Perhaps the assimilation process in the US is accelerated by the nature of American society – we are an amalgam of different peoples without a dominant group. When people immigrate here, they come with idea of becoming part of this, part of the melting pot. There is more acceptance, less pressure to conform, and this takes the edge off the adaptation process. When you push people, they push back – this is just human nature. Another advantage that the US has is the fluidity and dynamics of the American economy. People who challenge the immigrants the most are the ones who are afraid of being the economic losers, of being displaced by the immigrants.
I don’t know if one can do much to change Europeans’ attitude toward the immigrants. Certainly one thing to do is to promote tolerance untiringly. Promoting greater upward mobility through education and by curbing your stifling bureaucracy would certainly help. Here in the US there is much wistfulness, almost envy, about perceived European lifestyle – the stability, the rootedness, tranquil pace of life. I guess everything comes at a price. |
