Sunak also recalled the pain of hearing slurs directed at his younger siblings, adding that racism “stings” and “hurts in a way that other things don’t”.
Rishi Sunak, the UK’s Indian-origin Prime Minister, has said that he experienced “racism” when he was a child and his parents sent him for extra drama lessons so that he could “speak properly” without an accent to “fit in”.
In 2022, Sunak scripted history when he was appointed by King Charles III as Britain’s first Indian-origin Prime Minister after being elected unopposed as the new leader of the governing Conservative Party on Diwali.
The 43-year-old former Chancellor of the Exchequer, a devout Hindu, is the youngest British prime minister in 210 years. He is also the first Hindu Prime Minister of Indian heritage in the UK.
Speaking to ITV News, Sunak shared how his parents were so determined he should fit in and speak without an accent that he was sent for extra drama lessons. “You are conscious of being different,” he said.
“It’s hard not to be, right, and obviously I experienced racism as a kid.”
Sunak also recalled the pain of hearing slurs directed at his younger siblings, adding that racism “stings” and “hurts in a way that other things don’t”.
He felt what he experienced would not happen to his children now.
Discussing his Indian heritage, Sunak said his parents were keen for him and his siblings – a brother and sister – to “fit in and not for it to be, in any way, shape or form, a barrier”.
His mother, he added, was particularly conscious of how her children spoke. “One of the things my mum was obsessed with was that we didn’t speak with accents and we would speak properly,” he said. “So she was keen for us to try to do some extra drama.”
“I think any form of racism is simply unacceptable,” he continued, adding that when he speaks to world leaders, “most people look to the UK as an example of how to get this right”.
Sunak admitted that he never dreamed there might one day be an ethnic minority prime minister “because you didn’t have role models like that. [It] hadn’t happened yet.”
Sunak reflected on the challenges he faced during his childhood, revealing that he encountered instances of prejudice. He shared his personal journey, disclosing that his parents, in their determination for him to assimilate seamlessly, arranged additional drama lessons to ensure he spoke without an accent, aiming to help him “fit in.”
In a significant milestone in 2022, Sunak made history by becoming Britain’s inaugural Indian-origin Prime Minister. His ascension, uncontested, occurred on Diwali after being appointed by King Charles III. At 43, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, a committed Hindu, assumed the role, marking the youngest British prime minister in two centuries and the first of Indian heritage practicing Hinduism.
In an interview with ITV News, Sunak conveyed the challenges of feeling different as a child, emphasizing that racism was part of his experiences. He recounted instances of hurtful slurs directed at his younger siblings, emphasizing the deep emotional impact of racism, describing it as a source of pain unlike other adversities.
Sunak shared insights into his upbringing, highlighting his parents’ emphasis on assimilation, especially in terms of language. His mother, particularly mindful of their speech, insisted on drama lessons to ensure they spoke “properly” without accents. Sunak expressed a commitment to fostering an environment where such experiences would be unlikely for his own children.
Addressing the issue of racism, Sunak firmly asserted its unequivocal unacceptability, emphasizing the UK’s role as an example for others to emulate in overcoming such challenges. He acknowledged the absence of role models like him during his youth, expressing surprise at the prospect of an ethnic minority prime minister, a notion that had not materialized at the time.