What will I learn about: The frequent questioning of non-white Britons about where they are from reveals a deeply ingrained assumption that whiteness is a prerequisite for authentic British identity?

The frequent questioning of non-white Britons about where they are from reveals a deeply ingrained assumption that whiteness is a prerequisite for authentic British identity.

What will I learn about: The Brexit referendum exposed long-standing social fissures, highlighting a historical xenophobia in the UK that frequently conflates race, religion, and immigration?

The Brexit referendum exposed long-standing social fissures, highlighting a historical xenophobia in the UK that frequently conflates race, religion, and immigration.

What will I learn about: The myth of a post-racial, 'color-blind' Britain is actively harmful because it frames racial identity as an obstacle to be erased rather than a meaningful heritage to be celebrated?

The myth of a post-racial, 'color-blind' Britain is actively harmful because it frames racial identity as an obstacle to be erased rather than a meaningful heritage to be celebrated.

What will I learn about: Eurocentric beauty standards and centuries-old stereotypes regarding hypersexuality and criminality continue to deeply marginalize and psychologically impact Black Britons today?

Eurocentric beauty standards and centuries-old stereotypes regarding hypersexuality and criminality continue to deeply marginalize and psychologically impact Black Britons today.

What will I learn about: By focusing on white abolitionists and downplaying the nation's immense profit from the slave trade, the conventional historical narrative artificially separates Black history from British history?

By focusing on white abolitionists and downplaying the nation's immense profit from the slave trade, the conventional historical narrative artificially separates Black history from British history.

Brit(ish)

On Race, Identity and Belonging

Afua Hirsch

★ 4.4 / 5(47 ratings)

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Society & Culture

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡How does the seemingly innocent question 'Where are you from?' reveal deep-seated, problematic assumptions about race, belonging, and what it truly means to be British?
💡Why does the author argue that the popular claim of being racially 'color blind' is actually a harmful myth rather than a sign of a progressive, post-racial society?
💡In what ways does the conventional British historical narrative surrounding the abolition of the slave trade rely on a 'white savior' complex, and whose vital contributions does it conveniently erase?

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Key Takeaways from Brit(ish)

✓The frequent questioning of non-white Britons about where they are from reveals a deeply ingrained assumption that whiteness is a prerequisite for authentic British identity.
✓The Brexit referendum exposed long-standing social fissures, highlighting a historical xenophobia in the UK that frequently conflates race, religion, and immigration.
✓The myth of a post-racial, 'color-blind' Britain is actively harmful because it frames racial identity as an obstacle to be erased rather than a meaningful heritage to be celebrated.
✓Eurocentric beauty standards and centuries-old stereotypes regarding hypersexuality and criminality continue to deeply marginalize and psychologically impact Black Britons today.
✓By focusing on white abolitionists and downplaying the nation's immense profit from the slave trade, the conventional historical narrative artificially separates Black history from British history.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Brit(ish)

Mind Map

Brit(ish)

The Question of Identity+

History of Xenophobia+

The 'Post-Racial' Myth+

Stereotypes & Alienation+

The Search for Belonging+

Reclaiming British History+

Systemic Inequality & The Exodus+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 9

Why does Afua Hirsch frequently get asked 'Where are you from?' despite her unmistakably British background?

A. She speaks with a noticeable Ghanaian accent.
B. Her brown skin and curly hair make her nationality seem uncertain to many white Britons.
C. She frequently writes about her travels to different countries in her journalism.
D. She publicly identifies as a Ghanaian citizen rather than a British one.

Question 2 of 9

According to the text, what underlying assumption is shared by both xenophobic Leave voters and polite Remain voters who ask Hirsch where she is from?

A. That the UK should close its borders to all future immigration.
B. That the British Empire's history is something to be celebrated without critique.
C. That biracial individuals should be forced to choose one national identity.
D. That being white is a fundamental marker of being British.

Question 3 of 9

How does the book challenge the idea that anti-immigration sentiment in the UK is a strictly modern phenomenon?

A. By citing the 1905 Aliens Act, which was aimed at curbing the immigration of European Jews.
B. By pointing to the 1807 abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.
C. By referencing the mass influx of immigrants from the Caribbean in the 1960s.
D. By detailing the founding of the Sons of Africa in 1787.

Question 4 of 9

Why does the author argue that the concept of racial 'color blindness' is problematic?

A. It prevents the government from collecting accurate census data regarding inequality.
B. It implies that racial identities are undesirable obstacles rather than enriching parts of people's lives.
C. It forces people of color to constantly explain their cultural backgrounds to white people.
D. It encourages advertisers to use models with ethnically indeterminate features.

Question 5 of 9

How do historical justifications for slavery continue to impact Black women today, according to the text?

A. They prevent Black women from legally immigrating to the UK.
B. They result in Black women being entirely excluded from mainstream media and advertising.
C. They perpetuate Western beauty standards and stereotypes that Black women are hypersexual.
D. They force Black women to work exclusively in menial or domestic roles.

Question 6 of 9

What two assumptions do white people often make when they see a person of color like Hirsch in a privileged, predominantly white professional setting?

A. That they are either a foreign diplomat or a diversity hire.
B. That they are either working in a menial role or there for an extraordinary reason.
C. That they are either an immigrant or a tourist.
D. That they are either a famous celebrity or a wealthy business owner.

Question 7 of 9

Why did Hirsch's attempt to find a sense of belonging by moving to Ghana fail?

A. The Ghanaian government refused to recognize her dual citizenship.
B. She realized she preferred the material comforts of her privileged upbringing in Wimbledon.
C. She discovered that her ancestors were actually from a different part of West Africa.
D. She was perceived as white and 'other' by the locals and lacked cultural and linguistic fluency.

Question 8 of 9

What is a major flaw in the conventional British national narrative regarding the transatlantic slave trade?

A. It exaggerates the economic benefits the UK received from slave-grown cotton and sugar.
B. It centers on a white savior narrative of abolition while ignoring Britain's massive role in creating the trade.
C. It falsely claims that the UK was the first European nation to participate in the slave trade.
D. It focuses exclusively on Black abolitionists while ignoring the contributions of white politicians.

Question 9 of 9

How does Hirsch view her own privileged upbringing in relation to the broader issue of racism in the UK?

A. She believes her privilege protected her from experiencing any form of racism.
B. She feels guilty that her experiences invalidate the struggles of working-class Black Britons.
C. She sees her deep sense of unwelcomeness, despite her advantages, as proof of how pervasive British racism is.
D. She argues that class privilege has completely replaced racial inequality in modern Britain.

Brit(ish) — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
21 — Identity Is Complex
32 — Brexit Exposed Divisions in British National Identity
43 — Xenophobia Runs Deep in British Society
54 — Despite Evidence Otherwise, Many Britons See Their Society as Post-Racial
65 — Hirsch’s Childhood Was Shaped by Negative Experiences Around Race
76 — Hirsch’s Childhood Experiences Reveal Broader Racial Issues
87 — White Beauty Standards Harm Women of Color
98 — Black People Face Damaging Sexual Stereotypes
109 — Black People Also Confront Stereotypes About Crime and Professional Marginality
1110 — As an Adult, Hirsch’s Sense of Otherness Remained, Pushing Her Away from and Back to the UK
1211 — Britain’s Role in the Slave Trade Is More Complex Than Often Acknowledged
1312 — Black History Is British History – and the Reverse Is Also True
1413 — Hirsch’s Story Highlights the Problems of Race in Modern Britain
1514 — Final summary

Brit(ish) Summary & Overview

Published in 2018, Brit(ish) is a wide-ranging exploration of the relationships between British national identity, racial identity and immigration. Combining history, journalism, social analysis, cultural commentary and personal memoir, it aims to help jumpstart a long-overdue conversation about the roles that people’s races and origins play in modern British society.

Who Should Listen to Brit(ish)?

Non-British people wanting insight into how race functions in the UK
British people wanting more context for recent debates about immigration
Anyone wanting to better understand the experiences of people of color

About the Author: Afua Hirsch

Afua Hirsch has worked as a barrister, a broadcaster for Sky News and a correspondent for The Guardian. Today, she continues to write for The Guardian as a columnist, and she holds the Wallis Annenberg Chair in Journalism and Communication at the University of Southern California. Brit(ish) is her first book. It was a Sunday Times bestseller and won the Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Prize for Non-Fiction.

Brit(ish)

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to Brit(ish) — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from Brit(ish)

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Brit(ish) — Full Chapter Overview

Brit(ish) Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to Brit(ish)?

About the Author: Afua Hirsch

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