Pakistanis in Glasgow

"A Fond Kiss" is a movie about a Pakistani man, Casim, in love with one of his sister's scottish friends, Roisin. Casim's father wants the family to remain traditional, but Casim and his younger sister want to be modern, independent. His younger sister wants to go to the University of Edinbourgh, but her father doesn't want her to live outside the house (she is not married! She can leave only when her arranged husband and her wed!) Meanwhile, his other sister wants a traditional marriage, but can't have one, because the family is dishonored by Casim who is living with Roisin. On top of that, Roisin is fired from her job at a Catholic school because her Priest won't sign off on her being a Catholic, because she is "living in sin with a heathen." Then Casim's father tries to arrange a marriage for Casim, his older sister drives Roisin over to watch the surprise meeting of Casim and his "finacee" from Pakistan, and Roisin runs off horrified. In the end, Casim and Roisin stay together, but obviously there is much conflict within the family. Great film - it shows what happens when empires collapse, and the empire refugees immigrate to the colonial country. Millions of people were displaced when England and France ended their overseas empires, and now England/Scotland and France face problems is immigration. In England its mostly Indian and Pakistani immigrants, and France Arab immigrants. Even after a new generation is born in England and France, they are still perceived as foreigners. We also have the same problem, only with Mexico - we created a coast to coast nation at the expense of Mexico, and for generations have treated Mexicans as third class people. Now Mexicans feel that the US is their land - they once owned part of what is now US land, and they helped build the southwest, and are now an indispensible part of our economy. The problem is racism, and the desire by European whites in the US to feel superior to other races (African Americans and Hispanic Latinos). In Scotland, this Pakistani family is foreign and has a difficult (impossible) task of truly integrating into Scottish society.