#oreetashery

I've always been interested in minorities within different minorities: sexual minorities, gender minorities, ethnic and economic minorities – outsiders. The most consistent thing in my work has actually been immigrants. Things overlap, so whether it's immigrants with a particular sexual orientation or whether it's immigrants with different musical interests, it's always been a constant in a strange way. I've always felt some connection with other immigrants because of being one myself. I notice the difference between meeting people with whom I share this particular immigrant sensibility or subjectivity, and those who were born in Britain. You haven't watched the same childrens programmes, your cultural and emotional frame of reference is different, your confidence in using the English language is different. Also, this feeling of being a guest produces interesting side-effects, like not feeling as free to criticize the government, knowing how much worse it is where you come from, not feeling like you can really have a say, or feeling like a fraud if you did say something because you are not from here. You often end up producing your own networks based on more improvized structures, or suddenly shifting into your first language when you are angry or excited, and looking for simulated experiences in London that remind you of home.