As an Asian child growing up in a nigh-on all-white community, all I wanted to do was to fit in. To do so, I not only had to stand-out to be noticed, but become outstanding.
Coming from a South Asian heritage & born in the incredible industrious north-east of England, I was naturally enterprising. But having to work three to four times as hard as others can take its toll. Even after all of the additional effort, I have regularly felt or been made to feel out of place. In fact, just last week I experienced conscious & unconscious bias as a consequence of my colour. Yet those that know me, know that I am a northerner – a true Geordie – first and foremost, and immensely proud of being so.
To help me get through the trials & tribulations of life & at times being the only ethnic in the room, I developed a methodology.
Communicate, Collaborate and Celebrate – the basis of any good relationship is effective communication; building on to finding a common purpose through meaningful collaboration; & then ultimately to celebrate one another.
The Power of 3.
Tuesday 15th March was a remarkable day, when I shared a room with incredible people, feeling part of something special. Hearing powerful stories of patience, perseverance & positivity from such inspirational fellow Asians. Who all were determined to overcome immense challenges to succeed, with a constant & consistent desire to do more and better for the whole community. For the first time in a long time, I felt normal, somewhere that I could show off, and be proud of my Asian & Northern heritage. The Northern Asian Powerlist launched three years ago at the House of Lords – by the tremendous & tenacious Sharon Jandu – and once again, we were there, alongside celebrating International Women’s Day. The room was filled with passionate & proud people of all colour, coming together to champion diversity, inclusion & each other, all from the North of England.
I loved hearing the stories of Lord Rami Ranger & catching up with Baroness Sayeeda Warsi who always makes me smile. Lord Karan Bilimoria shared the importance of community and how both Covid and the current war brought people together to support each other.
A highlight was seeing a top table of female leaders from across the globe representing their countries. The High Commissioners of India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh (all female) were joined by our very own special Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP – a foremost advocate & cheerleader of our North – championing & encouraging future female leaders from all backgrounds alongside leading global trade. Delighted they are all supportive of the International Space Station at Airview Park, Newcastle Airport.
It is very easy to get caught up in doom scrolling & going down to London to complain about what we don’t have in the North. But God it feels good to get down south and shout about how amazing we all are.
For me a key takeaway is that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, there remains a place & a space for each & every one of us to achieve what we want, in our Great Britain. Finally, don’t wait until the iron is hot before you strike, keep striking the iron until becomes hot.
PS As we were celebrating International Women’s Day, the biggest inspiration remains my late mother & a big thank you to my wife who lets me do and be, what I want to be, being the most amazing wife & mother, whilst holding down an incredibly important job. Ammar Mirza CBE is Chair & Founder of Asian Business Connexions, Chair of the NELEP Business Growth Board, Honorary Colonel of 101 Regiment RA and holds various positions across the public and private sectors.
