I’m a bl**dy foreigner?

I had just arrived in Oxford, on an August afternoon in 2008. I moved across the Atlantic to accept the position of Professor of Comparative Government and Law at the University of Oxford, full visa in hand. As I rode my bike down a small road within those first few days in my new city, I apparently confused the driver of a MINI Cooper, who screeched to a halt, got out abruptly, waved a finger in my face, and shouted “You bl**dy foreigner!”

I hadn’t yet opened my mouth to reveal my American accent. I had no foreign flags on my clothing, on my backpack …. In fact I was dressed much like this young woman, the white British woman of about 35 or so. Except for my accent, which had not yet been revealed, and our preferred forms of transport, there was little visible difference — no clue to out me as the ‘foreigner’ here she so obviously hated. So what did it?

My poor road skills, of course.

And I think she was right.

Without condoning the hateful, xenophobic and aggressive nature of this woman’s behaviour; without belittling the horror suffered by those who are not only shouted at, but subjected to much worse hatred, I now, in 2025, say that we have come to a point in which I actually sort of agree with this woman.

What I mean is this. Let’s not base our idea of ‘foreigness’ — of the ‘other’ — on some quality like skin colour, or race, or religion. If it is within our nature as humans to need to distinguish ourselves from others by reference to some category of difference, to include and exclude based on something we agree makes us different (though contact theory suggests it may not have to be the case), let it be something that both matters as a local social convention and helps us get along, and something that is easily learned and accessible to all. Like knowledge of driving rules in the host country. Shared values for democracy and tolerance would be good, too. And I’d prefer no name calling at all. But sadly, that might still be too optimistic. So for now, let’s not decide who belongs among us and merits our respect based on looks, or gender or what god people choose to follow… But on whether we know how to properly handle a box junction.

So yes, I was accordingly at that time a bl**dy foreigner. Guilty as charged and working on it. Leave the other foreigners alone.