[QUOTE=Emrobu;195414]This isn’t very accurate. We have monoligual, non-english-speaking, nonfrancophone populations. For example: if you only speak Chinese and you live in Toronto, you may get by just fine. We also have this idea that we are not a melting-pot. That analogy doesn’t work for us, and if I may offer an opinion: it doesn’t serve the US very well, either. “One-of-us or one-of-our-enemies” tends to make a lot of enemies. If we don’t accommodate each other’s cultures, we have fewer friends, learn fewer things, eat bland germano-anglo food, and piss people off.
We don’t think of ourselves as a melting pot, but we still have a unified identity. We think of ourselves as a mosaic or a patchwork: more beautiful, interesting, and valuable because of the distinctness and cultural richness of our citizens.
Its like a marriage: the most brittle unions have this expectation that the other person is perfect and perfectly suited to you, and always will be. Even if that’s true at the outset, people are always changing, which can lead to conflict, disappointment, resentment, and a feeling of being stifled. Where-as the strongest marriages are between people who have an on-going, active curiosity with the other person and the changes that they are living, and who allow each other to be who they are. Even more, they protect the “space” that the other person needs to be who they are.
In Alberta, where my home-town is, have towns and villages that have preserved the cultures, food, and sometimes languages of their original settlers. We all eat Ukrainian food now: every diner, grocery store, and cafeteria has perogies. Why? Because they’re delicious, and because we love our Ukrainian neighbours. Just as an example.
We’re not above the typical human xenophobia and, like everything else in this world, our culture is changing. Like everyone, we consume a lot of the US’s cultural products, and it isn’t always a healthy diet. But there’s something very unCanadian about fear and hatred of other cultures. I feel that it’s antithetical to our political identity.
Edit: I don’t mean to paint American’s with so broad a brush. Houston, for example. I’ve spent a lot of time in Houston, and what I love about that city is its get-along-with-your-neighbour attitude and its STAGGERING diversity. You can get the finest example of any cuisine in the world day or night in Houston. Their hiphop scene all them, nothing like what you hear on the radio. Their arts scene is fresh and surprising. People are friendly and open-hearted outside of their ethnic groups. And they ALWAYS serve salsa with eggs for breakfast: like civilized people do. Under-rated gem of a city.[/QUOTE]
In Richmond, Vancouver, you may have more problem if you DON’T speak Cantonese.
What is surprising is that two of the main Immigrant countries in the world, USA and Australia, has developed an anti-immigrant mindset lately in a large portion of the population, although they are themselves of immigrant stock. While others, like Canada and New Zealand, is more open to multiculturalism, multilingualism and multi religious beliefs.
Traditionally monocultural, multilingual Europe has managed to a large degree to accept the inevitable, that immigration is necessary to maintain the population in an aging society, although anti-immigrant attitude is becoming more prevalent in some quarters. But it is still not strong in the general population in Scandinavia, Europe, or in much of America. The exception is in the UK, where they even reject immigrants from the rest of Europe, while Brits are among the most prominent Expats in the rest of Europe and the world.
Attitude; “THEY should just stay home, while WE should be able to live where we want”!! (Imperialism??)
Having lived most of my life in multiracial, multicultural, multilingual and multi religious Singapore, I have had no problem accepting, or being accepted in a “society of multitudes”.
Likewise, having worked around the world, with all kinds of people, I have no problem with accepting that race or nationality is NOT a qualification, or a divider.
Back in 1978-80 I was Captain on an American owned and operated Drillship with 19 different nationalities in the regular crew of 35 -40.(+ Local crew and Service hands)
Nationality was NOT an issue, only your ability to do your work well and not being an a**hole.
Mixing of nationalities onboard were a deliberate policy by the Management, not an “accident”, thus avoiding any “Us and Them” attitudes and conflicts. When we one time got too many of one nationality they started to form a “gang” in the messhall and recroom. We transferred some to another rig to restore balance.
In my many years around this man’s oilfield, I have found that mixed crews are a better solution than all of the same kind. That goes for rigs, boats and barges, or whatever, incl. in in shore based management.
