Question to Brits
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- Gucci
When growing up in, or permanently moving to England, are you "English" first, and whatever else second?
For example: Lets say you're African and immigrating to England... do you assimilate to the English way of life or do you keep your African identity?
Canada has the "cultural mosaic" mentality, and I was wondering if Brits have the same mentality, or if it's more of a "melting pot" like the United States.
- de4k0
britain used to be a 'melting pot'
now it's more of a 'shit tip'
- ********0
hard to say, there aren't many 'brits' in Britain!
- Jaline0
Canada is also known as a "tossed salad", heh.
I posted this in a thread a few weeks back:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/wor…
"Prime Minister Tony Blair said Friday it was the duty of all immigrants to integrate into British society, stoking a simmering debate over religious tolerance and cultural assimilation in the country."
- Gucci0
the reason i ask is because of this story...
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORL…
After reading the article, I think this is how a lot of canadian muslims must be feeling, and yet, I hear so much more about it abroad.
Everyone is so "angry"... ugh.Ethnic groups in Canada have such strong ties to their roots in other places, religions, etc. so I'm not understanding why I'm not hearing this kind of bullshit here.
- Gucci0
cool.
nice post jaline.thanks
- Gucci0
I posted this in a thread a few weeks back:
I have been known to have my "salad tossed", heh.
Jaline
(Jan 19 07, 07:47)that's terrible, jaline.
just terrible.
- Rickbass0
I agree about the anger thing - I think it has a lot to do with the democratisation of media and the idea that everyone has to have an opinion. Well... maybe, but there's a lot of speaking without engaging the grey matter and most of what comes out tends to jump pretty quickly to the basest conclusions.
Truth is that it's a difficult subject that Britons (i.e. people who live in the British Isles) have been struggling with for 2000 odd years.
- mpfree0
"Assimilation is inevitable"
- The Borg"Resistance is futile"
- Data
- mpfree0
Canada is also known as a "tossed salad", heh.
And I for one am sick and tired of "tossing" the U.S.'s salad!
Enough already!!!
Jaline
(Jan 19 07, 07:47)
- kezza_20
I think it depends on lots of things.
An Indian doctor for example will integrate fully into English life, but an French chef may not.
There are gettos in England where you get high concentrations of ethnic minorities of all types.
Eastern Europeans are flooding the UK at the moment, but they seem to be integrating well. They come to work. Some immigrants don't nessesarily come here to work.
I think the Uk is more of a melting pot really. But you dont get the "african american" thing here. People ar either one thing or the other.
I come from an Irish family, but I regard myself as English. You just dont get " hi i'm irish english"
- lowimpakt0
in practice, can someone explain what integrating into british society means?
watching big brother?
listening to the archers?
being a racist football hooligan?
eating pie?
dreaming of the empire?
- chossy0
You are the queens property as soon as you step onto her shores and you shall be treated as well as her whim might be at the time. In addition to this you shall be kept on her empire at her majesties leisure.
- lowimpakt0
i'm down with the queen.
- st33d0
Don't be silly. All of the Swedes over here I know are 'Swedish', the Italians are 'Italian' and the Greeks are 'Greek'.
Nobody integrates into England. We just expect them to speak the language. Damned if we're learning theirs.
- rasko40
thats a pretty negative viewpoint there lowimpakt
- overeasy0
That would be English you described there lowimpact... well the empire and archers part.
- Jaline0
We just expect them to speak the language. Damned if we're learning theirs.
st33d
(Jan 19 07, 08:37)This is like most countries. It's more so the question of cultures and allowing or disallowing some of the rules that go along with a culture. Like the controversy about Muslim womens' full head-coverings or body coverings being a security threat.
- robotron3k0
another question for the Brits, why are you all so British? I mean like what's with the accent and stuff?? and those big red buses, they are like from the 50s, can't you guys get some new ones??, and the tall furry hats the military guys where?? what's up with all that?
- Jaline0
and why is Keira Knightly a stick?
- kezza_20
English girls are easy