Come On, Aren't We All Immigrants?

You are going to wonder why I am going off on this immigrant tangent today. Could it be due to all the accents we heard at the Oscars last night?  Well no, but interestingly enough the real reason is because this past weekend our discussion group met to banter over assigned readings regarding elitism and immigrant group success.  (links below)  Many variables contribute to success and to make group comparisons is dangerous on many levels especially in a competitive and racist society.

I have spent most of my adult life defending multiculturalism.  In fact, probably the reason I did my Masters in this area was self-interest and job security. I knew that we as a nation made up of immigrants would always be grappling with resettling new immigrant groups within our communities and would need ‘empathetic’ citizens.

Lady Liberty's poem at Ellis Island states:
"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

There was no prerequisite to leave one's culture on the boat...

Immigrants came fleeing their homelands for a myriad of reasons but they all came looking for a better life. Different immigrant groups tended to settle/be resettled in ghettos of the same population. Some groups chose to assimilate but there have always been groups that have maintained their separateness and did not buy into the assimilating ‘melting pot.’  The problem is the general population feels threatened by this nonconformity.  Why is it so difficult to let people carry on their beliefs and practices? Are laws being broken that threaten society's safety?  Do these differences hurt us as a society/ could we even relearn a sense of community?

The problem is it’s not easy to teach tolerance and respect for cultural practices different than our own if we cannot recognize our own issues of racism and sense of superiority/is it insecurity?  Emphasizing basic human needs such as sustenance, shelter and a sense of security is certainly a beginning.  Our mind set has to change as to what can be learned from other cultures.  And above all else, not to judge. Easier said than done...

Roma Gypsies

The People Who Pass *my favorite article  

The Tiger Mom's Superiority Complex dangerous comparisons

The-Triple-Package-Unlikely-Cultural

(All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood)