Why do conservatives think that...

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by jkp1187

Would you agree or disagree that having a minority culture group that consciously keeps itself separated from the mainstream might set up the country for future problems? Examples in other countries (Quebec or Belgium, for instance,) are not necessarily encouraging.

Quebec and Belgium are prime examples of the social explosion that never came (mod some pretty low-level attempts at terrorism). The last I checked they were both peaceful, democratic, rich places. Do you want to bet which society (US, Quebec, Belgium) has had more domestic identity-related violence over the past hundred years?

The most you can point to in those places is some angst and the possibility that at some unspecified point in the future they might end up voting for their own president (or whatever). So what?

[Ben Kenobi]

That's fine as far as it goes. But neither the Chinese nor the Italians could immigrate and return to the mother country simply by walking. Many thought that they would not see their home country again when they came to the U.S.

Yes, assimilation is a good point. They did have to pay an immigration fee to come to Canada and the US, but there were no quotas.

Quota's didn't come into place until the late 1920s, with the advent of the welfare state. They are a very new innovation.

That is definitely not true of Mexican immigrants, and I think that as a result, at least some of those immigrants may be resistant to assimilation into the American mainstream culture.

I think there should be assimilation, in the sense that they should learn English, and be able to work and live without problems with Americans anywhere in the country.

However, I think many of the parts of Mexican culture are very beneficial to the health of the US as a whole. So while they should be encouraged to learn English, I don't believe they should abandon their Mexican customs and way of life to immerse within American culture.

Would you agree or disagree that having a minority culture group that consciously keeps itself separated from the mainstream might set up the country for future problems? Examples in other countries (Quebec or Belgium, for instance,) are not necessarily encouraging.

Quebec is a different situation. They were here before we were. The way that Canada was set up is to be equal between the French and the English, and this represented the historical divisions between English and French. It's only after the immigration of the last part of the 19th century that this balance got tipped.

I would go on to say that French Canadians are an essential part of Canadian culture, and to ask them to assimilate would assert a claim without merit.

[Kuciwalker]

Quebec and Belgium are prime examples of the social explosion that never came (mod some pretty low-level attempts at terrorism). The last I checked they were both peaceful, democratic, rich places. Do you want to bet which society (US, Quebec, Belgium) has had more domestic identity-related violence over the past hundred years?

Ugh, I don't think that's a good comparison at all.

[KrazyHorse]

Neither do I.

[Ben Kenobi]

Do you have any questions for me KH?

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse


That your fear of the Mexican invasion due to cultural dissimilarities is strange given the makeup of the last great wave of European immigration.

Who said anything about "fear of the Mexican invasion"? All I've done so far is point out that massive non-white immigration to the U.S. has been the largest change or "social experiment" with regard to recent history.

[KrazyHorse]

BK

Why would I?

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Caligastia


Who said anything about "fear of the Mexican invasion"? All I've done so far is point out that massive non-white immigration to the U.S. has been the largest change or "social experiment" with regard to recent history.

Why are Mexicans non-white? How does contemporary Mexican culture differ more from contemporary American culture than 1910 Italian culture differed from 1910 American culture?

[Ben Kenobi]

Why would I?

Well I'm a conservative, and I thought that was the question you were asking, why do they think a certain way on immigration?

I guess all I'm trying to say is there isn't one monolithic 'Conservative' opinion on the issue.

[Ben Kenobi]

Why are Mexicans non-white? How does contemporary Mexican culture differ more from contemporary American culture than 1910 Italian culture differed from 1910 American culture?

There are some differences, but for the most part they are very similar with the Italians or the Irish. I would also say they tend to be much more traditional then other segments of the population.

[KrazyHorse]

Err, I hate to break this to you but I've never thought that all people of a certain label thought the same way. On the other hand, generalizations work to a certain extent. Otherwise there's no point in making any labels at all...

[Ben Kenobi]

Err, I hate to break this to you but I've never thought that all people of a certain label thought the same way. On the other hand, generalizations work to a certain extent. Otherwise there's no point in making any labels at all...

No, I see your point.

However, it wasn't the conservatives who were responsible for the quotas in the first place.

The bill passed and signed by Coolidge in 1924 received bipartisan support in the house and the senate. It was put forth by the Democrats, and the only dissenters were Republicans.

http://www.historicaldocuments.com/ImmigrationActof1924.htm

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5080

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse


Why are Mexicans non-white?

Only a small percentage have entirely European ancestry, and those aren't the ones who want to immigrate. The vast majority are either Amerindian or a mix of the two. But "massive non-white immigration" includes more than just Mexicans.

How does contemporary Mexican culture differ more from contemporary American culture than 1910 Italian culture differed from 1910 American culture?

The cultural differences are/were similarly large, but much else has changed. 1910 Italians didn't have welfare programs or bilingual education, and they also didn't view large sections of the U.S. as rightfully theirs.

[KrazyHorse]

BK

I neither think that the 1920s Reublican/Democrat split was conservative/liberal nor do I have an opinion regarding conservative/liberal views on immigration from 80 years ago.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Caligastia


Only a small percentage have entirely European ancestry

So I'm not white either?