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# Qualified success for British Multiculturalism
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/qualified-success-for-british-multiculturalism/
- Published: 2007-07-30T12:07:53.000Z
- Updated: 2019-02-14T22:36:57.000Z
- Author: openDemocracy Supporters
- Tags: #en, #Migrated, #Import 2026-04-09 18:23

**Jon Bright (London,** [**OK**](http://ourkingdom.opendemocracy.net/?s=wolf&ref=opendemocracy.net)**):** Sunny over at [Pickled Politics ](http://www.pickledpolitics.com/archives/1279?ref=opendemocracy.net)flagged up an interesting poll today on Britishness run by [ICM](http://www.icmresearch.co.uk/reviews/2007/BBC%20Asian%20Network/bbc-young-asians.asp?ref=opendemocracy.net). Standout result is that fact that 59% of British Asians report they 'feel British' (completely or a lot), only 14% less than the figure for Whites (73%).

Raises many more questions than it answers of course - how were the interviewees distributed around England, Wales, Scotland, N. Ireland? What is the trend - is Britishness falling among Whites? Is it rising among 'British Asians'? How is a British Asian defined? And having been subjected to a telephone poll myself (an incredibly aggressive, exhausting experience when questions on an absurd variety of topics are rapid fired over 15 minutes), I'm always a little sceptical of the accuracy of things like this (by the end of mine I was willing to say anything just to get the guy off the phone). But it feels at least like a positive indicator - a suggestion that multiculturalism is compatible with a cohesive single identity. Is this because, as [Peter Facey suggests below](http://ourkingdom.opendemocracy.net/2007/07/22/future-of-the-uk-will-be-shaped-by-identities/?ref=opendemocracy.net), 'British' is by definition a supranational identity, something that has already absorbed (to whatever extent) distinct cultures? To put it another way: if Britishness dissolves under the pressure of devolution, would 59% of Asians living in England call themselves 'English Asians'? Looking forward to the next poll already.