Where You From?

I love this conversation with Nadiya Hussain.

And I was surprised in this chat when Nadiya replied to me - with an answer which suggested that maybe I’d asked where she’s from. I felt conscious and worried that gosh, am I being heard as the person who asks *that* question?

But why? There isn’t anything wrong with that question - because the meaning is in the intent.

And when I listen once again to Nadiya’s answers, I hear her thoroughly answer my question: “What does ‘Where you from?’ mean to you?”

And that answer comes through in countless gems in this convo:

Recognition of work ethic, which so many of us will deeply relate to.

The Cornish Pasty Police - they’re out there!

The fact that billboards featuring people of colour does not mean that the work is complete…

… and the blessing that we can thrive in spite of adversity - by creating our own unique spaces.

I’d be lying to you if I said those were my only highlights in this chat, because we have seasoned it with flavour and depth.

Which of those flavours did you catch? What was most poignant to you and what did you think? Let me know! I’m @lilliealmond on Twitter - and on Insta, I’m @almondsweetness. Dm me, shout me, hit me up x

Why are some boys and men hit by stop and search more than others?

In this episode, Shadow Foreign Secretary and Tottenham MP David Lammy speaks with me about what would happen if a Professor at Oxford University was rolling a joint - and what would happen if a young boy in Salford or Brixton was rolling a joint.

This is deeply intertwined with, “Where you from?”

We talk about David’s experience as ‘the first Black Briton’ to study law at Harvard; what do these ‘firsts’ actually mean? That was really important progress - yet we all know that society has so much work left to do.

David also tells me that all countries over-imprison their minorities. I don’t know if I’m surprised by this, yet it echoes in my mind.

And we talk about how some of us have had to work harder than our peers to get to where we are.

I feel like there are experiences in this chat that connect with so many of us - and I’m looking forward to hearing about what stands out most to you.

Tweet me @lilliealmond or hit me up on Instagram @almondsweetness. #whereyoufrompod

“Where you from?” What makes this question so important? Why do people ask it and why is it interesting to them?

… and what does it really mean?

LBC reporter Lillie Almond sits down with big names including David Lammy, Nish Kumar, Nadiya Hussain, White Yardie and more to explore the question "Where you from?”

“What does it mean when the Home Secretary is a Hindu British Indian? And what does it mean when that Home Secretary chooses to enforce an immigration policy - that by her own admission would have prevented her parents from coming into the country?

“Are we going to be happy with symbolic representation, that results in us being essentially tools of the white supremacist patriarchal society?" - Nish Kumar

"Many immigrants would have grown up with the experience of their parents saying you've got to be ten times better - because their parents know that there are hurdles in front of your kids and you can't slack off. I meet a lot of young people and they really can't stand that idea because like, why should I have to be any different?

“There were moments where I felt very insecure and there were moments where I felt very lonely and very down. You know, if you come into Westminster, as I did as a young black man - I was never anonymous in the palace of Westminster." - David Lammy

"To date, I have never been in a situation where I felt completely comfortable. I always stuck out like, I never ever felt represented. I always felt like, this room doesn't look like me. It doesn't feel like me - it doesn't sound like me. And there was definitely a problem.

“The truth is the reality of the situation is that space was never created for someone like me. That's why I'm not there. That's why I look at my job as not only a career, but also a responsibility, to create space for people who look, sound, feel like me to believe that they can be a part of the industry that was never meant for them. And I'm here to show them that this, you can have this career. You can take this space up because it's not about taking somebody else's space. It's about creating your own." -Nadiya Hussain

Lillie explores the impact that the question, "Where you from?" has had on these peoples’ lives. We explore how it makes them feel - and learn how their journeys have been shaped by this discourse.

Subscribe and listen to "Where you from?" on Global Player.