Immigration – Part 2 – Partial Assimilation

Posted on by Opher

Immigration – Part 2 – Partial Assimilation

Endemic populations are often content with partial assimilation. Immigrants could adopt the dress, learn the language and mirror the customs and ways of the local population – then practice their religion, speak their native language and revert to their customs when at home.

But isn’t this a little hypocritical? False?

Is it a way of not expecting people to give up their culture or religion but to make the effort to fit in with the prevailing culture?

Endemic populations often expect some sign of gratitude for ‘allowing’ these immigrants to come and live in their country. They feel that immigrants should not only obey the law of the land but also follow the unwritten rules.

Some immigrants resent this obligation.

Is it right that an immigrant should have to give up deeply held beliefs and values in order to integrate?

Should we allow religious schools? Temples and mosques? Shariah law? There are strong views either way.

Many feel that immigrants should fully integrate into society even if they then practice their religion and culture in private.

Does it push many immigrants into being more extreme than they otherwise might be?

Is partial assimilation an answer?

My views: Immigration – the three options.

Posted on by Opher

Immigration – the three options:

There is a great deal of controversy around how immigrants should behave and how they should relate to their host community. It is one that arouses great emotions on all sides. It would seem that the host community becomes extremely alarmed when their culture and way of life is displaced by large numbers of immigrants. Areas of the North of England seem to have been completely taken over by large numbers of Asians. The churches replaced by mosques, Western clothes displaced by Middle-Eastern/Indian costume. Many white people feel threatened and afraid to go into these Asian enclaves.

The same thing happened in other areas where large numbers of Eastern Europeans came in to take up field work resulting in a language problem and the opening of Easter European shops.

The endemic population felt threatened and forced out.

This tendency for immigrants to group together is a natural one. Being in a strange culture can feel threatening. Foreigners are often subjected to racism and threats. They group together for security and to have the familiarity of culture.

Ironically, the white population who appear to be most outspoken and outraged, are the same ones who are happy to go to Spain (and elsewhere) with their English flags and set up their fish and chip shops and English pubs, refuse to speak the native language and adopt the mores of the local community. There is a superiority and arrogance about it that is even more repulsive.

So how should immigrants behave? Presumably they came to the country because something attracted them? Should they then attempt to recreate the place they migrated from?

It appears to me that there are three options:

  1. Assimilation
  2. Partial Assimilation
  3. Retention of own culture and Apartheid.

In future posts I will address each of these options in turn.