Marta Marsicka - Migration Matters Stories
Unveiling her Truth: Marta Marsicka, Our Esteemed Guest Curator, Explores Misconceptions About Migration, Culture, and Her Vision for Change - 1 Min Read
What misconception surrounding migration/your culture would you like to change?
The rhetoric of East-Central European people in the UK is often tied to an anti-immigration sentiment and negative media and press portrayals, picturing CEE people as job snatching, manual labourers. On the other hand, the impressive work ethic of the CEE community seems to be quite a popular belief.
Both of those assumptions relate to labour, as a defining trait of the community. What I find problematic in talking about CEE people only concerning their work, is its productivist framework. Following this logic, you are only worthy of anything, if you keep producing the valuable product.
Whilst I find 'contributing' to society important, when we limit someone only to the effects of their work, our ability to connect to them on a human level, gets lost.
If we talk about CEE people only through their productivity and hard work, we forget about the ways we could relate to them as individuals, each one having their unique struggles, dreams and ambitions.
Whilst the necessity of working exceptionally hard is indeed a must for the majority of the CEE community in the UK, I still wish we were viewed as multi-faceted individuals with personalities, passions or interests.
