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Switzerland is one of the least "diverse" nations on the planet. The majority of immigrants are from Germany, France, and Italy, although they have taken in Iraqi refugees.
They owe a good deal of their success to their lack of diversity.
My experiences with "diversity" have been rather...inconsistent. We lived in the PI for 4 years when I was a youngster. My Dad was in the Navy. He brought us back to NV when he retired. But I digress. When we came back stateside we lived in Maryland for a bit before coming West again. Aberdeen Proving Ground/Edgewood Arsenal. I was in the first grade and was placed in a class where a problem arose.
When we were overseas I was primarily in the care of a Filipina nanny because my parents were always gone elsewhere. My dad was on duty and my Mom heavily involved with Navy wife stuff. So Zany, the nanny , was my primary influence for a lot of the four years we were there. So I was speaking and understanding Tagalog better than English. My language was kind of a mixture with Tagalog at the front.
This got overlooked when I was placed in school stateside. I remember well listening to the teacher and she sounded like the Charlie Brown cartoon. Blah ..blah blah blah blah. So when she turned her back I would slip out the door and go exploring. They finally figured out my problem and their solution was to punish me whenever I spoke Tagalog. My folks didn't believe me when I told them and the school of course denied everything.
From whippings with a yard stick to being locked in a closet and segregated and humiliated in the corner of the classroom. My Tagalog disappeared of course as did much of what Tommy, our Negrito yard guy, taught me that came out in my interactions with other kids. I kinda understand what American Indian kids sent to White school went through.
Back then there was zero tolerance for anything but English in school . I would be far better off today if I was allowed to retain my Tagalog. We have a heavy Filipino population here. And hardly any White people can understand let alone speak the language. Sometimes when I listen to them talk I pick up bits and pieces but I can't form sentences. In my case the squashing of a diverse ability was detrimental in the long run.
I'm pretty sure I could re learn but it would take time I don't have to do.I've thought about asking one of the Filipina nurses I know if they would help but have been sorta shy about that. But speaking Tagalog again is a diverse skill I would welcome back into my life. Speaking any other language but English is a rare ability in the US with White people.
This is one thing I admire about Europe is their multi lingual skills. It's not unusual to find a European who speaks three or more languages. This is an aspect of diversity I believe more White Americans should embrace. Language skills would go a long way toward building bridges. I don't subscribe to the "English only" philosophy. If we could communicate with immigrants in their native languages I believe that "diversity" would have a more fertile ground to grow in.
It would help Americans realize that not everybody in the world thinks like Americans. Being able to communicate would lead to much more peaceful interaction and exchange of cultural ideas. A lot of Americans are totally resistant to the idea of speaking anything but English. A lot of that is stemming from the inundation by Spanish speaking people and I sorta understand the resistance because it seems to be being forced. Many Hispanics also refuse to speak English so the language problem is two pronged there.
But with so many people coming in from so many different places the language barriers alone are causing a lot of friction. That being said English is the language spoken here and anyone immigrating here needs to learn it but it would also be handy for Americans to speak more than English. Spanish is becoming a common second language with a lot of Americans out of necessity which is causing a lot of resentment and I understand that but maybe, just maybe, if we Americans embraced multi lingual skills more that resentment could be smoothed over a bit. Every little bit helps.
Switzerland is one of the least "diverse" nations on the planet. The majority of immigrants are from Germany, France, and Italy, although they have taken in Iraqi refugees.
They owe a good deal of their success to their lack of diversity.
Not true at all. It is very diverse. Those immigrants you mentioned represent three different nations and cultures, so it is very diverse indeed, as is the fact that they speak 4 languages. It is the most diverse nation in Europe, and more diverse than the US. Canada is also more diverse than the US.
Your idea of diversity is limited to race, which is incorrect. Did you know Congo is considered one of the most diverse countries on the planet, and everyone there is black? I bet you did not know that.
no and no one is saying crimes are the fault of ALL black people so nice strawman. it is the fault of those people committing the crime. it is not society's fault or some slave owner from 200 years ago's fault
And it's not our fault that people in Vietnam are passing bad DNA through to multiple generations due to the Agent Orange dumps we left there, right?
It's not our fault that London and Wall Stripped stripped the coal and timber from the hollows of WV, KY and OH and left the people hopeless, right?
It's all their fault. White people in all those places are simply inferior...according to your world view, right?
Except of course I said no such thing, but I will say having no desire to learn new things isn't what brought man out of the stone age.
And diversity isn't what brought man out of the stone-age. An understanding of the physical world has nothing to do with knowing some obscure fact about Congolese culture.
Do you honestly believe it was diversity that got us to the moon? All of our "rocket-scientists" had been Germans under Hitler, and they were by far the most-advanced country in the world at the time, and they despised diversity.
Not true at all. It is very diverse. Those immigrants you mentioned represent three different nations and cultures, so it is very diverse indeed, as is the fact that they speak 4 languages. It is the most diverse nation in Europe, and more diverse than the US. Canada is also more diverse than the US.
Your idea of diversity is limited to race, which is incorrect. Did you know Congo is considered one of the most diverse countries on the planet, and everyone there is black? I bet you did not know that.
Iceland is one of the least diverse.
And you are telling me that the culture of France, Switzerland, and Germany is markedly different?
Of course they speak four different languages- most Europeans do.
The "cultural difference" between the French, German and Swiss is about as much as the cultural difference between Wyoming and Montana.
It means speaking English, not wearing a veil, and embracing the laws and culture of the US.
If you transfer the laws and culture of your native land, you are essentially importing what you fled in the first place,
Culture meaning what? We're diverse and multiethnic, with a wide variety of religions, races, ethnicities, moral codes, everything. Thread fail. And it's hard to argue the law thing either, since laws vary from state to state. Murder even has a statute of limitations in some states.
It means speaking English, not wearing a veil, and embracing the laws and culture of the US.
If you transfer the laws and culture of your native land, you are essentially importing what you fled in the first place,
You mean the language imported from England?
You are bothered by veils? The art depicting “ Virgin Mary” offensive?
No shortage of US people in prison for breaking the law, the basis of which was imported from England.
I am not aware of a common definition of US culture. Would that be mass consumerism and debt?
Feigned outrage? Victimization? Blame-throwing? A belief the US is superior to the rest of the world?
People are naturally curious. We should simply be respectful to others and expect the same in return. When we around others different from ourselves, natural curiosity kicks in. When that happens, we are most receptive to the answers we get regarding differences. People also naturally want to be around those similar to themselves. This alone doesn’t keep them from those different. It doesn’t diminish the capacity for friendship and respect.
When we force anything on people, there’s a defense that goes up automatically. Right or wrong, it happens.
My experience is nature always works things out. Imagine how crazy life would get in these non diversified countries if it were forced? As it is now, all are welcomed. No one is forced to welcome. It’s just natural.
There are people from other nations that come here, do their best to assimilate into our country and do just fine. We are naturally curious and ask about their homeland and cultural differences.
Then there are others that come and force us to accommodate to their culture they brought with them. It never goes smoothly. Unfortunately these instances are what are focused on instead of the thousands that live harmoniously.
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