What's the story?
On a visit to a US think tank this week, and later interviewed by ITV, the UK home secretary delivered some shocking assessments on the Refugee Convention. She accuses it of being open to too many people and declares that facing discrimination for being gay or a woman should not give you the right to claim asylum. Braverman also suggested that migrants are pretending to be LGBTQIA+ to gain access to the UK.

What's the Refugee Convention?
The UN's 1951 Refugee Convention is grounded on the principle that refugees "should not be returned to countries where they face threats to their life or freedom." Braverman claims this is no longer fit for purpose.

Here's why Braverman is wrong
64 countries still have laws that criminalise homosexuality. And her distinction between persecution and discrimination is incredibly vague which could lead to a dangerous amount of discretion. Braverman's focus on gay people 'gaming' the system, even if true, is mostly irrelevant - just 1.5% of asylum claims last year referenced sexuality. The United Nations' refugee agency have rejected Braverman's assessment and called for "speeding up decision-making processes" as a more appropriate answer to the asylum claim backlog.

What do they talk about?
Part two of this wonderful episode of This American Life presents a curious addition to the stereotype of 'controlling immigrant parent' on 'suffocated child.' The parent in this case is a comedian who clearly and humorously acknowledges her control on her daughter's life, and the daughter while lamenting this, understands and sympathises with her mum's case.
 

Children of first generation African and Asian immigrants often have a shared experience of being pressured to overachieve in professions imposed upon them. This urge to control the professional aspirations of their children does deserve some empathy however.
Immigrants are hyperaware of their difference and the likelihood that this may hinder their careers. Vocational careers such as medicine, law and STEM subjects are the most prevailing choice as they are seen as reliable, trustworthy, and with qualifications hard to dispute.
At the same time, this desire for their children to have stable careers does not necessarily mean that they will thrive in them and their parents' desires can butt up against the children's' happiness and independence. In the podcast, Zoya confesses: "I had worked so hard to create this identity that wasn’t just Indian girl does STEM… I feel like I’m caught in this mismatch of cultures." For their parents, the compensation and status that a successful career brings takes precedence over whether one enjoys it. To have a job that entails both is an unfortunately rare privilege. However, for kids growing up nowadays, liking their job often takes precedence and provides the foundation to the likelihood of a rewarding career.

What's happening?
Overly corporate environments and traditional office speak is on the out, and it's causing some frictions between the generations. Gone are the days of "I hope this email finds you well." Gen Z are ushering in a whole new workplace language, one more casual and authentic to them.

The generational slang divide
In a survey of 2,000 UK workers, 73% said their communication style at work has become more casual. You can see this mainly in email greetings and sign offs. The more formal phrases like "yours truly" and "to whom it may concern" are on their way to extinction, replaced with more familiar vocab such as "Hiya!" and "Thanks!"
It can only be a positive that our workforce is able to be more of their true self at work and show their personality rather than hiding behind generic office jargon. Though some reports find that it could alienate older generations.