LoathsomePete

So what do we think about it? Is it right to ask that cultures completely assimilate themselves into ours (that being, the US) when they move here? Is it right to tell people to learn our language when there isn't a National Language set up? Are we doing ourselves any good if we disallow the ability for other cultures to practice their beliefs in our country?

This question created a very interesting English class for me a few days ago, it showcased the darker, more ignorant side of a lot of students. Now I'm not saying I judge them on that (although my opinions of a few did drop dramatically) I'm just curious as to what some of us think as far as letting other cultures practice their ways of life in this country (outside perspectives from the U.K., Canada, Australia, etc. are allowed and encouraged).


So.... what do we think?

__________________
Last.FM
101 Albums That May Not Change Your Life, But I Really Like And You Might Too

NumberNineDream

The people from my country are usually very hated in the lands they immigrate to, and I can't say I don't understand the hatred (They can get a wee corrupted). The thing is, with the big countries considering the others as strangers or foreigners, they are encouraging them to act as a hostile sub-culture. Thus driven to be hated even more.

To imagine what it would be like to talk about foreigners from a US point of view, I'm going to look at my country's problem with the foreigners. So this said, I think it's pretty stupid to try to get rid of them. If the evolved countries would stop being so afraid of immigrants and start helping the rest of the world to evolve, I don't think people from the third world countries would still be dying to immigrate.

Immigration isn't that positive on the other side too. The rich countries aren't the only victims here. And I know what I'm talking about , I live in a country were 70% of all graduates immigrate to a better country (that's never good news).

__________________

mr dave

melting pot... salad bowl... the one they fed us in social science class was that Canada was a mosaic...

either way i think it's very much a two way street. there's has to be a balance between the new people entering a country and that nation's identity.

i remember a few years ago there was a push to have Sharia law recognized in Ontario. for those unfamiliar Sharia law sees homosexuality as punishable by death for the most part, limited freedom of speech, women can be treated as property in public, etc.

now if a Muslim wants to move into Canada that's great. no issues there, if they want to continue worshiping the Qur'an that's cool too. but that's not what was happening, the push was to have the law of the subculture recognized as law on the provincial level.

at that point i have to say no. seriously though, how does creating a double standard of acceptable behaviour benefit either culture? the free and accepted behaviour of all Canadians is defined within the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, when you emigrate into Canada and become one of its citizens, this, is the document that details your social freedoms. if you don't like it or don't think it should apply to you because you want to adhere to the methods of your old country then DON'T MOVE! honour killings have no place in Canada!

to carry on peaceful religious, traditional, and cultural celebrations is a wonderful thing that really does add more flavour to any country. but to try to implement the laws of the nation you left behind into a new country is both subversive and insulting to your new home nation especially when they fly in the face of acceptable behaviour in the new country.

__________________
i am the universe

Astronomer

Well I can only speak on behalf of the country I'm in, Australia, I don't really have much knowledge on the US and multiculturalism there.

Australia is an incredibly multicultural country. Being quite geographically close to Asia we get a lot of people moving here from that area of the world, and we also have many people coming to live in Australia from other places as well.

In my personal opinion, I love that Australia is multicultural and I love the fact that all these new cultures are being intertwined into society - it is what makes us unique. I also find that most people who want to come and live in Australia are the kind-of people who are moving here because they dislike the living circumstances of their original home but like the appeal of Australia, and so are generally very kind people who fit into our culture without any hassle.

A lot of other Australians are really racist when it comes to the topic, in my opinion. I grew up in a very Asian-influenced suburb of Australia and went to a high school that was about 90% students with Asian backgrounds and 10% students with other backgrounds, mostly 'Caucasian' (including me). A lot of Australians kicked up a stink about this kind of cultural situation and said that Australia was being 'taken over' and that they should go back to their own country. Which I think is ridiculous because no doubt these peoples' families were too migrants coming to Australia within the last few generations. From my experience, I've also found that people who have recently come to live in Australia from elsewhere often do a great deal more for society than those complaining that they should go back to their 'own country.'

That being said, I do expect migrants coming to live in Australia to assimilate into our culture. I don't expect that they should completely disregard their own culture and slide seamlessly into ours, but instead to bring their own cultural influences to the table but respect the Australian way of life and happily contribute to our society/culture.

It also really bugs me when people who have moved here from another country complain about how crap Australia is. There is a Romanian family that run a restaurant near me and they are always saying how crap Australia is and how great Romania is. I get really offended when they criticize Australia and feel like asking them why they even came here in the first place if they think Romania is so much better...

__________________

Freebase Dali

LOL... Romania is a pretty horrible place to live if you're not well off.
Don't pay them any attention. They're just jealous because you don't have to drive a donkey-drawn carriage to work.

__________________

Neapolitan

How do you know it was a donkey-drawn cart, it could had been a Peugeot!

__________________

Freebase Dali

Touche'.

Here's a picture I took in Romania.. of a Romanian Peugot:




That's in rural Babadag.

__________________

boo boo

I agree that some countries' customs should stay in those countries.

But overall, cultural diversity is something I strongly support. No foreigner should be expected to conform to quote and quote "American culture". Because what is American culture if not just a mixture of every other culture in the world?

People who try to force others to conform to their way of life make me sick, and I just gotta love it when pundits on tv rant about how the english lanauage is in danger, give me a freaking break.

So some people here can't speak english, that's been the case for first generation immigrants in this country ever since they first came here, these people work hard to provide a future for their kids, they might not take the time to learn the native tongue, but a lot of them make sure that their children will.

The english language will always be the main language in this country so seriously, STFU.

__________________
It's only knock n' knowall, but I like it

http://www.last.fm/user/kingboobs

Astronomer

Totally agree with this, plus their kids will be educated in American (Australian in my case) schools, so they'll obviously learn English.

My next door neighbours are from China, and have only come to Australia very recently. The parents speak very little English, but they have two young kids, and they always make the effort to speak to their kids in English, all the time. I think it's really cute.

__________________

Guybrush

I think at the core, there are more basic social processes that turn immigrants into outsiders. If you move to a country of an exotic culture, you're gonna be different than the people who already live there. At a concious and/or subconcious level, you will be drawn to people you are similar to. Then you get a group of people. Where we come from and our cultural backgrounds are extremely important for how we define ourselves and in such a group, it's logical that they will celebrate their background - celebrate the things that make them different from the "normal" culture in that country. Minority cultures are often somewhat resistant to integration - I think that's something most could agree on.

This is a good basis for an "us and them" way of thinking. Other things will add to that kind of thinking as well - for example not knowing the language and minorities won't be represented in political power until so and so much time has passed. The us and them thinking can add to f.ex racist feelings in the native population, but it could also promote "bad behaviour" in immigrants regardless of how they are viewed by the natives.

What I'm saying is that it's typical that immigrants from exotic cultures have a higher percentage of criminals than the native population. It doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the colour of the skin or the culture they come from. Neither does this have to be explained by them being alienated and estranged by the native population, although that might add to it. It's just a consequence that we're all capable of. Thinking proportionally, pakistanis are more likely to break the law in Norway than native norwegians, but if norwegians had migrated to Pakistan, it would likely be us misbehaving.


This is a huge problem and extremely hard to solve. Immigration politics becomes a trade-off between doing the right thing/add to a nation's culture and getting more crime. I'm generally for immigration and I think when people criticize immigrants, they don't always realize that it's not the people who are bad, it's just a natural consequence. Basically, instead of complaining that the people are wicked, one could try to improve the way they are accepted/integrated into society.

I believe integration is important, but it doesn't have to be a one way street. I like to think that we can integrate some of their culture into our own. This isn't always true, though, immigrants have to realize that they move into a society which can be built on totally different moral values than their home country. When a custom conflicts with the law, such as young girls being forced to have their genitalia cut, then I think they should accept the trade-off that yes, we'll take you in but you have to give up forced circumcision or forced marriages (example).

__________________
Something Completely Different