Teddy R. said it bestFollow

I've heard that twice now on the radio in the past two or three days. You guys have a newsletter of pithy quotes you pass around weekly?

Regardless of whether or not you agree with the passage, it makes me smirk when people attribute this stuff to great leaders. Like I'm supposed to find the views on immigration from a fat, rich white frat boy from Harvard at the turn of the century especially pressing or relevant? Maybe if he had something to say about rhino hunting or how to showboat to the press when you find a frightened bear cub. That's news you can use!

You had me at easily.

/nod

I am American, but this is an idiotic premise. If I gave up my language, culture, and heritage, I wouldn't be any good at my job, nor would we have a way of communicating with the constant influx of immigrants that are brand-spanking new to this country.

What people seem to cling to is this idea that assimilation is something that happens overnight. These people aren't running away (in most cases) from a government that wants to harm them, but from poor economic conditions. As such, they see the United States as a step up economically and a way to help at home. Very few mean to stay. You know what happens? Assimilation. It's slow, but it happens. You may never learn the language or learn it at a avery basic level, but one day you realize you can't go back home. You're too "Americanized". You like your car, your TV, and you're used to the way things are run here. Then you or your children meet and marry someone from here, either a second-generation immigrant like them that was raised here, or another American, and guess what? Now your grandchildren grow up speaking only English, and they don't know about your holidays or your history. In about three generations, your grandchildren will consider themselves Americans of Mexican heritage instead of Mexicans. A couple of generations more, and maybe not even that.

Patience, gringos. Rome wasn't built (or destroyed) in a day.

Edited, Mon Nov 14 08:18:29 2005 by Atomicflea

this country is too large and whoever's in charge had better take the elevator down and put more than just change in our cup, or else we. are coming. Up.





am I gay for knowing that line?

Um, yes... they're called Talking Points =P

Talking points.



People that eat dogs.

My grandfather, on my father's side, stepped off a boat with his parents and siblings some 80-odd years ago. Not a one of them spoke English and not a one of them had any special skills that might make him or her more desireable a hire than the countless other FOBs that were massing on the East Coast. My grandfather and his siblings learned English. Great-gramma never did, but great-grampa learned enough to get by. My grandfather moved west, joined the army, married a cute Norwiegen girl, had American kids, and so forth and so on.

I am an American. My father was born here, my son was born here. I do not know enough of the heritage of any of my grandparents to call myself anything more than that. I, like Nobs, once had my faith to get in the way of rational thought, but have since lost it, as well.

Cry for me, laugh at me, comiserate with me over a pint and a pipe, no matter. I am what I am and I know it.

So why the ramble? No idea.

The problem we face today with our immigrant populations is no different from the problems faced by "Americans" of previous generations during migratory waves. We look around and see "them". People who are among us that stick to their own enclaves. They place supreme import on maintaining their cultural identities for their children and so on. They learn bits and pieces of the language to get by. They gain the toehold in America for their seed.

Their children attend schools and learn English. They integrate more in to society. They will grow up and produce the next generation of "Americans".

Still the question remains, why the ramble?

The bible says there is nothing new under the sun. The pop song says its all just a little bit of history repeating. The cynic would say same sh;t, different day. I say those who do not learn from the mistakes of history are doomed to repeat them. That is not to say "Close the borders!!!", that is to say take your country for what it is. Allow newcomers to be who they are. Assimilation comes naturally. Accept it as it happens. Forcing it on a population will only breed resentment the likes of which can be seen by fire light nightly in French cities.

Because that brand is part of their heritage? And, for that matter, what is "American" aside from a mix of different cultures? Do we all wear cowboy hats? Coonskin caps? Colonial three-pointers? Eat hotdogs and say "How about them Mets?"

I dissagree. Canada is well known for it's acceptace and respect of heritage. What I am tring to say is, people who immigrate to Canada from all over the world are proud to simply say they are Canadian. We have legions for each ethnic group all over the place. For example, in the small town I live in we have a Polish, Ukranian and Italian Legion. We even have churches that cater to each language, however if you were to ask anyone of them what their citizenship was they would say they were Canadian; not Polish-Canadian, not Italian-Canadian. Just Canadian. Also, there is no such thing as an African-Canadian. Ever wonder why?

That's what I'm asking.

Yeah, if you're going to take over a western American culture, it should be with diseased blankets and mass genocides and stuff.

The New Colossus By Emma Lazarus 1883.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

*Shrug*

Different Strokes 'n all that. I don't see the real harm in it outside of some nebulous "but we're all just people!" chant so why change it? It's like ******** about the Chinese using chopsticks when we prefer using forks.