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Mike the Mauler
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Monday, August 29, 2005 - 5:29 pm: | 
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This is a question/statement/observation
What is meant by 'Foreign' or 'Foreigner' in a witness statement? Is it used differently by different nations and communities and social classes?
For example: A modern American may think of someone who is foreign as being from the Middle East, or East Asia, but may not think of someone who is fair-skinned and Scandinavian that way. Now I'm just talking superficial concepts. I'm sure if you gave your average American citizen a multiple choice, quiz question that included Californians, Texans, Idahoans, and Danes as choices, they would select Danes (Though Texas is suspect).
During the Victorian times, and as a result of English (and French) colonialism, the word 'Exotic' which is synonymous with 'foreign' as a dictionary entry, came to mean the 'other', the one who is not like us, one who is mysterious, dark, attractive, and qite often, sexually inviting. It was, indeed an artificial construct, but was something that was spoken of quite often at men's clubs, among the soldiers and sailors, and even at universities.
What does this have to do with anything? Well,
did the average Whitechapel bloke have this idealized concept of the foreign, the exotic? Did this trickle down from the officer corps and the exploration clubs to reach the lower classes, and if so, was the term 'foreign' something other than how we would use it today.
I propose that foreign meant, to the average, English-born East Ender, someone who was darker than they, wore different clothing (Not necessarily very different, maybe just 'otherly' nuanced), and, perhaps had an accent.
I don't believe a Canadian or an American or an Australian, nor perhaps anyone light-haired and fair-complexioned would have been described as 'foreign' unless, perhaps their English was nearly unintelligible. On the other hand, someone who was dark complexioned, but spoke the queen's English would have been described as 'foreign'.
I am from Minnesota (home of Rollerblades) in the states. If someone here heard a fair-skinned perosn speaking with an accent and was asked about it afterwards, they might say, "Oh, that German guy", or "Yes, that Norwegian.", this just as a quick guess based on complexion and accent, but they would never say "that foreigner."
With darker people (not black, however), they more likely would use the term 'foreigner'.
What does everyone else think? And does this change witness statements in any way? Am I just a raving lunatic?
Yours Truly,
Mike the Mauler |
Donald Souden
Chief Inspector
Username: Supe
Post Number: 712
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - 1:21 pm: |
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Mike,
The conventional wisdom is that in regard to JtR descriptions the term "foreign" is a code word for Jewish. This view is given some credence because in George Hutchinson's statement to the police he reported the man he saw with Mary Jane Kelly had a "Jewish appearance" but this was changed to "a foreigner" in most British press reports. Many American newspapers, however, retained the original designation of "Jewish."
Hope this helped.
Don.
"He was so bad at foreign languages he needed subtitles to watch Marcel Marceau."
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Phil Hill
Chief Inspector
Username: Phil
Post Number: 771
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - 3:58 pm: |
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The British in 1888 had a plethora of words for aliens (ie non=British people) - semites, Levantines, Jews, mulattos, Frogs, Dagoes; - read your Sherlock Holmes and you'll see many of them. |
Mike the Mauler
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - 1:51 pm: |
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Don,
I see. 'Jewish' became 'foreign' as kind of a PC thing, eh? Is this something that is generally understood in the Ripper community, meaning when we see the word 'foreign' in any communication, we need to assume 'Jewish' was meant? I should think this word may include all Mediterranean types as well, Arbie Labruckman, Portugese Cattlemen, etc..., but what about lighter-haired Jews. Lots of Hungarian and Polish Jews that don't fit this 'foreign' concept.
I guess I'm just trying to define it as to what was meant by the Victorian when they said, "Foreign."
Mike |
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