ABSTRACT
Where do you come from? As was suggested in Chapter 2, this is a question frequently asked when we meet someone for the first time in order to gain some idea of who they are, of their identity. Even if lifestyle and patterns of consumption have become central to people’s sense of who they are, especially how they present themselves to others, place invokes a strong sense of connection and attachment. Place, especially one’s place of origin, is an important part of knowing who we are. Individuals want to know where they were born, where they come from, as well as who their parents are. It may well be that we are trying to gain some understanding of who someone else is by locating them in relation to a particular place. Knowing where someone lives gives us all sorts of clues as to their identity. It is often through place that we position people, not only as individuals, but this is also how governments and official agencies situate us, according to our address or place of birth. Patterns of consumption are notably classified by postcode. Place, especially the place where we were born or the place where we live, may offer some security in a world which is characterised by mobility and movement, even movement across nations and continents. However, in a climate of insecurity, attachments to place are problematic, especially for some migrant peoples. Responses to the question ‘where do you come from?’ may not be so simple. This is the answer given by the athlete Zaf Shah: ‘I’m a Bradfordian, a Yorkshireman and I’m British.’
