Immigration

[Az]

Why does being more diverse make a culture stronger?

[Starchild]

Cause it shows the culture can absorb changes and adapt. Deep fried battered fish was originally brought to the UK by Jewish migrants and now, as Fish and Chips, is one of the classic British stereotypes. Tikka Masala is undergoing the same transformation for "foreign" food to "British" food. The UK took in hip-hop and rap from America and has produced uniquely British versions (We love you Ms Dynamite!). The English language steals from other languages all the time and has become more diverse and beautiful for it.

British culture is a creation of the merging of Welsh, Scottish, Irish, Norman French, Anglo-Saxon, etc cultural influences. Why would adding Indian, East Asian, African, etc influences dilute British culture? It would just enrich it.

Your technological and cultural uniqueness will be added to our own. You will be assimiliated. Resistance is futile.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

All peaceful immigrants should be allowed into the country.

[Az]

Deep fried battered fish was originally brought to the UK by Jewish migrants and now, as Fish and Chips, is one of the classic British stereotypes.

Theives!

I have no problem with having a culutural MIX, but I am not a multiculturalist, i.e. "we're different, but we love each other"

[Whaleboy]

Why not? I respect differences in other cultures, I enjoy them, and I celebrate them. I think that in this environment, different facets of culture can adopt each other, and an amalgam appears. The culture takes the differences, the good parts from each other, and produces a more diverse, more varied, and thus more dynmanic and enjoyable (for want of a better word) culture, thanks to intrigration, exposure to others etc.

[Az]

"In my culture, it's custumary to bash the **** out of gay people. Let's celebrate our differences".

[Arrian]

Therein lies a real problem. What happens when immigrants' culture rejects a core tenet of yours?

-Arrian

[Whaleboy]

Then one has difference, which takes longer to assimilate, but it does. It takes time to integrate, and there are short-term difficulties, but with time the two cultures will adapt to one another, and merge into one. In the interim, if a culture has an element which runs contrary to another, as long as it is not illegal, then one can keep a degree of separation until they further adapt.

I am not suggesting apartheid or segregation based on those differences, but rather, one can have two distinct communities that interact, but not entirely. The interaction will increase with time.

[Whaleboy]

"In my culture, it's custumary to bash the **** out of gay people"

Why? Is there any rational reason for that, or is it merely based on prejudices. As a culture, one might find that if gay people and heterosexual people interacted, they would learn more about each other, and learn that they are equally human, and then see ethnocentric barriers broken down, and acceptance.

Azazel: What is your alternative?

[Arrian]

Then one has difference, which takes longer to assimilate, but it does. It takes time to integrate, and there are short-term difficulties, but with time the two cultures will adapt to one another, and merge into one. In the interim, if a culture has an element which runs contrary to another, as long as it is not illegal, then one can keep a degree of separation until they further adapt.

I am not suggesting apartheid or segregation based on those differences, but rather, one can have two distinct communities that interact, but not entirely. The interaction will increase with time.

I just said it was a problem. Problems can be dealt with.

You mention assimilation. Well, some people don't want to assimilate. So what do you do with a group that 1) shares very different values, some of them directly opposed to the core values of your community; and 2) does not wish to assimilate?

I guess you wait 'em out, and get to their children via public education.

-Arrian

[Whaleboy]

"So what do you do with a group that 1) shares very different values, some of them directly opposed to the core values of your community; and 2) does not wish to assimilate?"

You give it time and understanding. If people dont want to be part of a society, they dont have to, no different to you, me, or anyone who lives in a relatively free country. As long as theyre not breaking the law, ideally, they can do or not do anything they want.

[Arrian]

Ah, The Law.

What if the argument is then made that The Law is dicriminatory against their culture (see the news story about the Muslim woman suing the government because they are saying she can't wear a veil in a driver's license photo)?

I'm just playing devil's advocate here, but it seems to me that it's not as simple as "give it time and understanding." It takes two to tango.

-Arrian

[Az]

Why? Is there any rational reason for that, or is it merely based on prejudices.

Guess.

My Alternative: get all the kids go to secular schools, that would teach them good values, like equality of chance, respect for other human beings, fraternity, striving for excellence, honesty, self-reliance, desire for success of the entire humanity, etc..

Persecute any people that would carry out actions that are against the law, but are the way according to their beliefs.

If parents insist on teaching their kids things that are obviously wrong, but part of their culture like "women should be subjegated", etc. steps will be taken to stop this.



Melting pot! With one culture, it's easier to all humans to connect between themselves as individuals.

[Whaleboy]

Absolutely. One assumes that because one moves to a nation, one is prepared to live in that nation, by the laws of that nation, and in general, that has happened.

Im saying that integration is a natural process that will occur when two peoples are not physically separated. Since I feel this is a positive thing, I believe we should encourage it.

[Az]

Well, you see, by saying "integration" you mean that YOU will have to live by some of THEIR values.