[Cherry Christmas]

Personally I don't think it is a loss of culture so much as a loss of diversity and communities, when I moved to the area I live in 20 years ago there as a great mix of people, of all nationalities and creeds, now it is more or less an Asian area, and where my sons went to school they were spot the white on their class photos it doesn't bother me as I wasn't born here but I can understand that people who were born and bred in an area like this and have had family homes for generations are gradually they have become a minority in the area of their birth, the other issue is even the second and third generation Indian/Pakastanis speak their own language to each other, not English. My neighbours are all very nice but there is a barrier and a point beyond which I would never be taken into their circle, that is my experience anyway.

[Kazanne]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Personally I don't think it is a loss of culture so much as a loss of diversity and communities, when I moved to the area I live in 20 years ago there as a great mix of people, of all nationalities and creeds, now it is more or less an Asian area, and where my sons went to school they were spot the white on their class photos it doesn't bother me as I wasn't born here but I can understand that people who were born and bred in an area like this and have had family homes for generations are gradually they have become a minority in the area of their birth, the other issue is even the second and third generation Indian/Pakastanis speak their own language to each other, not English. My neighbours are all very nice but there is a barrier and a point beyond which I would never be taken into their circle, that is my experience anyway.

Indeed Cherie, some of them don't even speak English.

[Ammi]

...even second/third generations etc...still have family connections in their country of birth...so speaking and understanding their own country language is very important...English is something they will understand and speak as well and probably as a first language as the generations go on...but using their country language within the family etc is also important...it’s keeping who someone is through their ancestry and family connections...

[Brillopad]

Originally Posted by Ammi

...even second/third generations etc...still have family connections in their country of birth...so speaking and understanding their own country language is very important...English is something they will understand and speak as well and probably as a first language as the generations go on...but using their country language within the family etc is also important...it’s keeping who someone is through their ancestry and family connections...

The power of culture - something we all cherish including us boring Brits!

[Cherry Christmas]

Originally Posted by Ammi

...even second/third generations etc...still have family connections in their country of birth...so speaking and understanding their own country language is very important...English is something they will understand and speak as well and probably as a first language as the generations go on...but using their country language within the family etc is also important...it’s keeping who someone is through their ancestry and family connections...

No problem with people knowing the language of birth and speaking it to family members who can't speak English or between themselves if no one else is present, I never said that Ammi, but when you are in a staff room with other people of different nationalities, and you were born in Engand and are speaking to a person born in England in a different language that is just down right rude imo, they know it as well because they apologise afterwards, but why do it all all when you are in the company of other people who cannot understand what you are saying, and it happened regularly, and it didn't just happen to me either, I am no longer at the school and am still friends with them but they used to piss me off doing that. What happens now is that all the Asian staff take their break in a classroom and stay away from the staffroom, these are all English born teaching assistants, so where is the integration there, that is not what multiculturalism is about. We had quite a few Spanish staff they never spoke their own language in company. Go to Spain and you will find the Spanish have the same gripe about the English, living in their expat communities and not bothering to learn the language or associate.

[bots]

Just to add some other things in to the mix. Control of immigration doesnt need to be some big nasty thing. It could mean that nearly everyone that wants to come in is allowed, its just a mechanism to make sure that everything still runs smoothly.

From a political stand point .... it's also perfectly feasible for 1 government to open the flood gates as it were and another to close them. The point being that in the EU as it stands, we as a sovereign nation are not allowed that level of control, whether we need it or not. That is the fundamental issue.


With regard to integration. Where I grew up in Scotland, we have had loads of immigrants from poland, pakistan and china. While they have still managed to retain some of their cultural identity, my experience is that the majority are now proud to be scottish too. In England, that has not been my experience so much. So what has caused that. Is it an unwillingness to integrate or less than welcoming country willing to accept immigrants. My feeling is that it's a bit of both

[Brillopad]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

Just to add some other things in to the mix. Control of immigration doesnt need to be some big nasty thing. It could mean that nearly everyone that wants to come in is allowed, its just a mechanism to make sure that everything still runs smoothly.

From a political stand point .... it's also perfectly feasible for 1 government to open the flood gates as it were and another to close them. The point being that in the EU as it stands, we as a sovereign nation are not allowed that level of control, whether we need it or not. That is the fundamental issue.


With regard to integration. Where I grew up in Scotland, we have had loads of immigrants from poland, pakistan and china. While they have still managed to retain some of their cultural identity, my experience is that the majority are now proud to be scottish too. In England, that has not been my experience so much. So what has caused that. Is it an unwillingness to integrate or less than welcoming country willing to accept immigrants. My feeling is that it's a bit of both

Maybe that’s because England is more over-crowded than Scotland - just a thought!