We have problems to integrate Turkish or Russian immigrants and their children as Germans, not as people from elsewhere. As well as the refugees from Syria.
Landlord was pretty chill and I kind of miss being able to just ask anything and he would try to make it happen (including things like repairing car motors).
Housemates were of the mildly radicalized religious kind, with daughters that did not attend the normal school system and are now being married of early.
I don't know if the German "integration system" has failed for the later ... they have the freedom to chose and they chose a path that is different from what is considered "normal" in the "West".
As a Canadian (Vancouver), I can tell you true integration happens over generations of people working together and respecting each other. In those conditions, it is unavoidable.
If either group lacks respect, the outcome is always conflict.
You put their kids into school together young and they won't know not to be friends until you tell them. That was my experience, anyway.
I'm all for give and take but I wouldn't want the "give" to result in backwards steps for woman's rights being imported from the countries of origin
No we think that forced marriage has no place in Europe, or the oppression of woman's. And yes, that's our culture..so is the freedom to choose your religion and to have free speech. If someone from another culture comes we are happy to integrate it into ours, but NOT when it clashes with our Laws.
>You put their kids into school together young and they won't know not to be friends until you tell them.
And what when they go into different schools (Jewish or Muslim etc), live in different parts of the City (look at Paris or Berlin), and never met someone outside of their bubble until 20 or later?
BTW:
I said it in another post ... it's not about being forced into something, it's about freedom of choice. And that is something universal, it's just codified in our laws.
It's completely fine if a women decides to become married and have children early ... it's probably not a good choice ... but morally there is no way to reject that.
The problem arises when people never learn that they have a choice ... I have (female) friends from rural Germany that think it's perfectly reasonable to go study and once finished move in with their husband and be the perfect stay-at-home mom.
edit: heck ... I even have friends from larger cities who would just prefer to be stay-at-home moms because that gives an excuse to sloth on the couch for half of the day :-)
>The problem arises when people never learn that they have a choice
Exactly, that's the problem with the bubbles like (Ghettos/Banlieues), and "special" schools.
Borrowing that specific term for other purposes is stupid.
I was forced to because the government in my country steals and wastes so much money that the economy breaks and you can't make money there. Still the quality of life is much better at home and I'd rather stay there.
All my friends are immigrants, I couldn care less to integrate here. Ideally I'd just rather live in a town with just immigrants from my country. As long as you keep them out of politics they'll probably won't rob you.
Her country is clearly superior in almost everything except for weather and food. I like living here and I've made good friends and enjoy my life here.
Now the curious part comes... I have zero attachment to both countries, their culture and their national identities. I couldn’t care less about their language or customs. I just see myself has some kind of post-nationalistic person that would much rather speak English with everyone, hang out on the internet and live wherever.
As far as I'm concerned national identities and culture are useless and holding us down as a species. I really wish people could outgrow this nonsense.
In hindsight I don’t think I was raised in a particularly enlightened culture. Do those even exist? I would much rather have us move past dumb social biases and constructs and work together to build a better future and a more universal and cooperative world.
On person's unbiased Baysian predictions based on a lifetime of experience and evidence, looks a lot like biases and prejudice to the delicate of mind.
And they get nasty about it.
So no, there will be no building of a better world.
You brain might think it’s very smart and clever and has the world all figured out but most likely it doesn’t. The world is a chaotic system beyond any one's comprehension. All generalizations that are not purely mathematical and 100% abstract in nature are wrong.
Perhaps a quick reread of the site guidelines is in order.
That town was in your country which you fled though.
Some nationalities integrate more than others. This goes for different European countries even, so it has very little to do with "race".
Obviously we did not respect the Indigenous people and I hope that can me mended through generations of mutual respect.
I think Vancouver is better because of the rich mix of cultures. It's not perfect here but I think it is pretty good. I have seen a Muslim man give his shoes to a homeless man on the bus and walk home barefoot in the rain. I believe anything is possible.