[MONA]

Hello everyone,

I am happy that someone decided to comment the show on BBC3. I found it very interesting!

My main concern is why BBC decides to show 5 Eastern European people on TV and decides to make stereotypes out of them on TV. Just because a certain Hungarian person behaves in a certain way does not mean the whole country behaves in a certain way!

I think people in this forum makes assumptions that everyone in that certain Eastern European country behaves in the same way.. now my question is are we not behaving exactly as the girl on TV making comments about Black people? Just because it is "acceptable" in the UK to complain about immigrants does not mean it is right. It was acceptable to complain about black people 50 years ago and it was not right. However, people do not seem to have a problem in making their mind up about a Eastern European in 10 secs since they have met them. I hope you see where I am coming from..

Secondly, I totally agree that of the people on TV have not been come from the same backgrounds as people in Britain, hence did not have the same opportunities, did not see Asian people before, did not afford to study a language. I think learning a language from TV is an admirable effort and shows how entrepreneurial people can be. I do challenge you to try learning a language just by watching TV! The Hungarian guy may not have been right in making all those comments, as some were definitely rude. I think this is because it is a hard transition for him to take. I wonder what your comments would be when you go an visit the most poor areas of Hungary, encounter strange/ maybe unpleasent situations in comparison to what you are used back at home...

Also, it is again TV programs that show England to the world as a money-making machine, where you can become rich in just under a second. That is how these people got these ideas. Most programs about the UK usually show the people that work in the City or the football hooligans.

Finally, I would like to reiterate that each person is unique and they are not representative of a country. I am from an Eastern European country, I have lived in the UK for 5 years, studied at an UK university and now having a successful job in London.

I have never made any rude comments about England, I never hang around in groups that speak a foreign language and I integrate in the society. My family background is really poor, I used to work in one of the worst conditions ever to help my grandparents and parents. I have never talked to an Asian person before I came to the UK, but I have never made any comments about it. I was shocked, but embraced the culture all together.

The minute I meet someone for the first time, they ask where I am from because of my accent. I tell them Romania, and it is a conversation killer. Most people I have met start treating me differently... I am not generalising, this is my experience. I am still going to be open and carry on. When will someone treat me as a person who is at their level, not just this "Eastern European" person? I have amazing British friends, but I had to work my heart off to achieve this, to make people appreciate it for who I am!