[Jessica.]

Been listening to a very interesting radio program discussing this topic.

Many people claim that foreigners, particularly adults don't make an effort to integrate in Irish culture but feel as though the Irish people aren't very accepting to them.

The other side says that they do make an effort but Irish people are not interested in integrating with foreigners or are are too afraid they will be called racist if they get in a situation when things get out of line.

Is the argument the same in the UK? What is your opinion on the situation?

I think it's easier, and understandable for first generation immigrants to stick to their communities, but as people turn into families, the children automatically have more of a mixed culture, and mixed friends so they integrate organically.

There are also issues of religion and class that play a part.

[InOne]

Some cultures do some don't. Pakistanis, Polish, Romanians, Bulgarians seem to like their own areas over here. They pretty much icolate themselves and have their own shops and speak their own language. This is the second or third wave though, the ones that originally came did make the effort but weren't very welcomed. Therefore you have the next generations being born with a chip of their shoulder and it just carrying on.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Jessica.

Been listening to a very interesting radio program discussing this topic.

Many people claim that foreigners, particularly adults don't make an effort to integrate in Irish culture but feel as though the Irish people aren't very accepting to them.

The other side says that they do make an effort but Irish people are not interested in integrating with foreigners or are are too afraid they will be called racist if they get in a situation when things get out of line.

Is the argument the same in the UK? What is your opinion on the situation?

Jessica please don't take this the wrong way, but from what we see on the news the Irish don't like each other much...
So anyone else won't get a look in
It's the same here though, there will always be racists and bigots, raised by racists and bigots of all colours.

[Vanessa]

Originally Posted by InOne

Some cultures do some don't. Pakistanis, Polish, Romanians, Bulgarians seem to like their own areas over here. They pretty much icolate themselves and have their own shops and speak their own language. This is the second or third wave though, the ones that originally came did make the effort but weren't very welcomed. Therefore you have the next generations being born with a chip of their shoulder and it just carrying on.

This is true. I work with indian/sri lanka/pakistani people. They only talk in their own language and never speak english. It really annoy me no end.

[Nedusa]

No

[Nedusa]

In my experience living in London the answer is no, immigrants with the same culture ie Indian,Pakistani,Bangladeshi,Somalian,Turkish etc... tend to coalesce in the same areas. They start off in the minority in a particular area but as more move in the people that are long established feel their local culture has been eroded and as such they tend to move out to areas where "their" culture is still in the majority. then others move into their recently vacated premises thus increasing the profile of that new culture. Pretty soon the whole area is populated by peoples of this different culture. They have no wish or desire to integrate and most of them wish to keep their own cultures intact. They merely wish to live in a country with better infrastructure and prospects.

This model is repeated up and down the country in most major cities especially in London and the Midlands ie Bradford, Birmingham,Leicester etc.. creating a patchwork of different cultures all living side by side. The idea that peoples of differing cultures would all somehow integrate and form a common culture is a little naive to say the least. With major cultural and religious differences plain to see it is difficult to see how this model could ever have worked.

The best we can hope for now is that with each successive generation the differences will be diluted and the commonalities enhanced.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Jessica please don't take this the wrong way, but from what we see on the news the Irish don't like each other much...
So anyone else won't get a look in
It's the same here though, there will always be racists and bigots, raised by racists and bigots of all colours.

What do you mean by that?

[Livia]

I come from a London borough that was the first place in the country where immigrants outnumbered the white, indigenous population. I have to say, some people were insular and stuck to their own communities and some people integrated. You can't generalise and say that immigrants don't integrate, it is not a black and white issue (no pun intended). It’s like saying all white English people are welcoming, warm and friendly.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by InOne

Some cultures do some don't. Pakistanis, Polish, Romanians, Bulgarians seem to like their own areas over here. They pretty much icolate themselves and have their own shops and speak their own language. This is the second or third wave though, the ones that originally came did make the effort but weren't very welcomed. Therefore you have the next generations being born with a chip of their shoulder and it just carrying on.

Not just shops in ghettos anymore, though, but sometimes whole towns are becoming dominated by an "ethnic minorities" :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leicest...ulation_change

A demographic profile of Leicester published by the city council in 2008 noted:

Alongside English there are around 70 languages and/or dialects spoken in the city. In addition to English, eight languages are commonly spoken: Gujarati is the preferred language of 16% of the city's residents, Punjabi 3%, Somali 4% and Urdu 2%. Other smaller language groups include Hindi, Bengali and Polish. ... With continuing migration into the city, new languages and or dialects from Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe are also being spoken in the city. In primary schools in Leicester, English is NOT the 'preferred' language of 45% of pupils and the proportion of children whose first language is known, or believed to be, other than English, is significantly higher than other cities within the region, or within the UK.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

What do you mean by that?

I did say don't take it the wrong way...
It was not an insult niamh, I was referring to the recent violent clashes in the news.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

I did say don't take it the wrong way...
It was not an insult niamh, I was referring to the recent violent clashes in the news.

In the North you mean? You realize Jess is from The Republic yeah, separate country last time I checked

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Livia

I come from a London borough that was the first place in the country where immigrants outnumbered the white, indigenous population. I have to say, some people were insular and stuck to their own communities and some people integrated. You can't generalise and say that immigrants don't integrate, it is not a black and white issue (no pun intended). It’s like saying all white English people are welcoming, warm and friendly.

Top post, this is my experience as well. Although I have to say as an Irish person living in the UK< I get very embarrassed by how unwelcoming some Irish people are to immigrants. The was particularly prevalent during the Celtic Tiger years. I found it rather ironic given the numbers of Irish people who left to earn a living prior to the Celtic Tiger.

[AnnieK]

My OH's uncle moved from Manchester to a small village in Ireland and he found his village a little un-welcoming at first but once the original suspicions had died down he found everyone fine with him.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

In the North you mean? You realize Jess is from The Republic yeah, separate country last time I checked

Ok sorry...
I just saw Ireland, flip I better not tell my mam I just did that.