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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: cosmicforce who wrote (31839)	10/10/2001 11:32:15 PM
From: J. C. Dithers	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

Do you see the contradiction in referring a notion of others accepting your prevailing culture in one post and then talking about assimilation in another? I don't see any contradiction there at all (and I'm not sure that an analogy of inert metals vs.human beings will get us to the truth). Not that long ago people emigrated to America to become Americans. There were classes for new immigrants which gave lessons in our history, culture, and law. It was common for there to be tears of joy in the eyes of new arrivals on the day that they received their citizenship papers. These new citizens did not merely "accept our prevailing culture," they were bursting with pride to have become part of it. That was what assimilation was all about. These arrivals emigrated here for a new life, not to recreate their old life here. Most came to escape their former life, and to find new hope and opportunity in this land. That has degraded now to a level where newcomers are not even required to speak our language, let alone learn anything of substance about their new country. Indeed, large numbers of them never truly live in our country other than geographically. Instead, they immediately join ethnic enclaves where they associate only with people who share their same ethnicity and background. These new citizens have little if any intention or desire of ever being assimilated in the American culture. As their numbers have swelled, and the enclaves have expanded into virtual cities unto themselves, there are increasing pressures for America to adapt to them, as in demands for bi-lingual education. The demands themselves have escalated to now include banning Christmas carols, and perhaps even the display of our national flag. This new brand of emigre is generously encouraged and supported in their effort to make America adapt to them, by those "intellectuals" among us who are embarrassed to be Americans and who find America's heritage to be distasteful and disreputable. Why, you might even run into one of them right here on this thread. JC .

To: cosmicforce who wrote (31839)	10/11/2001 12:59:36 AM
From: Michael M	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

Jibes fine by me. My trusty Microsoft Bookshelf Dictionary has a definition of assimilation that says, in the case of immigration, it's when one distinct culture is absorbed into a prevailing culture. Check it out. The melt, as you say, does indeed affect the prevailing culture as well but not by dictate and rarely in the original form. Many "foreign" dishes served in America have been adapted for "American" tastes and bear slight resemblance to the original. Weirdest pizza I ever had was in Interlaken. I ordered something with a bunch of ingredients and it arrived with the sausage on one piece, the onion on one piece, and on and on.