“Nationality or accent should not define your belonging”

“Migrants’ journeys are never straightforward. I was born 1838km away from where my current home is. I have been living in Birmingham, the second most populated city in the UK for 18 years. Not too many inhabitants of Birmingham have their roots here.”

Joanna’s parents and grandparents were born hundreds of miles apart from each other in different parts of Poland and yet they met and became families. Joanna herself visited 34 countries before settling (for now) in the UK.

Joanna is Polish and it was the free movement and the UK opening its  orders to Poland and other countries that joined the EU in 2004 that drew  her here. Polish people are now one of the largest migrant groups in the UK. However, Birmingham is different and Joanna does feel that Eastern Europeans are less visible gere than other minorities.

Her children’s dad is Nigerian and her two sons, although born in the UK, have a bit of a hard time explaining their heritage and ‘where they are really from’ as their grandparents come from four different countries.  

“They are smart, easily switch between cultures, languages, customs and adapt easily. It is exciting to support them in starting their own life journey”

Joanna does not feel Polish anymore, but also feels she will never feel truly British, despite having acquired British citizenship.  She says that her strong Polish accent makes her stand out and nearly every new person asks her where she is from which makes it harder to feel at home. Ironically, when she travels to Poland she is also asked where she is from, probably because her half-Nigerian sons stand out there.