be a little established.

Let me just give you this in simple terms of what the Real pattern has always been in UK and now beginning in Canada....................

-1)Sikhs make an effort to upgrade conditions a little and move to areas where there is better schooling,....safer streets....less crime.....etc....

Like I say, these movements are usually into predominantly gora family areas.

Sikhs have always done very well into settling in the foreign suburbs and making efforts to blend in the neighborhoods with simple attitudes like being friendly, adopting to neighborhood schemes,....you know just having a simple chat about weather and what, not whilst washing the car or doing the lawn...etc..

Whereas the pakistanis have hardly ever been pioneers into making efforts to blend in alien territories....but instead.......

2).....they always tend to move where the sikhs have already settled.

So basically, Sikhs go and settle into neighborhoods 1st and then 2nd the pakistani muslims follow after a few years.

Also please remember that sikh areas in west london were created by white flight, if sikhs do move to any other areas lets see how long goras stay there.

To a large extent, I would disagree here as well....because as I was saying above about Pakistani muslims following the sikhs........ When their following starts, they start coming in huge numbers and the population increases dramatically !!...............AND this is when the white flight happens.

Most gorey are quite happy to have a few friendly sikhs in the neigbourhood, but when the numbers start going up and other factors come into play like noise, ignorance and the oldies coughing and spitting phlegm in the streets...and just generally the usual desi gandh........then the Real White flight starts to happen !

My family came in the 40's and they have witnessed this same pattern of events throughout the country over the years.