Article
London 2012: What Does it Mean to “Be British”?
ID # 3746
While watching the Olympics every night over the past couple of weeks, I often felt twangs of nostalgia as images of the London Eye, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, and Westminster were displayed. My name is Isabella Cassell and I am currently a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill. I am majoring in psychology and minoring in art history, with hopes of attending medical school or earning a Masters in Healthcare Administration. I am from Dartmouth, Massachusetts, but chose to experience a different part of the country during my college years. This past semester I decided to take my travels farther and skip across the pond to study abroad in London, England. My semester abroad was everything I hoped it would be and more. My main course of study was Health and Society, which offers an integrated curriculum including the social, ethical, psychological, and anthropological perspectives underpinning and informing medical practice. Although my education in the classroom was extremely enriching, my experiences involving the people, the places, and the culture of London will forever be a part of me.
I truly could not have chosen a more exciting time to live and learn in London. I studied abroad at King’s College London from January to June 2012, meaning that I had the opportunity to experience both Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee and the preparations for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Since London was hosting such momentous events during this year, there was an immense sense of British pride in London. My constant encounters with the Union Jack, parades, pictures of Queen Elizabeth II, and festivals made me feel excited to be in the brilliant city. There really was no better time “to be British.”
Before I came to London, I had a certain image of what “being British” was. It was characterized by having a proper accent, sipping tea, and taking strolls through Hyde Park. However, within a few days of living in London, I realized that “being British” cannot be defined in such a narrow manner. While walking along the Thames to get to class, I would hear multiple languages, ranging from English to Arabic to French to Urdu. In no time at all, I realized that London is much more than accents and tea time, and truly is a global city, composed of people from all different cultures and ethnicities.
Although the majority of the people in London do not look, act, or speak in a traditionally British way, each individual offers a unique perspective that shapes the city. This coexistence of different backgrounds truly manifested itself in the festivities for the Diamond Jubilee and the preparations for the Olympics. There was a sense of pride for living and being in London that surpassed each person’s individual differences. Celebrating the city, the Queen, and the Olympics bonded people of varying backgrounds together and inspired all to “be British.”
On the day of the Diamond Jubilee Floatilla, I, along with almost a million other people, stood along the Thames, waved my Union Jack, and cheered on the Queen and the Royal Family. As I looked around and saw people of every ethnicity and every age, I never felt more welcome in this foreign city. Even though I had only been in England for about five months, I truly felt like I belonged and was no longer just a visitor. We were all British on this day.
In a few days of exploring London, I realized my original assumptions of the Brits was misconceived. London is a global city that is home for over 8 million people from all corners of the world. Through my unique opportunity to live and learn in this metropolis from January to June 2012, I gained a new perspective of what is means to call yourself “British.” It does not matter from what country you originally came from, what language you speak, or what religion you practice. “Being British” and having pride in their city is a mindset that bound the people of the city together and transcended any differences that they had.
As I watched the Olympics and saw shot after shot of London, I felt connected to this city I once called home. For I, although a U.S. citizen, had experienced a historical occasion in England’s history that united me with the people of the city. A part of me is now and will always “be British.”