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I'd prefer if Canada remained mostly white and english/french speaking myself? Same thing for the USA. Call me a racist or just someone that appreciates his culture and wants to preserve it? I call the latter. To claim the former would be hypocritical as I'm sure many other demo graphical communities and populations all over the world would likely wan the same thing.
Why would someone move to a new country if the old country's culture is so important to them?
For the freedom to practise it.
For economic reasons.
For political reasons.
For religious freedom.
It's why the Russian Mennonites immigrated from Prussia to Ukraine. And then from Ukraine to North America. and then from North America on to places like Mexico, Belize and Paraguay, having negotiated their right to continue their religious faith/culture such as pacifism, and education in German in their own schools. Assimilation was never part of the plan and they got that in writing. http://www.mennonitehistorian.ca/11.3.MHSep85.pdf
The Doukhobors also immigrated for religious reasons without any intention to assimilate, and while I don't believe they recieved any written promises, they were verbally promised they could continue to live in Canada just as they had in the Russian Empire, minus the persecution. Of course they became too successful for "English" Canadians and had their properties confiscated in Saskatchewan.
I can think of more reasons than not why people would immigrate to North America without wanting to assimilate particularly into the mainstream culture. As nations of immigrants and promoters of freedom, it seems to many that it is easier to fit in as a "real" Canadian or American than it does when immigrating as an outsider to a country traditionally associated with a particular culture.
Some immigrants always do assimilate of course. I think Bostonkid covered it well.
I don't support assimilation/intergration or multiculturalism,by the second or third generation everything is usually lost (the traditions,identity et al)and that is deeply saddening to me and is cultural death and ancestral death.
I don't get this concern about loosing cultural identity .... in my city it seems like their is a world of possibilities at your finger tips at all times.
We are exposed to so much and end up taking bits and pieces of influences from all around the world and incorporating them in to our own lives.
For example you come to my house for dinner expect anything .... because you could get anything .... Chinese, Middle Eastern, Moroccan, Afghani, Japanese, West Indian, East Indian, Italian, Latin American, Italian, Persian, Polish. We have global tastes. It just makes like so much more interesting.
I love being able to get and try just about anything in my city. Today there is a Korean ... Greek ... Italian... Indian .... Persian or whatever else festival and the enter city is invited to join in the celebration.
We get globally influenced ideas on how to resolve problems and developed out city.
We have a buffet of choices and influences. It is inspiring and reminds you that the world has so much to discover.
Homogenous populations without diversity just seem boring to me. Why have one choice when you could have hundreds of choices?
It's why the Russian Mennonites immigrated from Prussia to Ukraine. And then from Ukraine to North America. and then from North America on to places like Mexico, Belize and Paraguay, having negotiated their right to continue their religious faith/culture such as pacifism, and education in German in their own schools. Assimilation was never part of the plan and they got that in writing. http://www.mennonitehistorian.ca/11.3.MHSep85.pdf
Interesting point and you are right. I have met a lot of people of Mennonite background here but most people I have met are pretty well integrated and part of mainstream culture and society.
I recently met a family from Egypt here in Winnipeg. They are also refugees to Canada. They belonged to a religious minority in their country and their stories are heart breaking. They have found community and an Egyptian Coptic church where they can worship in peace with out fear of violence and discrimination, specially the women, they now feel safe going outside with out their heads covered. They seem very eager to integrate and become part of large culture and society, something they couldn't do at home.
More then one thing can be important to you at the same time.
For example I proud of my West Indian and Middle Eastern cultural background. People don't come to Canada thinking I am coming here because my culture is garbage. The come here to discovering and experience something different. This does not mean they think their culture is not good.
When I travel somewhere else it is not because I think my culture or country is no good ... it is to experience something different.
You don't have to toss out one to accept the other.
I think things about Canadian culture and things about my own cultural background and also dislikes things about both cultures.
Canada is a large country by land mass, not population. Taking in 57,000 sounds about right. It would be INSANE to let millions in without the proper infrastructure etc to accommodate them.
Canada is not stupid.
Somehow the sarcasm was missed. Of course Canada cannot handle endless numbers of refugees and immigrants. Point was that the US can't either and that drawing a line does not indicate a lack of compassion.
Interesting point and you are right. I have met a lot of people of Mennonite background here but most people I have met are pretty well integrated and part of mainstream culture and society.
I recently met a family from Egypt here in Winnipeg. They are also refugees to Canada. They belonged to a religious minority in their country and their stories are heart breaking. They have found community and an Egyptian Coptic church where they can worship in peace with out fear of violence and discrimination, specially the women, they now feel safe going outside with out their heads covered. They seem very eager to integrate and become part of large culture and society, something they couldn't do at home.
Yes ... I have also met many Bosnian Muslims that came to Canada fleeing precaution from genocide from the large Christian population. People can be ignorant and cruel all around the world regardless of faith or ethnic background.
Maybe the world really does need to look at us as an example right now. We have something really good going on here and we need to maintain it.
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