I've been reading the articles by Messrs Bower and Lich and I can understand the feelings, but I think that the real point at the heart of the migration issue, is not about racism but about maintaining tradition, in this case, American Cultural Tradition. We have the same debates and problems in Australia, although not on the scale as those in America.
I come from a multi-ethnic, multi-culture, and multi-religious extended family. In addition to the Germans, Scots and Irish, My nieces and nephews for instance include Aboriginals (black Australians), and the next generation down includes Vietnamese. My cousins include the black and white, as well as Italians Greeks and Vietnamese, (oh, and a couple of Americans - there is always a dark horse hidden away somewhere). My mothers cousins were Japanese.
My grandchildren, are Chinese and Thai, and the next will be Black Indian. Had one daughter not divorced without children, her children would have been American/Spanish/Phillipinos.
All of these races, cultures and religions, are represented by people who are Australian, and who carry TWO cultures, not one. They are Australian, proud to be Australian and integrated into Australian society, while still proud of their heritage.
The real issue behind the alleged Racism (apart from those who really are racist), is that we all want to live in the society that we call 'OUR'S', living according to our national identitiy, traditions and history. Therefore, an immigrant is welcomed, when they demonstrate integration. First generations of immigrants can never fully integrate and that is a given, but their children will.
When those immigrants will not integrate, naturally we resent it. We should resent it! How dare you come to MY country, and by your behaviour and speech, demonstrate that we are FOREIGNERS.
Years ago, in Australia, people would get angry if you stood around speaking your foreign language in public, when you had ability to speak English. 'At home, speak what you like, but in public, speak English. It is the polite thing to do.' Today that has changed. I knew a lady, a white lady, who lived in my country for 20 years before bothering to learn English. People would resent her no more than a 'coloured' person doing the same.
The issue is, that you are now one of 'US', but when you demonstrate that you don't want to be one of 'US', it is offensive. And it should be! We Westerners are required to integrate into foreign communities when we go to Third World Countries, we will be in trouble for failing to follow the rules, and despised if we say anything that offends the locals. That is a fact.
Yet in our multicultural diverse politically correct societies, we literally fawn on the 'foreign', and accommodate it to a degree that the average homegrown citizen cannot expect to be accommodated. This is offensive. In the End, no matter whether we go to a third world country or stay at home, we are treated like second class citizens, or worse, as foreigners ourselves.
This is the emotional core of 90% of what upsets people when it comes to the issue of immigration, legal or illegal.
Until recent years in Australia, if you were going to hear some real bitching about foreigners who wouldn't integrate, you would have been hearing about the 'English' - the 'poms'.
In the end, if you want to be accepted, you must try to integrate; try to become as one of your new countrymen. In the end, today immigrants are actually encouraged to be different. In the end, our countries will become countries within countries.
Third world countries DO ENSURE that their culture is maintained. Western countries with their complex guilts, are rejecting their traditional cultures in favour of other cultures. They arrogantly (it is a form of superiority complex) think that this shows respect for foreign culture. In reality, it demonstrates that they don't value their own culture; and if they don't, why should the immigrant.
In the end, my opinion is that if you want to live in MY country, I'm not going to let 'you' treat 'me' like a foreigner. I get enough of that in China!
Everyone has the right not to like a foreign culture! However, no one has the right to mistreat those foreign people or their culture!
R.P.Bendedek
Email: rpbendedek@hotmail.com
R.P. BenDedek (pseudonym) is a conversational English Teacher in China (Hubei Radio and TV University Wuhan), and writes for Magic City Morning Star News. In addition to his 'Stories from China', he is the author of 'The King's Calendar:The Secret of Qumran' at http://www.kingscalendar.com.
The King's Calendar is a chronological study, of people and events listed in the Bible, Josephus, and The Damascus Document of the Essenes. It both confirms and challenges many cherished concepts in relation to Biblical Infallibility and Bible History, The Dead Sea Scrolls, the writings of Josephus, the Reign of Nebuchadrezzar, Moses and the Exodus, Jeremiah's Seventy year prophecy of the Babylonian Exile, Daniel's Vision of Seventy weeks, and discrepancies between the Septuagint and Masoretic Texts of the Bible.
