Meera Syal

Meera Syal (in 1998)

I didn't know I was gonna be an entertainer until I was in my last year at University, when I did a one woman show.

I wanted to create a part that reflected who I was, not the Asian women in the media that are all passive. I was tired of being invisible - I wanted to redress the imbalance. I thought the best way to do that was through humour.

Generally race relations have got better, because young people are learning about each other's cultures. Music, food and fashion may seem superficial but it's where we've learnt a lot about each other. You can walk into a Indian restaurant, you've got saris on the catwalk, and Madonna wearing mendi .

As brown Britons we all experience harassment at some time. The nasty physical stuff though happened to me when I was younger. Yeah, people have spat at me at bus stops and that, but, that's what we've had to grow up with. My parents were cool though; they gave me a strong sense of self, and I had a strong cultural background.

But now I'm sort of moving in 'rarefied' artistic circles as it were, its different. I can't get certain parts because I'm Asian. And when I do get work I'm almost inevitably scripted in an Asian role.

It's much more empowering for brown Britons if we can write about racism with our own voice. It means we can also have a sense of irony about it.

And not play the victim. Even though we are called victims, as a community, we have great strengths. Whenever I've written about harassment, I've wanted to show the courage of the people facing it.

In most cases you find that people doing harassment are bullies, and they get away with it because no-one challenges them. Most bullies do not expect anyone to say 'I don't think that's funny.'

You've gotta have the courage of your convictions. What you'll find is that people will join in stand up and support you.

You've got to feel that you're doing something, because, that could be you! At any given point, you could be a victim of harassment. Even if you're white and middle class, you could be in a situation where you need help. That's the essential bit - we're all responsible for it.