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[quote=Captain American;5728341]
Let me put it this way: If the illegal immigrants in this country were beautiful, white, English-speaking women, would anyone complain?
quote]
Even with LEGAL IMMIGRANTS and WHITE coming from Eastern Europe, americans just don't like them too much, if I am in a store and keep my mouth shut I get some conversation or smiles, once I open it.... the smiles are frozen....Tell me why please? We don't have a heavy accent but we still have one and we don't speak English 100% correct but we'are trying to...
I'm kind of disappointed of american friendliness with immigrants... we had better experience in Irelad and other countries, we still have friends over there...
Even with LEGAL IMMIGRANTS and WHITE coming from Eastern Europe, americans just don't like them too much, if I am in a store and keep my mouth shut I get some conversation or smiles, once I open it.... the smiles are frozen....Tell me why please? We don't have a heavy accent but we still have one and we don't speak English 100% correct but we'are trying to...
I'm kind of disappointed of american friendliness with immigrants... we had better experience in Irelad and other countries, we still have friends over there...
My father is a legal immigrant from Hungary: he was able to secure a sponsor to come to the USA in 1951. He still has that generic Eastern Euro accent whereas I have a slight 'Southern' one. I was born/raised in the Wash DC area.
Even with LEGAL IMMIGRANTS and WHITE coming from Eastern Europe, americans just don't like them too much, if I am in a store and keep my mouth shut I get some conversation or smiles, once I open it.... the smiles are frozen....Tell me why please? We don't have a heavy accent but we still have one and we don't speak English 100% correct but we'are trying to...
I'm kind of disappointed of american friendliness with immigrants... we had better experience in Irelad and other countries, we still have friends over there...
What part of America are you in? I'm in a small town in Wyoming and I've found people here to be very welcoming of everybody and fascinated by people from outside of the country. We have a large contingency of foreign students from all over the world at the university. As a matter of fact, that has been my experience across the country.
Everyone I know loves legal immigrants and visitors, especially those who make the effort to speak our language. I don't know where you are that they don't.
What part of America are you in? I'm in a small town in Wyoming and I've found people here to be very welcoming of everybody and fascinated by people from outside of the country. We have a large contingency of foreign students from all over the world at the university. As a matter of fact, that has been my experience across the country.
Everyone I know loves legal immigrants and visitors, especially those who make the effort to speak our language. I don't know where you are that they don't.
In North Carolina, it's not a small city.
We live in a high well rated community, it's very nice and safe, we were so gald to have this opportunity to live there....After a short while we noticed that our neighbors throw gathering for their kids and never invited us(we a have a little one too), they resume to say the usuall and polite "Hi, How are you doing?" and then walk away. We are kind of shy... we are not that type to get into the others lives... unless they would invite us.
At work, same atmosphere, just business talks but no social events with co-workers, nothing,...for us is hard because we don't have parents, sisters, cousins, nothing here...
We found some families coming from the same country as we do and we met together with our kids and visit places, but no american familiy so far....
In North Carolina, it's not a small city.
We live in a high well rated community, it's very nice and safe, we were so gald to have this opportunity to live there....After a short while we noticed that our neighbors throw gathering for their kids and never invited us(we a have a little one too), they resume to say the usuall and polite "Hi, How are you doing?" and then walk away. We are kind of shy... we are not that type to get into the others lives... unless they would invite us.
At work, same atmosphere, just business talks but no social events with co-workers, nothing,...for us is hard because we don't have parents, sisters, cousins, nothing here...
We found some families coming from the same country as we do and we met together with our kids and visit places, but no american familiy so far....
Should that be important? It's Eastern Europe and it's not Russia or other ex-russians countries, close to Hungary.
That's strange. Perhaps people have become so sick of illegal aliens that they are subconsciously transferring those feelings to ALL immigrants. I don't know.
1) For the purpose of behavior and culture DO NOT think of America as one country. We are HUGE and Diverse. Compare San Francisco to Salt Lake City and you will see a radical difference in their attitude towards immigrants, guns, politics, religion, etc. The area you are in may not be friendly towards immigrants. Other areas of this country are.
2) Keep in mind it may not be your immigrant status. Many blacks whose ancestry goes back to the founding of America will feel unwelcome in certain neighborhoods in the U.S. You may simply be in an area that dislikes people who are outside of their experience or worse still may be racist. There are many parts of the country with little or no racism.
3) It could be you. No I don't mean that in a bad way. Different cultures do things differently. Talk to someone from the middle east and they will get right in your face. In their culture you stand FAR closer to a person when talking then here. That tends to upset many Americans. Talk to many NATIVE Asians as a superior and they tend to avoid eye contact. In their culture you don't look a superior in the eyes. Here in America you do, otherwise you look shifty. You may be doing something which is not part of the cultural norm of the area you moved to.
4) Smell. Once again no offence is meant. I know when I have gone to visit Asia, Japan in particular, I smell funny to them. It's my diet and what us Americans eat. Likewise Asians who still eat the traditional diet smell different to me. I have a friend who is a vegetarian and she smells different.
5) The area could have a large RECENT influx of immigrants from your part of the world. Where I live in California when we have 1 or 2 families from another part of the world move in they are welcomed with open arms. However anytime we get a sudden influx from one region it is not so nice. I remember the 1970s Vietnam immigrant in OC and people got VERY vocal for a number of years because a large influx of immigrants brings many changes and problems. In the late 90's a lot of Russians started moving here and there are a lot of problems.
6) Your neighbors may just be stupid ignorant jerks.
7) You may need to be more active. You say your shy. They may be unsure how to handle you. We have become overly PC in some part of America and they may not want to offend you or your beliefs so they ignore you. Invite you to a party? What if you don't eat what they do and are offended that they would serve you cooked beef. What if they make a remark that offends your strange religion. Safer to just smile, nod and say good day.
Quote:
we are not that type to get into the others lives... unless they would invite us.
They may be thinking the exact same thing.
8) Try hosting a small party at your place. If your child is having a Birthday sometime soon throw a Pizza party at a pizza parlor (Neutral ground with food guaranteed that the kids will like.) and invite his school mates and neighborhood kids as well as the parents.
9) Join some local clubs and socialize.
10) If you go to church talk to Americans at your church and make friends there. If there are NO Americans at your church then #5 is probably where the problem is.
Hope this helps.
Quote:
Originally Posted by zxcv
Even with LEGAL IMMIGRANTS and WHITE coming from Eastern Europe, americans just don't like them too much, if I am in a store and keep my mouth shut I get some conversation or smiles, once I open it.... the smiles are frozen....Tell me why please? We don't have a heavy accent but we still have one and we don't speak English 100% correct but we'are trying to...
I'm kind of disappointed of american friendliness with immigrants... we had better experience in Irelad and other countries, we still have friends over there...
You may be correct Benicar, the americans might be just too sick of immigrants over all because the illegal ones.
Thanks RandomU for all your advises, very interesting, I'm goona try to become more friendlier.
No, I don't blame my neibours of being jerks, they are nice people for sure.Maybe they already have their circle of friends in our neighbourhood and they are not interesting in contacting new guys ? Could be, but I still think that as americans we would have had better chances to interact with them.
About the culture,I really don't think it's any major difference if any, but we are willing to adapt.
I haven't taken any offence, but just to mention that : we don't smell bad, we are clean, we eat the same as americans (italian, greek, hamburgers, fries, hot dog, pizza, fish,chicken, pork, not too much beef , etc) , we dress the same, we like movies, popcorn, PCs, music, etc.
You may be correct Benicar, the americans might be just too sick of immigrants over all because the illegal ones.
Thanks RandomU for all your advises, very interesting, I'm goona try to become more friendlier.
No, I don't blame my neibours of being jerks, they are nice people for sure.Maybe they already have their circle of friends in our neighbourhood and they are not interesting in contacting new guys ? Could be, but I still think that as americans we would have had better chances to interact with them.
About the culture,I really don't think it's any major difference if any, but we are willing to adapt.
I haven't taken any offence, but just to mention that : we don't smell bad, we are clean, we eat the same as americans (italian, greek, hamburgers, fries, hot dog, pizza, fish,chicken, pork, not too much beef , etc) , we dress the same, we like movies, popcorn, PCs, music, etc.
Before you jump to any conclusions, why don't you at least try RandomU's #8 suggestion. You might be pleasantly surprised. Best wishes!
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Tell me why please? We don't have a heavy accent but we still have one and we don't speak English 100% correct but we'are trying to...
