America and Canada were build by immigrants from different cultural backgrounds and the USA accepted 1 million more last year. Integration is not just the responsibility of the immigrant, the local people also have to accept and deal with the new culture(s). Over here (US and Canada) it is easy there is a mixed culture already and people accept the "new" culture as just another one. I could imagine that in Sweden this would be quite different. I would like to add that it seems to me that the second generation of immigrants cause most of the problems in Holland. (my home country)
I don't wonder if part of the 'second generation immigrant' problem (and it is) is due to the philosophy that everyone should retain pride in their heritage. DO NOT misunderstand me - it IS important for everyone to remember and take pride in their ethnic heritage. But it seems as if immigrants were encouraged to take MORE pride in their ethnic heritage than they were encouraged to become a part of a new nation and culture.
Case in point - the Danish cartoons depicting Muhammad. It seems that many parents have failed to instill on their children WHY they fled these Islamic regimes in the first place. Their children, rather than embracing freedom, have not learned why freedom is more important than your cultural heritage.
Part of the problem is that the parents were not allowed to discipline their children the way they were used to and they were not given any education on how they should deal with them and the new culture. The kids got mixed messages at home and from their friends they ended up disrespecting authority. We all have a part to play, blaming one over the other is not the solution.
I have helped people regardless of their ethnicity (helped paint their home, made furniture, drove them to places) I learned to appreciate new foods and they learned not all dutch were after money.
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America and Canada were build by immigrants from different cultural backgrounds and the USA accepted 1 million more last year. Integration is not just the responsibility of the immigrant, the local people also have to accept and deal with the new culture(s). Over here (US and Canada) it is easy there is a mixed culture already and people accept the "new" culture as just another one. I could imagine that in Sweden this would be quite different. I would like to add that it seems to me that the second generation of immigrants cause most of the problems in Holland. (my home country)
I don't wonder if part of the 'second generation immigrant' problem (and it is) is due to the philosophy that everyone should retain pride in their heritage. DO NOT misunderstand me - it IS important for everyone to remember and take pride in their ethnic heritage. But it seems as if immigrants were encouraged to take MORE pride in their ethnic heritage than they were encouraged to become a part of a new nation and culture.
Case in point - the Danish cartoons depicting Muhammad. It seems that many parents have failed to instill on their children WHY they fled these Islamic regimes in the first place. Their children, rather than embracing freedom, have not learned why freedom is more important than your cultural heritage.
Part of the problem is that the parents were not allowed to discipline their children the way they were used to and they were not given any education on how they should deal with them and the new culture. The kids got mixed messages at home and from their friends they ended up disrespecting authority. We all have a part to play, blaming one over the other is not the solution.
I have helped people regardless of their ethnicity (helped paint their home, made furniture, drove them to places) I learned to appreciate new foods and they learned not all dutch were after money.