Diasporic Comm Week 4

Week four's class discussed the various countries of origin for Britain's Asian population, the political, cultural, and economic forces behind their emigration, the customs and traditions that survived their migration, and the media they have established to retain their cultural identities. Sunrise radio--jokingly referred to by young Asians as 'your parents' radio station'--is one media outlet that the Asian-English community has established. While based in Southall, an area with a large Hindi, Sikh, and Muslim population, the news source covers stories occurring in both Britain and Asia. It also promotes upcoming events geared toward Asians in the UK.

One story that I found interesting was Domino Pizza's decision to serve only halal ingredients (food in accordance with Muslim law, i.e. no pork) in Hall Green, an area in Birmingham with a large Muslim community. This story demonstrates the cultural blend of East and West in the UK. Domino's, a large American food chain, is frequented by Muslims living in Birmingham, who in turn adjust the store's standards to accommodate their cultural and religious beliefs. Though as the story asserts,
"some customers of the Hall Green restaurant say the policy is discriminatory to non-Muslims," I think it's nice that the Muslim community is able to maintain its customs in this capitalistic, global corporation. If non-muslims are really hankering for a pepperoni pizza, I'm sure they can drive two minutes away to find the next Domino's. If not, I guess they'll just have to settle for Pizza Hut.