A Nation of Immigrants - Page 4

I can never forgive my parents if I am forced to leave this country and leave everything behind.

Those of you who equate to "selling out your heritage" or anything in terms of insinuating that waving other than the US flag at a Dream rally is perfectly ok, you lack common sense to a point where no one here can really help you.

American flag itself represents a country made of multinational / diverse population, if you show your flag at a Dream rally, well intentioned or not, you're just pointing out the negative stigma associated with immigrants: those who come here, refuses to adapt to the culture but rather expect everyone else to accommodate to yours, that's an argument for a different day but that kind of a thing is not welcomed in ANY country.

If you can't understand this, please stick to phone and fax advocacy and refrain from showing up at public events for DREAM.

well said. agreed 100%.

America is a melting pot because people from every other nation come here. There are many reasons; political, freedom, economic, etc.

I don’t believe that all Americans think people “should” or “have to” assimilate and follow the culture but I do believe people should “fit in”. If I were to move to India, Japan, Saudi Arabia or Colombia I would adapt to the language and culture of the nation I chose to move to. If I didn't want to adapt to it, I would have no right to move there and resist the longstanding culture in whatever country I moved to.

No one here will make people change their religion. No one will stop them from trying to become a millionaire and making economic progress. No one will stop them from getting an education. America is all about keeping your identity. That’s the key!! People can come, learn the language so they can function and try to fit in. They can keep their culture (music, food, etc) as there is nothing wrong with holding on to one’s culture. No one cares about the color, religion, what music people like…. None of that matters.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

One last example, there are 1 million Turkish people living in Germany.

Turkey is a Muslim nation, which struggles to become part of the European Union because of its governmental structure and other reasons which may relate to the interpretation of what is considered just. They have heavier or harsher forms of punishments compared to those of the modern world. They believe in "An eye for an eye."

So with many Turkish people migrating to Germany in search of a better life they bring their old beliefs and ways. Many change and adapt to the German lifestyle. Women are equal and allowed to work, date around and many other things. Some Turkish people don’t respect and refuse to follow the German government because they are on temporary status or for personal religious reasons. They are refusing to accept the German laws and refusing to integrate into the society and culture.

Another thing is that Turkish man can date around before marriage while a Turkish girl can be killed in honor of her family from her brother if she dares to even date a German guy. This doesn’t apply to everyone but 2 years ago there were 2 cases. Turkish women do not talk to non-Turkish women. They don’t apply for German citizenship (Germany doesn’t have dual citizenship) because they are Turkish.

It is understandable if the new countries laws are in conflict with one's beliefs and you find it impossible to follow them, but if that is the case then really people should have chosen a different country... or admit that they have made a mistake and either return to their own country or find another one where they can live without that conflict. It is ethically wrong to not follow that countries law. This is why culture integration is very important; to recognize the beauty and values of other cultures and come up with some plan.

The melting pot culture used to be in existence during the great depression and through the industrial revolution particularly accentuated by the Ford Motor Company and how they assimilated the foreign workers, they really had an interesting thing going with their own organization intended of teaching foreign workers the language and keeping them to a certain standard, with stories of how they ritualized the whole thing by burning everything they owned from back home and had another ceremony where the workers would come out of a large pot, therefore, the melting pot society. very interesting history.

We then became the salad bowl society, where people were allowed to keep on to their cultural heritage, keep their language, keep their music etc., etc., lending into the richness in cultures of this country.

I feel that the culture has once again changed and we are leaving the salad bowl society, we seem to be returning to a variant of the melting pot society but not quite as accepting as back then, rather, we are a mix of culture but there is a movement trying to seek the outlawing of speaking different languages and even maintaining to different cultures, with some controversial actions being taken in some public schools where principals have punished their students for speaking a different language. I don't know what to call this new kind of society however.

The presence and interaction of different cultures is indeed interesting within the United States, specially when you go beyond the boundaries of what is deemed acceptable by one's own culture. It has been on two occasions that my asian friends have pointed out the divide within their culture because they are friends to someone that is not from their own culture.

With or without this avatar, we are still insulting America's laws by being here. So, taking this avatar off will not make a anti-immigrant compassionate toward our community.

Uh Huh, waving the American flag has really helped us out.

OKKKKKKKKKKK. So, some of my hispanic friends are Citizens of the US (they were born here) , yet they also represent their Mexican heritage by waving the Mexican flag and claiming that they are also Mexican. Following the logic of your argument, the US might as well exile them . Now, I know many of you know chicanos like this. They are citizens, yet they wave/ have images of the Mexican flag. Just because we want to be legal, does not mean I have to put away my Chalino Sanchez and listen to Garth Brooks.

It's my freedom of speech. KKK members burn crosses, and I decide to wave my beautiful Mexican flag ALONG with the American flag.

1. I am not saying you are selling out. I am not judging you. Don't judge me.
2. I am aslo being prudent by respecting my country of origin. Thus, I wave both flags. The Mexican government did not persecute me or my family, causing us to immigrate. My family and I immigrated for other reasons.
3. Unlike you, I do have connections.
4. The patriot argument: Have you heard of Dual-Citizenship? It does exist you know. All the patriot fervor really puts a pooper on Dual-Citizenship.
5. Assuming you have been waving the American flag and nothing else for ten years during rallies, your strategy has really gotten us somewhere. Sh** Thank you so much my friend. 2face and I are freaking legal, and we have awesome jobs. Whoopdie doo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Plenty of people (U.S. Citizens) wave their country of heritage flags, it's American to be proud of your heritage, not selling out on it in order to gain something.

The people who keep suggesting we only wave U.S. flag, report our family to ICE, sell out on our heritage are clearly the small minority trying to create divides in the DREAM Act movement.