Are African Americans doomed?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Seriously, sometimes I wonder if Kid is really someone's a little bit more subtle Wiglaf for the other side.

[Heraclitus]

Originally posted by Patroklos

That has nothing to do with preserving your culture. I know a great deal about my Irish ancestors and how they live, but my life doesn't resemble theirs in the slightest (apart from drinking).

Are you Catholic?
Do you speak Gaelic? Do you consider yourself Irish?


And as I said immigrants are a special case... anyhow most people seem to be arguing lifestlye = culture. I object to this most vehemntly, since by that defintion there is no such thing as cultural continuity since the industrial revolution.


Ethnicity and nations are tricky to define, in Europe the benchmark is usually language, ancestry and what you conisder yourself to be.

[Darius871]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Seriously, sometimes I wonder if Kid is really someone's a little bit more subtle Wiglaf for the other side.

Strange, I always took that as a given...

[Wezil]

Originally posted by Heraclitus



Yes, but the example you cite is quite different from what I had in mind. Lets say you are part of a minority in your country, you'd like to have your kids learn in a school where they teach in your language or teach something about your history. If you can't have that done, then you abandoning your culture is not a voluntary choice, and I would say that the majority of people who have abandoned their cultures through history have not done so voluntarily.

I disagree. They see a choice and take it. I will return to this later.

Also buying Nikes is and not living in a hunter gatherer society are not really abandoning your culture, its more embracing part of another culture. Do you really think modern Indians live like they did 400 years ago or they aren't indinas? NO! And yet they remain Indian or Inuit, because they know the history of their people, they practice or at least know much of the religion of their ancestors, they keep in touch with relatives and other tribe members, maybe they even speak the language of their people and most importantly they consider themselves a part of the grup.

You cannot retain a hunter/gatherer culture unless you are a hunter/gatherer. I'm sorry but shopping at the local supermarket doesn't cut it.

Are you really saying that Native culture of the kind I mention (basically a very modern life style just one based on something other than the European civilization circle) is in some sense inferior...

I would consider it inferior in some respects and superior in others. I admire their sense of community but don't think I would want their health care system or religious beliefs.

...and is not diversity that is good in the big picture?

You keep saying it is but you have yet too present an argument why the lose of some cultures is a "tragedy". I know you consider diversity goo. I'm asking you why. What will the loss of some/most indigenous cultures really cost us? What do they know and/or do that we need and don't know about? Or is this because you like to look at pretty costumes and watch strange habits? If so, move to any large city and hang out for a couple days.

I make here a distinction between indigenous cultures and later cultures, if you immigrate to a foreign country you are by deafault in my opinion considered giving up your culture (unless you plan on coming back) but if a foreign power conquers the place you live, then you can't by default be said to be giving up your culture voluntarily.

Yes I granted you meant indigenous peoples.

Many native peoples have full ability to live a traditional lifestyle in Canada. They aren't conquered and many still live on reserves large and remote enough to live traditionally even though they choose not to.