Multi-culturism

[kvnchrist]

I will use America as a refrance point, but I know that in any culture there are those that seem to want to live amongst the natural born residences but yet live apart culturally, religiously. I'd like everyone's take on this. Should those who come to your shores and benefit by your culture learn your language and except your culture as the predominant culture

 

I have always rejected the notion of hyphenated Americans. (African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Muslim-Americans, ext.) Those who like to use that to describe themselves are those who want to be different than other Americans and that isn't what America is about. Some would say that this is intolerant, but who is to say those people who wish to be separate from other Americans by race or religion are intolerant of the culture that we have as Americans.

 

 

The question is, should those who on a certain level reject becoming American not at some level take responsibility for them being looked upon differently. Does anybody, by standing apart create an atmosphere that breeds distrust, which the radicals in our own country and abroad use to divide us further.

 

Where in any culture, anywhere at any time have those who wish to be at some level apart from their host nation, has there not been at least a modicum of underlying distrust.

 

Does that fact that the political groups rate us as subgroups of Americans, based on a act of birth make us a nation of people or a tribal culture that simply resides on the same continent. Are we asking for the unrest and distrust that we wallow in every day of our lives.

[greywaste]

I will use America as a refrance point, but I know that in any culture there are those that seem to want to live amongst the natural born residences but yet live apart culturally, religiously. I'd like everyone's take on this. Should those who come to your shores and benefit by your culture learn your language and except your culture as the predominant culture

 

I have always rejected the notion of hyphenated Americans. (African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Muslim-Americans, ext.) Those who like to use that to describe themselves are those who want to be different than other Americans and that isn't what America is about. Some would say that this is intolerant, but who is to say those people who wish to be separate from other Americans by race or religion are intolerant of the culture that we have as Americans.

 

 

The question is, should those who on a certain level reject becoming American not at some level take responsibility for them being looked upon differently. Does anybody, by standing apart create an atmosphere that breeds distrust, which the radicals in our own country and abroad use to divide us further.

 

Where in any culture, anywhere at any time have those who wish to be at some level apart from their host nation, has there not been at least a modicum of underlying distrust.

 

Does that fact that the political groups rate us as subgroups of Americans, based on a act of birth make us a nation of people or a tribal culture that simply resides on the same continent. Are we asking for the unrest and distrust that we wallow in every day of our lives.

 

Well, I've always thought one of America's unique points was that hyphenation in a way, in that it's there but there's still an incredible amount of solidarity. Put it this way, in Britain, the part of the hypenation that usually gets dropped is the 'British-'.. Or the hypenation never occurs in the first place and country of ancestry will be the preference.

The big paradox of multiculturalism to me is that it's a left wing clarion call yet their economic principles rely upon just the very opposite.

[HeyYou]

I don't care how folks live their lives, what god they worship, or what name they use to refer to their place of worship. I don't care how the decide to classify themselves either, but, one thing that I think should be an absolute MUST, is LEARN THE DAMN LANGUAGE.

 

Sorry. This one pisses me off. :D

[marharth]

I don't care how folks live their lives, what god they worship, or what name they use to refer to their place of worship. I don't care how the decide to classify themselves either, but, one thing that I think should be an absolute MUST, is LEARN THE DAMN LANGUAGE.

 

Sorry. This one pisses me off. :D

People hate me for this, but its true.

 

We need to just say English is our national language, call me insensitive but its much easier to be a community if you understand each other.

 

Also I despise the term "African-American." Its black if your going to call me white.

[HeyYou]

I don't care how folks live their lives, what god they worship, or what name they use to refer to their place of worship. I don't care how the decide to classify themselves either, but, one thing that I think should be an absolute MUST, is LEARN THE DAMN LANGUAGE.

 

Sorry. This one pisses me off. :D

People hate me for this, but its true.

 

We need to just say English is our national language, call me insensitive but its much easier to be a community if you understand each other.

 

Also I despise the term "African-American." Its black if your going to call me white.

 

I completely agree with you.

 

By the way, I am a Caucasian-american. :D

[IndorilTheGreat]

True. I think that it is important to have a language of your own heritage that you speak, but also make sure that you speak the language of the country that you live in. For example, when I traveled in Spain, I spoke Spanish the entire time. However, when I got back to the states, I spoke English (although with some odd grammatical issues because of so much Spanish :rolleyes: ).

 

I also agree with the "hyphenation." Hyphens should only be used if you were born in another country, and then immigrated to the US. For example, "African-American," would really only make sense if someone was born somewhere in Africa, and then immigrated to the US.

 

I was born in America, and I'm not called a "Western European-American." :happy:

[kvnchrist]

Well my only objection with those who would rather be something separate than the community they reside in is that they could easily be turned against that community by those who would exploit those differences. There is good and bad in every society, but when there is a barrier there, there is always the chance of misunderstanding and exploitation.

[Aurielius]

I don't care how folks live their lives, what god they worship, or what name they use to refer to their place of worship. I don't care how the decide to classify themselves either, but, one thing that I think should be an absolute MUST, is LEARN THE DAMN LANGUAGE.

 

Sorry. This one pisses me off. :D

@HeyYou

LMAO...once again it seems we are on the same page. Learn the language like all our immigrant fore bearers did before you, it's part of the assimilation process. The only peoples that should be excused from this are the native American Indians, if they don't want to..then I understand their point of view completely.

[Sync182]

I don't care how folks live their lives, what god they worship, or what name they use to refer to their place of worship. I don't care how the decide to classify themselves either, but, one thing that I think should be an absolute MUST, is LEARN THE DAMN LANGUAGE.

 

Sorry. This one pisses me off. :D

 

This.

 

If I, being white Australian, decided to live in a Middle East country (for example), I'll be out of my freakin' mind expected to follow the local laws, live as/how the locals do, learn the official language, not wave my religious beliefs in the faces of the locals, and conform to the expectations of the local communities.

 

Why the frack can't people from Middle Eastern nations (for example) do the same damned thing when they come to live in my country?

Edited July 7, 2011 by Sync182

[bben46]

I'll stir the pot a little.

There are communities of ex pat Americans living in many other countries where they don't bother to become fluent in the local language. Many of these are retirees who live there because the lower cost of living makes their pitiful retirement pension go a lot further. In Mexico, they tend to live in gated and fenced communities with armed security guards to keep out the locals. All of their neighbors are English speaking, they go to stores and restaurants where English is spoken. They see no reason to learn more than a rudimentary bit of Spanish. Other countries with these kind of communities are Belize, Costa Rica and several other central American countries. On the other hand, many ex pats do learn the language of their host country and do try to adhere to the local customs while there.

 

My own experience was as an Army brat living in both Germany and Japan in the mid 50s to early 60s. I lived in each country for 3 years and barely learned enough of either language to get by. There was almost always someone nearby who spoke enough English and would help translate. And if not, I made do with what little I did know and gestures. I'm sure many of the locals resented me as much as many Americans resent those who live in the US and don't speak fluent English. In Japan we lived on a base fenced off from the locals. But in Germany, we lived in the city of Munich, alongside of the local populace with a small group of other Americans as neighbors. Over half of the inhabitants of the apartment building were Native Germans who didn't speak any English.