Drawing on Critical Race Theory, this paper highlights some of the ways that British minority ethnic youth and recently migrated Eastern European youth experience both inclusion and exclusion within the English educational system, particularly in relation to the comparative and temporal dimensions of migration. Given the recent emergence of White immigrant populations in the UK and political and educational indications of new ethnic/racial conflict, one may wish to ask is it possible that White young people who have recently immigrated to the UK from Eastern Europe experience racial inequality in similar ways to established minority groups? The paper explores experiences and perceptions revealed during focus groups with 16 participants and in field notes during the ethnographic study carried out in two Buckinghamshire secondary schools. The research examines everyday inconspicuous experiences and practices that validate stereotypes of 31 pupils (ages 13-16). The research suggests that when confronted with the challenges of racist actions, youth joviality and normalisations mask the cultivation of racial inequality. The ultimate premise of this paper is to draw attention to the limits of current equity provision, particularly as the cultural and ethnic configuration continues to transform and reconfigure itself in relation to wider social change.