tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251437455227290511.post7209157680106647267..comments2023-10-29T05:07:19.442-07:00Comments on Science, Technology, Copyright + More: Norway and extremismAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583492196215265543noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251437455227290511.post-36981122693183129602011-07-26T08:09:51.514-07:002011-07-26T08:09:51.514-07:00You could be right, that integration is more of a ...You could be right, that integration is more of a problem of socio-economic differences rather than a racial problem. That these problems will go away over time as the group members grow older. Your are obviously correct that it's not worth discriminating them, however that means that people respond better to statistics than stories. We both know that isn't true. <br /><br />That being said, let me draw a comparison to my experiences and stories that I've heard from my fellow classmates. Integration as a foreigner in the Netherlands can be difficult even if you don't have the cultural hangups that exist in other countries. It's just come from a different world. International students, I've discovered, want to integrate and giving us the tools make that easier. You've been in conversations with me where over the period of a few minutes it went from all english to all dutch. It's not intentional, it just happens. Tools to help integrate include a better grasp on the language. In my opinion language is a representation of culture, when groups of people refuse to learn the language it can be seen as insulting and intentionally not integrating. <br /><br />In the US when some one don't talk AMERICAN, it upsets a lot of people. The influx of immigrants that don't speak the language and don't have a similar cultural background scares people. It scares people to be loosing their cultural identity, so they act out in ways that they can.<br />It is some time the perception of lack of integration that is more important than the actual numbers on either side. People aren't rational, and can be extremely emotional.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05583492196215265543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251437455227290511.post-87987637392089165232011-07-26T07:47:35.779-07:002011-07-26T07:47:35.779-07:00Hey Ryan, nice blogpost
but i have to say that yo...Hey Ryan, nice blogpost<br /><br />but i have to say that you follow to much of the rethoric from the rightwing parties(and unfortunately also leftwing these days) in the last paragraphs: it is a matter of correctly framing the problem..Examining the statistics and the history will tell you that the overwhelming majority of the immigrants in my country (will) integrate quite reasonably. <br /><br />Some examples to back this up: in the (i think 70s) the netherlands faced a problem, far bigger than the problems now, with the youth from the Moluk(minority oppressed in indonesia, long story) community. They went even as far as highjacking trains to express their anger.<br />Now nothing has really changed, but we do not hear much about them anymore suggesting that most of the problems solved themselves. I could give a similar argument for immigrants from Suriname. <br /><br />Second example: Morrocans are more criminal then dutchies. However i would wonder what would happen if this number would be adjusted by class and more importantly age. Even if there is then a significant difference it is important to realize that the majority of them (85% at least) is not criminal. Meaning that by any statistical measure it is not worth discriminating them <br /><br />Sorry for such a long reply but my big fear is that even sensible, smart and i dare say liberal people like yourself frame the issues wrong and arrive at needless racist and anti-immigrant positions, while not focussing on the actual problems (of which expensive language courses you have rightly identified).Jurriënhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07241989590510289103noreply@blogger.com