E013 Rima Saini on 'race' and class

How middle class are middle class people of colour? This week we’re joined by Rima Saini, a PhD student who is researching South Asian middle classes in the UK. She unpacks how complicated being middle class can be for people of South Asian origin due to the racisms they face on a daily basis, and how they manage the clash between privilege and prejudice. We also talk about whether Meghan Markle can be an activist and a royal, how theorists of race and class are competing with each other when it comes to explaining Brexit, and why ‘race’ and class can never truly be separated. In an episode which sometimes strays into academic jargon (sorry!), we unravel issues of essentialism, respectability, tokenism, and whether you can ever really escape the ‘race’ and class other people see you as. As usual, there’s a lot of laughing, a bit of ranting, and some strong language!