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As with all complex matters, it ends in a logical fork, as there are good arguments for both sides, so I will answer instinctivly instead of logically.
(sorry if my English is not at it's top, I am working hard to improve it)
First, I will establish two things, then again they are only opinions :
1-I think a nation is a group of people who share common culture and goals.
2-I think people can have many identities who are not mutually exclusive. An Asian immigrant can retain his (for example) Chinese identity, while acquiring his new Canadian identity. However, some identities have parts who are mutually exclusive, and a choice have to be made.
I am personally someone who is very interested in learning from other cultures, but personal interest is not revelant in matters concerning a nation. The nation has it's own interest, who has to be respected if the nation as an organisation want to be of any use (we are living in a nation because it allows us to be more productive, to live better) to the people composing it. Why live in a nation if you don't get any benefits from it, might as well all live on our own little house separatly and retain our full freedom. Well, those in those interests of the nations you will find that it is best for a nation that the largest proportion possible of it's people share common values so they plan on heading in the same direction. Take Finland, for example, who achieved the title of the nation with the best quality of life this year. It is now fairly large concensus among experts that the Scandinavian country got there because of it's culturally homogenical society, wich allowed them to take drastic turns in their industry (they mostly abandonned direct production, on wich they could not compete with countries like China or Taiwan to concentrate on technological innovations, Nokia being the perfect example of what the modern Finnish industry tries to be), wich could not be achieved by a country where everyone is pulling on their side of the blanket.
If you forget the economical well-being of your nation and look only and the cultural/human rights side, a few years ago I talked with a muslim woman (She was from Tunisia if I remember well, but I would not want to make an error on that, my memory is a factuly that forgets), who wasn't going out unveiled. I asked her why did she leve her country, and she answered she came over to Canada because the customs of her native country were too rough on women, and that she did not want to raise her childrens in that climate. Back then I didn't say anything because I was much yonger and didn't want to offend her, but if I could talk with her today, I would ask :"then, why bring them over?".
Lastly, I don't know why we feel we have to justify so much on forcing people to adapt to our culture. If I traveled to Iran with my girlfriend and she roamed the streets in a bikini, I would be very curious about their reaction. (I like the message of TheNomad, showing how the same people who say we should kill all homosexuals because they are different, cry for intolerance when they are retrained on wearing a traditional cloth.)
My personal opinion, in no way the right one (if the right opinion exists), hoping to get constructive critics.
Douke
(sorry if my English is not at it's top, I am working hard to improve it)
First, I will establish two things, then again they are only opinions :
1-I think a nation is a group of people who share common culture and goals.
2-I think people can have many identities who are not mutually exclusive. An Asian immigrant can retain his (for example) Chinese identity, while acquiring his new Canadian identity. However, some identities have parts who are mutually exclusive, and a choice have to be made.
I am personally someone who is very interested in learning from other cultures, but personal interest is not revelant in matters concerning a nation. The nation has it's own interest, who has to be respected if the nation as an organisation want to be of any use (we are living in a nation because it allows us to be more productive, to live better) to the people composing it. Why live in a nation if you don't get any benefits from it, might as well all live on our own little house separatly and retain our full freedom. Well, those in those interests of the nations you will find that it is best for a nation that the largest proportion possible of it's people share common values so they plan on heading in the same direction. Take Finland, for example, who achieved the title of the nation with the best quality of life this year. It is now fairly large concensus among experts that the Scandinavian country got there because of it's culturally homogenical society, wich allowed them to take drastic turns in their industry (they mostly abandonned direct production, on wich they could not compete with countries like China or Taiwan to concentrate on technological innovations, Nokia being the perfect example of what the modern Finnish industry tries to be), wich could not be achieved by a country where everyone is pulling on their side of the blanket.
If you forget the economical well-being of your nation and look only and the cultural/human rights side, a few years ago I talked with a muslim woman (She was from Tunisia if I remember well, but I would not want to make an error on that, my memory is a factuly that forgets), who wasn't going out unveiled. I asked her why did she leve her country, and she answered she came over to Canada because the customs of her native country were too rough on women, and that she did not want to raise her childrens in that climate. Back then I didn't say anything because I was much yonger and didn't want to offend her, but if I could talk with her today, I would ask :"then, why bring them over?".
Lastly, I don't know why we feel we have to justify so much on forcing people to adapt to our culture. If I traveled to Iran with my girlfriend and she roamed the streets in a bikini, I would be very curious about their reaction. (I like the message of TheNomad, showing how the same people who say we should kill all homosexuals because they are different, cry for intolerance when they are retrained on wearing a traditional cloth.)
My personal opinion, in no way the right one (if the right opinion exists), hoping to get constructive critics.
Douke