I have to say reading these threads make me believe there aren't many positives about California (Oakland: crime rate, to live in)

[Twinkle Toes]

Originally Posted by 4beanie

Why should there be a China town, japan town, korea town, latin, german, vietnamese, etc,ect. Pretty soon you have a larger population speaking foriegn than english. If you come to this country why shouldn't you blend in with the existing customs and language. Why do you come here if you want to make it like where you came from?

Good old fashioned racism at it's finest!

[City Boy]

Originally Posted by 4beanie

Why should there be a China town, japan town, korea town, latin, german, vietnamese, etc,ect. Pretty soon you have a larger population speaking foriegn than english. If you come to this country why shouldn't you blend in with the existing customs and language. Why do you come here if you want to make it like where you came from?

Just about every major city in every country has this, even in Tokyo there is a China town. Maybe if racists and hardcore nationalists didn't isolate them when they first arrived they wouldn't have to make their own communities. You need to brush up on your history before you get upset at disenfranchised groups of people who wanted to blend in but were shunned.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Twinkle Toes

Good old fashioned racism at it's finest!

NO! Good old fashioned pride in America at its finest. If you want to live in a "China town, japan town, korea town, latin, german, vietnamese, etc." then move. If you want to live in America then be an American regardless of your roots!

[City Boy]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

NO! Good old fashioned pride in America at its finest. If you want to live in a "China town, japan town, korea town, latin, german, vietnamese, etc." then move. If you want to live in America then be an American regardless of your roots!

I'm sure they had plenty of chances to blend in and have pride while being called every racial slur around, same with Italians and everybody else who have their own communities. This is what makes this country great the diversity, have you even been to any other cities in the world? They all have their Little (Insert Group). This is not uniquely American.

[ndfmnlf]

Originally Posted by City Boy

I'm sure they had plenty of chances to blend in and have pride while being called every racial slur around, same with Italians and everybody else who have their own communities. This is what makes this country great the diversity, have you even been to any other cities in the world? They all have their Little (Insert Group). This is not uniquely American.

Funny, but I love California precisely because of its diversity. And I'm as white as they come. I love learning different languages (I speak three). I love to travel and experience different cultures. I love to sample different cuisines. If people want to create their own ethnic enclaves within California, so much the better...then I'll know where to go for great ethnic food.

The people who hate living in today's CA are those who can't adapt to change. They have fond memories of the time when whites had all the political power because they were the majority in the state. Now they see their numerical superiority melting away....hence the CA bashing. It's really about the feelings of loss of power, the stripping away of the sense of entitlement that white people have gotten used to.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

NO! Good old fashioned pride in America at its finest. If you want to live in a "China town, japan town, korea town, latin, german, vietnamese, etc." then move. If you want to live in America then be an American regardless of your roots!

"Good old fashioned America" had Chinatowns, Japantowns, barrios, etc.

Ethnic neighborhoods are as old as America itself, many of which have disappeared through the years.

[D-Towner]

Originally Posted by majoun

"Good old fashioned America" had Chinatowns, Japantowns, barrios, etc.

Ethnic neighborhoods are as old as America itself, many of which have disappeared through the years.

Majoun, while I don't agree with some of your politics, you seem to make sense in your writing compared to others who take a more hard line approach against people they disagree with.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by City Boy

...have you even been to any other cities in the world?

Now that's almost funny. Let me see, lived in mainland China for almost two years. Japan for two and a half years. Korea for almost two years.

I've not only been to numerous Asian cities but lived in many for significant periods of time. Add having "been to" Hawaii before it became a state, Canada, Mexico (several cities) and Thailand and I think I have some perspective -- not to mention having lived in multiple cities in seven other states.

And you?

[BayAreaHillbilly]

It's true, compared with other countries the US bends over backwards to accommodate immigrants. Yes, I will admit there was prejudice many years ago that was severe enough to lead to Little Italys and Chinatowns but today there is nothing close to that level. If anything, as a nation we've gone extreme in the opposite direction and no longer expect immigrants to assimilate. I'm from relatively recent immigrant stock on one side (grandparents on that side both born aboard) and I have to say, were they still alive they'd be amazed at the current mentality. My grandfather barely had an accent by the time I was born. He had library shelves filled with books in English.

[jzt83]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

It's true, compared with other countries the US bends over backwards to accommodate immigrants. Yes, I will admit there was prejudice many years ago that was severe enough to lead to Little Italys and Chinatowns but today there is nothing close to that level. If anything, as a nation we've gone extreme in the opposite direction and no longer expect immigrants to assimilate. I'm from relatively recent immigrant stock on one side (grandparents on that side both born aboard) and I have to say, were they still alive they'd be amazed at the current mentality. My grandfather barely had an accent by the time I was born. He had library shelves filled with books in English.

One can assimilate and keep their culture. It doesn't have to be one or the other.