Has increasing ethnic diversity in MN affected Minnesota Nice? (Mora: insurance, big house)

[Dingler]

When I grew up in small town Minnesota we knew all our neighbors and felt comfortable with everyone. Some were nicer than others but we shared a common bond. Why? Because 98% of us were either German or Swedish going back five generations. Most people in my home town Great Grandparents were immigrants, but few were actual first generation immigrants. We all shared a common culture and appearance. It made me feel comfortable.

Now the street I grew up with has all kinds of people who are not typical Minnesotans. The friendly neighborhood is now divided. People feel out of place and divide into racial groups. Wasn't the old boring Minnesota easier? Or maybe not?

[Jaxx99]

What a great question. My observation, mainly personal, has been this: Increasing diversity creates many more moronic posts on this forum.

[JenLee]

Originally Posted by Jaxx99

What a great question. My observation, mainly personal, has been this: Increasing diversity creates many more moronic posts on this forum.

By the same people every time! (NOT you, Jaxx99!)

[Zippy7fo]

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How can you rail against the same behavior you live by?????

[Lindenin]

Originally Posted by Dingler

Wasn't the old boring Minnesota easier? ?

No, the easier Minnesota was boring.

Sure, it was "easy" to simply go outside and associate with a bunch of people who looked like they could be your sibling, had the exact same nasal accent as you did, and knew your parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

But the additional diversity doesn't affect our ability to be "nice". Although, I will say this: It is human nature to associate with people who are like you. When I see a European-ish looking middle-aged guy with 2 kids, like me, who speaks English, I assume he would be somewhat approachable. When I see a Somali immigrant, in a circle with other Somalis, speaking their langauge, I find them less approachable. And while I don't know this for sure, I'm betting they feel the same way about me.

My grandparents' native tongue was Swedish, and they figured out a way to be friendly with their Norwegian neighbors. Their son married one of them. My parents were Scandinavian, and they figured out how to associate with their Irish acquantances. Their son married one of them. I'm of European descent, and I'm finding ways to blend with my new hispanic, Somali, or Hmong friends.... see where I'm going with this? The great melting pot.

[kim825]

Easier Minnesota in my opinion wouldn't be boring. The melting pot of a few generations ago is long gone. In case you liberals haven't noticed. Majority of today's immigrants don't feel obligated to "melt" in our pot............ Our country's feel good policies have allowed immigrants to get lazy about assimilating. That's why we've got sky high ESL costs, etc. etc. I long for people wanting to assimilate enough to relate to each other. Instead we get these pockets and ethnic groups. The more liberals push for equality the more they cause inequality by constantly making accomadations for diversity. Let's just all shut up about it and the melting might happen naturally. Stop giving immigrants a free pass, last I checked they supposedly wanted to be American.

signed
one of the moronic posters
proud right wing ultra conservative

[catluvr]

Everyone has a few pennies laying around their house; not worth very much by themselves. But, if you were to go door to door collecting all of those pennies and combine them into a piggy bank, pot or whatever, you would start to see some value gained in these pennies.

Moral of the story: If everyone blends together, a lot more value becomes of it. An individual penny isn't worth a whole lot and is not very productive. A bunch of pennies together in the same bank can actually add value and become productive and useful.

My viewpoint.

I just got through a "diversity" training session for new employee orientation and they were teaching just the opposite. The wording was such, "There is nothing you can do to make people have things in common, so we just need to celebrate and appreciate differences". HUH?

Enough said about the stupid diversity classes. I do not need a class to get along with others and be fair. It's the Christian way.

Our common goal is to be a productive society. If no one works together, we will have nothing but a non-productive, poor, crumbling country. I could go to a third world country for that. For anyone that disagrees, look at the Fall of Rome.

[Lindenin]

Good points. What I'm trying to say is that skin color and country of origin shouldn't make a big difference in if we can be "nice" to a person or be able to make use of their talents.

And I'm not even one of those liberals. I'm a conservative who believes that skin color and ancestry should be completely irrelevent. If I'm an employer, and I need 10 skilled workers, then I need the best 10 I can get. If all 10 are white males, then it is what it is. If all 10 are immigrants from Somalia, then it is what it is. Skin color should have nothing to do with it.

Last summer I had a roofing project done. I got three bids -- 2 from local contractors with white guys who grew up in MN, 1 from a hispanic with legal, documented workers and full insurance. I went with the hispanic. 2/3 of the price, and quality was excellent. The guys also finished ahead of schedule. Skin color had nothing to do with that decision, but in that case, the hispanics were the best people for me to partner with.

[dbf32771]

It probably has affected "Minnesota Nice". However, it is not the only factor. I also think that people are more concerned about their Ipods, big houses, and other material things than substance.

I also think liberalism has affected Minnesota Nice too.

[Dingler]

Just because you liberal open minded people feel that race should not make a big difference on how sociable the new multi ethnic neighborhood is... does not make racists of all races behave that way. The new people from Africa living on my old block in small town MN, who will not talk to whites are just as guilty..

30 years ago the lack of racial diversity in town gave one less reason for people to dislike each other. And the comfort of everyone coming from the same race gave us a reason to be comfortable and like each other.