On yesterday's show of the BBC World Service's World Have Your Say about multiculturalism and extremism, the discussion about how the United States is much more of a melting pot than other countries really caught my attention.
While I feel that the United States is a melting pot, it seems that it is cooling as there is an interesting surge of protectionism and nativism in the mainstream media. For instance, a Census Bureau press release today revealed that immigrant populations are rapidly growing throughout the country as Latinos spur population growth in the country, and this will surely rile up the crowd who is concerned about illegal immigration and increasing visa quotas.
Discussing multiculturalism on the show is just as timely as Daphne Eviatar's article "Nightly Nativism" in the upcoming issue of the leftist The Nation magazine about the burgeoning ratings and questionable editorial standards behind Lou Dobbs Tonight on CNN/US. Further, to the chagrin of many editorial employees at the network, CNN executives seemingly allow the divisive Lou Dobbs to act as a paleoconservative "tin-horn dictator" over his show.
Then there is Ruben Navarrette Jr. of The San Diego Union-Tribune who is stoking the fire by asserting that "immigration foes" are actually xenophobes who are afraid that immigrants will harm American culture. Whatever that is...
The fact that many Latinos marched in the streets here to support the plight of illegal aliens a few months reveals how concerned they are about this issue. Of course, the conflicting US Senate and House immigration bills that are in limbo as members of both chambers take their respective bills to the people before a vote this fall. It makes one wonder why these bills were not merged months ago. The elections in November?
Since the immigration issue has heated up recently, it has affected some political races in the country. For instance, Congressman Chris Cannon had a viable threat from fellow conservative John Jacob in the recent Republican Primary in Utah's 3rd Congressional District since Cannon is not as hardline on immigration as Jacob is. Even national pundit Bay Buchanan and her Team America PAC (also led by Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo) got involved in this primary race. With all of this political hoopla, is this just a hot issue among pundits and politicos?
This is definitely a topic worth exploring as we see immigration and multiculturalism creep further into current events -- from current American politics to treatment of Arab Muslims in Western countries.
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Comments: 17
If you go to Europe you clearly see Arab immigrants are not assimilating. A Frenchmen that I know personally who works at the French Embassy in DC confided in me that France and England have lost their country due to immigrants who refuse to assimilate.
I lived in chicago for 30 years... the majority around me was mexican, I moved to northern Illinois 6 years ago,,, the majority around me is white, then black. Go 2 miles in either direction,, mexican.
Now my point. My mom worked for a company for 22 years before loosing her job to outsourcing in India. She worked for nearly 30 years total, paying into the system. She got a years unemployment. couldn;t get welfare cause she'e white with no minor children. No food stamps either. If she didn't have me and my husband she would have been homeless, destitute. After 5 years she had to leave the state and go down south where it;s cheaper. her husband was there and found work. Even there she couldn;t get assisstance... 30 years of working and she gets no help.. yet the mexicans are walking out with welfare, food stamps.... it makes me really angry,,
don;t even get me started on college money that my daughter and brother can;t get because it goes to illegals...
The key to become assimilated into another society is communication. Language becomes a wall between those who wish to move on and climb up into the society that you wish to become part of. That does not mean that one has to loose their customs and language.
Living and working in a high immigrant area I have discovered there are Hispanic immigrants that they do not feel the need to learn English or assimilate to American society. What is different from the immigrant groups that came here 50 years ago is that these immigrants plan to go back to their home country.
Many of the Hispanic immigrants I have talked to complain about how much everything cost. The only time they can save is by working non stop. Their plans usual are not to assimilate but to make as much money in the short term and go back home w/ a newly built house paid in full.
I feel your anger too. This is an invasion of sorts. It's like having ants in your kitchen. The problem will be solved in the next generations. These are human beings in need. Not to worry. We survived the Civil War. Why not this? Trust your institutions.
This is just not true. My Mexican man, born of Mexican immigrants, speaks better English than some of the white Americans I see here on Gather.
Great point! It is the attitude of immigrants -- not their legal status, albeit an important factor -- that matters to you.
You will find varying attitudes among immigrants - to stay here or to make money and then go home - as you would in any society. We can't generalize immigrants just as can't the general society.
I have met many immigrants - both legal and illegal - who work very hard, long hours, doing work you wouldn't see the average American doing. Those are the people that bring drive, initiative, and innovation to this country - we WANT those people. I've also met immigrants who are here just because the US provides them with benefits. You know what? I don't want those people here.
But then again, I don't like the native citizens who don't do jack either.
It's just that when it's too late to debate whether illegal immigration is correct - why bother attacking that particular subject? I mean, in my humble opinion, millions of illegal immigrants kinda puts the issue beyond the "debate" stage...
Focusing, on the other hand, on how to curb the current trend, while maintaining our dignity and theirs - is paramount to a humane solution.
They are exactly like us - minus the birth country. They come in all shapes and sizes, religions, moral values, personal ethics, etc. Some are upstanding "citizens" while others are terrifying criminals.
I think, sometimes, our government wants this to blow over. They think it's a product of our fear of a negative blow to the economy, or the war, or high gas prices or a combination.
Is it? Is that what fuels these sudden, heated debates?
Or is it something more profound? I'd like to think so. Being illegal must be horribly scary, life-threatening, stressful.... Don't you think?