Homecoming
Immigration is a huge problem here in Western Europe. Europeans fear (with good reason) the extinction of their own cultures through dilution with immigrant ones. Gone are the days of leaving one's home culture to adopt a new way of life in a new place. Turks are moving to Frankfurt and living as though they were still in Turkey. Moroccans in Paris are setting up Muslim prayer rooms and markets. The Chinese in Barcelona aren't bothering to learn the local language. These groups are already here in significant numbers, and they're demanding the right to build schools and places of worship.
In the flood of foreigners, Europeans are finally asking some good questions. What happens when the immigrant population grows to become the majority? Won't they want representation in local government? How long until they begin to impose changes that threaten the existence of European cultures? Not only are they asking questions, Europeans are also searching for solutions. A wall? Stricter controls? Exclusion from social services? Pour money into poor countries of origin? International identification databases?
All of these questions and proposed solutions, however, seem to ignore one major truth: the Indians, North Africans, and Latin Americans that enter the Union every day aren't invading, they're coming home. European immigration is unique in that these immigrants are coming from lands that not so long ago were colonized and exploited by European superpowers. The Spanish, British, and French sent "Explorers," "Missionaries," "Traders," and "Pioneers" to far-off places in an effort to expand their territory, discover wealth, and conquer potential enemies. They pillaged the land, plundered the goods, and raped the women. Now, generations later, their offspring are coming home to claim their birthright.
I wonder how immigration policy would change if we started to see the situation in this light. I bet it would lead us to send more money to developing and emigrant countries.
Call it "generational child support."
2 comments:
Thanks, Stepchild, for offering another view to the immigration debate. As a famous person liked to say, "It's a might flat pancake ..." It's interesting how quickly humans tend to forget history - or, how quickly they try to whitewash the events and effects of history.
Do you think Europe and the West should encourage Europeans to reclaim their identity? Many people are advocating for Europeans to actively promote their culture and oppress competing cultures lest they succumb to Islam and Arabic influences. Or, should we stand back and allow the natural progression of things to sort themselves out?
Brittany,
I wish you wouldn't ask such tough questions...
I'm not sure what I think Europeans should do to preserve their cultures. It seems like the immigrating people groups tend to hold very tightly to their cultural identity, while Europeans are relatively quick to abandon theirs for a generic "European" one.
I suppose that Europeans could start moving to North Africa and the Middle East and setting up their own little European communities...
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