Topic: Indian immigration article that has sparked a lot of outrage.

[Pugnate]

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1999416,00.html

As a person very close to the Indian culture, I found myself laughing because some of it is very true.

[Cobra951]

That article could start a whole new Serious Topics thread.  But for now, "Guindians" takes the cake, close to literally.  I was chewing on some cornbread when I came across that, and I almost choked to death.

My brothers and I stayed in NJ close to NY City last year, for my daughter's HS graduation.  The first hotel we tried didn't work out, so we went to another.  Both were run completely by Indians, as far as I could tell.

[ren]

I'm having trouble figuring out exactly what this guy is trying to say. At times it seems like he's being tongue in cheek and at other times it just seems a bit racist.

As an Indian and an immigrant, I very much dislike the amount of Indians who immigrate to the west and insist on making a little India within a neighbourhood. Bring over the culture by all means but learn to make friends with the locals and appreciate the values of the host country. Don't live in a bubble.

[Cobra951]

He comes across as somewhat of a hypocrite.  This was my impression:  He sees the change and misses "the old days".  He also acknowledges the cause of his perceived loss, which is of course politically incorrect.  Then he realizes that's how a lot of his own political opposition feels, and he needs to deal with the inner conflict.

[Pugnate]

There is no doubt that a lot of it feels xenophobic and racist, but at the same time I did laugh at his assessment that the first round of immigrants are the brightest because they go through the toughest process i.e. the process of qualifying as a professional.

Once the brightest have qualified, their not so bright relatives find it easier to come through.

While that isn't completely true, it isn't totally off either.

As an Indian and an immigrant, I very much dislike the amount of Indians who immigrate to the west and insist on making a little India within a neighbourhood. Bring over the culture by all means but learn to make friends with the locals and appreciate the values of the host country. Don't live in a bubble.

Excellent statement, and it applies to immigrants from all nations, but especially Asians who find themselves in a very different culture. I guess you have to take the good with the bad, because Indian immigrations have brought a lot of good to America.

Anyway you guys should find this interesting:

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/07/13/parikh.stein.rebuttal/index.html?fbid=PsiPL4THKVt

[scottws]

What annoys me really is the growing pervasiveness of Spanish in the U.S.  It really annoys me that the U.S. was formed by immigrants from England, Ireland, France, Spain, Germany, and a host of other European countries and also imported a large number of Africans and all of these people were able to learn and fluently speak English.

But now suddenly we are getting a massive influx of Hispanic immigrants, most from Mexico, and they don't seem to have an interest in learning English.  Now suddenly we're getting dual language menus and signs and products.

What makes this new wave so special that they don't have to learn the local language?

I do, however, support teaching secondary languages at a very early age.  I don't know why the U.S. lags so far behind in that regard.

[Cobra951]

Some cultures have a tougher time assimilating.  There's no excuse, though.  If I can do it, so can the Mexicans and other Latin-Americans.  The reason for all the Spanish, though, is mostly self-interest on the part of businesses.  My older daughter got a call on her cell last week while she was here.  She laughed and said it was Spanish, and all she understood was "AT&T".  (She does not speak it at all, though she can tackle Latin and some Japanese.)  It was clearly a soliciting call aimed at the Spanish-speaking population.  She has a Spanish name.  Personally, I resent such calls.  How dare they presume familiarity with me in a foreign language based on my fucking name.

I know there's also a political push for more Spanish in some liberal states.  That's their problem, and as far as I know, it's not the case across all states.  I definitely disapprove.  We have enough problems as a society already to add Tower of Babel syndrome into the mix.

[gpw11]

I will never understand why people get outraged over articles....let alone editorials.  Anyways, I thought it was at least an entertaining read.

[Raisa]

It was very "American" whatever that means.

[Cobra951]

 

[Quemaqua]

Being in California, I've probably got it close to the worst in the country as far as Spanish population and catering to them.  Got nothing against the language even though I have no desire to learn it, and I appreciate Hispanic cultures in general more now than when I was younger, but there's really a limit to how far we should be bending over.