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The Good Immigrant cover art

The Good Immigrant

By: Nikesh Shukla - editor
Narrated by: Nikesh Shukla, Varaidzo, Chimene Suleyman, Vera Chok, Daniel York Loh, Himesh Patel, Nish Kumar, Reni Eddo-Lodge, Wei Ming Kam, Darren Chetty
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Summary

How does it feel to be constantly regarded as a potential threat, strip-searched at every airport? Or be told that as an actress, the part you're most fitted to play is 'wife of a terrorist'? How does it feel to have words from your native language misused, misappropriated and used aggressively towards you? How does it feel to hear a child of colour say in a classroom that stories can be only about white people? How does it feel to go 'home' to India when your home is really London? What is it like to feel you always have to be an ambassador for your race? How does it feel to always tick 'Other'?

Bringing together 21 exciting minority ethnic voices emerging in Britain today, The Good Immigrant explores why immigrants come to the UK, why they stay and what it means to be 'other' in a country that doesn't seem to want you, doesn't truly accept you - however many generations you've been here - but still needs you for its diversity monitoring forms.

Inspired by discussion around why society appears to deem people of colour bad immigrants - job stealers, benefit scroungers, undeserving refugees - until, by winning Olympic races or baking good cakes or being conscientious doctors, they cross over and become good immigrants, editor Nikesh Shukla has compiled essays that are poignant, challenging, angry, humorous, heartbreaking, polemic, weary and - most importantly - real.

Track 1: 'Namaste' - Nikesh Shukla
Track 2: 'A Guide to Being Black' - Varaidzo
Track 3: 'My Name Is My Name' - Chimene Suleyman
Track 4: 'Yellow' - Vera Chok
Track 5: 'Kendo Nagasaki and Me' - Daniel York Loh
Track 6: 'Window of Opportunity' - Himesh Patel
Track 7: 'Is Nish Kumar a Confused Muslim?' - Nish Kumar
Track 8: 'Forming Blackness Through a Screen' - Reni Eddo-Lodge
Track 9: 'Beyond "Good" Immigrants' - Wei Ming Kam
Track 10: '"You Can't Say That! Stories Have to Be About White people"' - Darren Chetty
Track 11: 'On Going Home' - Kieran Yates
Track 12: 'Flags' - Coco Khan
Track 13: 'Cutting Through (on Black Barbershops and Masculinity)' - Inua Ellams
Track 14: 'Wearing Where You're At: Immigration and UK Fashion' - Sabrina Mahfouz
Track 15: 'Airports and Auditions' - Riz Ahmed
Track 16: 'Perpetuating Casteism' - Sarah Sahim
Track 17: 'Shade' - Salena Godden
Track 18: 'The Wife of a Terrorist' - Miss L
Track 19: 'What We Talk About When We Talk About Tokenism' - Bim Adewunmi
Track 20: 'Death Is a Many-Headed Monster' - Vinay Patel
Track 21: 'The Ungrateful Country' - Musa Okwonga.

Full list of narrators: Nikesh Shukla, Varaidzo, Chimene Suleyman, Vera Chok, Daniel York Loh, Himesh Patel, Nish Kumar, Reni Eddo-Lodge, Wei Ming Kam, Darren Chetty, Kieran Yates, Coco Khan, Inua Ellams, Sabrina Mahfouz, Riz Ahmed, Sarah Sahim, Salena Godden, Miss L, Bim Adewunmi, Vinay Patel and Musa Okwonga.

©2016 Nikesh Shukla (P)2017 Random House Audiobooks

What listeners say about The Good Immigrant

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Brilliant and insightful

This book provides a discourse on the lived experience of racism in the UK from the perspective of first/second generation immigrants to the UK. Each chapter is written and read by a different contributor. Their reflections are concise, well-crafted. With regard to performance, the first and last thirds of the book were well read and engaging. The readers in the middle section were less accomplished and their droning dealing made their chapters a difficult d listen.
Overall an excellent book

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Another Immigrant

I really enjoyed the chapter that I could related to. There were others were I struggled to follow the narrative but that's just how I process information. The first 2 or 3 chapters were great and Nish Kumar's chapter was so funny, I was in stitches.

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Overall a great read / listen

The first story is the best, in my opinion. However, this book really is a patchwork of wonderful stories and one I will listen to several times as I'm sure I missed a few good nuggets the first time I listen. It is educational as well as an insight into life as an immigrant or child of immigrants.

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4 people found this helpful

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Well written, balanced, enlightening

As a child of immigrants, I found it heartening (angering at times!) and ultimately informative.

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2 people found this helpful

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Eye opening, enjoyable read

I really enjoyed reading this book. The collection of essays meant that I got to listen to different perspectives and experiences of people from many ethnic minorities. I definitely learned a lot, not just from people’s experiences but a lot about history (e.g. the essay on the cast system and its effect).

Would recommend this to everyone, especially those living in the UK.

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brilliant

loved hearing so many different experiences. I have learnt a lot from this book and will recommend it to others

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Everything an Immigrant which they could say!

I loved it and will listen to it again. As an immigrant in the UK there are many things I am afraid to say or point out to my white friends about systemic racism in case they don't get it. This is a good book to recommend if you feel the way I do.

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9 people found this helpful

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EVERYTHING

this book is everything!! blown away. so so impressed. this book opened my eyes to many things. as a person of colour it really spoke to me. it should be on the school curriculum. everyone needs to hear what these people have to say

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3 people found this helpful

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  • 16-05-18

Life as we know it.

A book that shares and exchanges experiences that many people from ethnic backgrounds endure in silence. Humorous, sad and honest all at the same time.

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Excellent read highly recommended

I have really enjoyed reading this book, the compilation of essays is on such a wide array of the immigrant experience this book is such an insightful read. I would highly recommend it’s the best book I’ve read this year.

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