Should immigrants integrate?

Question

No doubt there will be countless questions on this today, so I might as well ask it too!

Should we, as a county open our arms to different cultures and traditions, as at the end of the day that is how Britain started in the first place. Or is it our duty to protect "British traditions"? In my opinion we have let British culture slip. Hopefully I don't come across as racist cause I'm not, but I am british and proud of it! It seems to me like sensible people are now overly concerned with not offending other cultural groups when they are neglecting their own. Shoud we therefore be seen as racists, or should we be seen as patriotic. Sorry if this offends, but I do believe more concern should be placed on keeping Britain British. A slightly pigheaded way of looking at it is; could we go to another county and ban or censor religous holidays, just as Christmas is being here?

Ah now I stopped, what do you guys think?

Answer 1

well done, you've put a prickly point of view over in a very good way.

this country is a better place for all the diversity that we have but there is a danger of wolly liberals going too far in trying to make people of different cultures more "at home".

i have some muslim friends and they are very happy living in a mainly christian country.
they feel free to worship in their own way and they also celebrate christmas with their children.
they go to a main stream school and feel it would be unfair to their children if they pulled them out of the celebrations.
the kids love it as they get the best of both religions and feel more intergrated at school and in the local community.

Answer 2

It's very important for people who choose to live here of their own free-will to contribute positively to society and promote harmony and well-being within whichever community they wish to live in.

Being patriotic doesn't mean excluding others. I think it's possible to be patriotic while also promoting unity among the diversity of gathering cultures. People who don't want to make the effort seem to be holding back the progress of the nation.

What does being patriotic really mean? What does being British require people to do? Some might consider chanting the National Anthem while wearing a St. George t-shirt, watching the football 'down the pub' with your mates is all the effort they need to make to be considered English!

A mark of a good culture is the way we treat others and behave in our own society. If, as British citizens, we can not display the characteristic and good values that we want to see around us, then how can we expect others to behave any differently? Each and every individual of this country should lead by example through personal effort. Sitting back and complaining about the government and the problems/challenges facing us all isn't going to help with the progress of OUR society and OUR British culture, as a whole.

I'm now gonna stand down from this soap box...

Answer 3

It is more of a question of the definition of integration.

When a group of immigrants enters a country and voluntarily isolates themselves into a small sector, avoiding their new countries culture, holidays, language, schools, foods, etc. they are not preserving their culture but rather "Rejecting the culture of heir new home, and as a result fully deserving of much of the backlash they receive. This has been repeated time and again, all with negative results.

By the same token, supressing the habits of a new culture just because it is not your tradditional culture is not so much preserving your culture as it is racism.

I always laugh at news reports of countries where the populus is afraid of the citizens adapting American culture because there is no stagnant historic American culture. The holidays come from many different cultures. The religions are often modified and blended with practices of other cultures. The food is definitely a blend of foreign foods (there is a huge difference between what Americans consider to be Chinese, Mexican, etc. cuisine and what Chinese, Mexicans, etc. eat). From decade to decade American culture experiences drastic changes.

There is no need to suppress or oppose the cultures of immigrants. What is good and desirable will be adopted and made part of mainstream culture making the point mute. What is bad or undesirable will be rejected. The immigrants can blend or face the predictable isolation.

Answer 4

Look how much it's done for America. 400 yrs after the onset and you have a country full of hatred and racism. It doesn't matter what you want, people will always form into clics and retain a little of their own culture even as they absorb some of yours. That is the way of humanity. No country or place belongs to a culture or people. At some point people emmigrated there bringing their beliefs and traditions. Britain is no different. The Vikings brought their prisoners and slaves to Britain and let them loose. Now you have a culture that you want to protect. Everone is in the same boat.

Answer 5

I totally agree with you, I was never racist until now and I dislike myself for it.

The trouble is Britain is'nt what it used to be, forieners tell us what they want and we let them have it,what we true brits want, is'nt important anymore, we don't have a say in anything anymore.

This country has become a dumping ground,and we're putting up with it. There are too many foriegners in high positions, taking back handers.

I personally think, look after your own first, i.e. Housing,Jobs,Pensions,NHS, Social Security all those things. THEN and ONLY then, if there is anything left and our own are happy, give some away to help others.The way it's ended up here is, we the true British people are getting less and less because too much is being given away to other people who come here.They have taken priority,it's all wrong and that's why their is so much racial hatred errupting here.

Unfortunately,there have been far too many let in now, they will never find the one's who have sliped the net either.

Now the Polish, Chech's and god know's who else are coming,we've no hope. Also think of the one's who will come for the Olympics,they will slide into oblivion and never go back.

We've lost the battle by voting in the wrong people to run this country,I don't see other countries accepting this,so why do we?

Sad but so true.

Our kids are standing on street corners taking drugs and getting into trouble because they can't get jobs,they see no future for themselves,and neither do I.

Doesn't anyone in authority see what's happening here? and if they do are they going to do anything, doesn't look like it to me.

Answer 6

I am a born and bred American BUT let e say something that also fits your country. I am a 3rd generation American/ My grandmother stayed in her area and spoke Yiddish to her neighbors and friends, My mother {her daughter} left the old neighborhood and spoke excellent English and Yiddush. Her I am 3rd generation. I speak no Yiddish and have adoped American customs while putting my heritage up there but not as close, I think this is the natural progression of immigration anywhere. About censoring Xmas I find that is an abomination and do not know any Jew among my acquaintances who want to do such things. Here the Middle Easterner should be told when in Rome do as the Roman do. If anyone wishes me a Merry Christmas I take it as a sincere gesture of good will

Answer 7

Keep Britain British?

With a mix of Norse, Germans and French. Not to mention the Irish, we've not been "British" since the Dark Ages. I for one welcome the mix of different cultures in Britain, whilst I agree that some groups (I think we all know which one) get on their high horses at the prospect of Christmas in schools or hot cross buns (seasonal spiced teacakes as Saisburys were selling them this year) but as a rule, most of us live in harmony. The influx of Eastern Europeans have made life quite fun, OK there's a few troublemakers but there were plenty here before they came! Most are highly educated and hard workers doing the jobs us Brits refuse to do. However, I do agree that there must be more intergration with our sub-continental migrants. I'm all for a little give-and-take but they have to intergrate with our society more than us intergrate with theirs, but that's just simple anthropology.

Answer 8

Immgrants ought to integrate. Why? Well they want the benefits of living in another country, and all the good. But if they will not intergate they are not a part of it. Like a wart on one's nose.
Worse, it seems like those who do not want to integrate have a bad way of detracting from the very culture they want to benefit from.
And it really ar*ses me and a lot of people when the media and business tries to dump our near ageless traditions, such as celebration of Christmas to cater to them.
I can understand imigrants taking a while to integrate, and some traditions continue to celebrate at home--or maybe we can celebrate with them on their special days, if acceptable to us (some of uswil,l some won't, of course, want to participate in certain of these, but that is okay too.
What is the sticking point is they want all the good, but have no respect for our Anglican tradition and ways of treating others. Some abuse the freedom, the kindness, and want to turn our homelands into a bad batch of soup--homogenious, without distinction and so on.
If we water down sufficiently trully our own values will be dissolved.
Just a few ideas!
Charles "That Cheeky Lad"

Answer 9

Yes, I think immigrants should integrate. I live in Spain and whilst there are thousands of Brits here, most of them don't bother or want to integrate and it's their loss. The Spanish are a very giving country but there are limits, I think to a countries generosity. When in Rome you should at least attempt to learn the language, mix with the locals and respect their laws and traditions. If you don't want to...then b....... off back to where you came from. Same goes for immigrants going into the UK, they should respect the country they are adopting as their home, they choose to live there and should not consider it a free handout and demand things are changed to suit their ideals. I'd like to see the Brits come to Spain and tell the Spanish they don't like certain things here.....the answer would be very loud and clear....vete a la m......! Vuelve a su pais entonces!!

Answer 10

Britain should be British, anyone who disagrees with that is clearly an idiot. I don't subscribe to this view that Britain was started with immigration so we should welcome it with open arms, I like to live in the present, not the past. Anyway, for me, this debate is not about long term change, it is about people trying to change our country in the short term.

If people want to come here and settle into to society and make a positive contribution to our country whilst living alongside our culture then I have no problem with them. I have a problem with the idiots who come here expecting to change our laws and societies so that we conform to their ways of life.

As I have said before, if this view makes me a racist then I am happy to be a racist. If you come to our country you live our way, or get out.