about time the uk & the usa adopted these policy s

[johno]

Sir Edmund Barton?s ideas on Immigrants and being an Australian in 1907.


'In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an Australian and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an Australian, and nothing but an Australian... There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an Australian, but something else also, isn't an Australian at all. We have room for but one flag, the Australian flag.... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the Australian people.'




Every Australian citizen needs to read this! KEEP THIS MOVING

(For those who don't know Edmund Barton was Australia's first PM)

[odenad]

Arrernta was spoken here long before English was brought by immigrants

[Jack Flash]

Though we tend to feel that many recent transplants abuse the system, I suppose if you are native American Indian you may have different perspective.


Edit * Googled "Arrernta" and see you are talking about Australia.

[Don't Blink]

You didn't know Arrernta was a native aboriginal language !?

tsk tsk another product of the pubic scool sisdom no dout

[Jack Flash]

You went there too

[mugley]

back in 1907 we had a leader like that, Teddy Roosevelt

[Lonestar]

back in 1907 we had a leader like that, Teddy Roosevelt

Mhm, and policies became more diluted over the years, especially with the advent of "political correctness," "multiculturalism," and "diversity."

Lest anyone think I'm a flaming xenophobe here -- I'm not. I've no problem with someone from another country coming to the US to live and/or work. I ask that he/she do so legally. As for language, again, no issue with speaking one's native tongue in the company of friends and/or family. But, AT LEAST MAKE THE EFFORT to learn the local language [in this case, English] so that one can interact with the locals [especially in an emergency, when time can be crucial]. I don't think either of these are too much to ask.

[cerina]

While I agree with the sentiments expressed by Lonestar and the other posters, I would like to point out that the Brits and Americans are probably the worst offenders. Having been born and brought up in a 'colony', I can attest to the fact that there was a strong 'European' (read British) community that stuck very much to their own - their own people, language, culture, etc.

I have also lived in other countries where English was not the principle language and whichever country you go to where another language is spoken, you will find enclaves of Brits, Americans and other 'Western' peoples who vehemently retain their customs rather than assimilate themselves in the culture they have chosen to ignore.

[mugley]

Interesting cerina and i have no doubt that we do that very thing

I really don;t have a problem with enclaves and etc hanging on to their customs and language. my problem conmes when they try to force the govt to conduct business in thier language and etc, in large public gatherings want their culture to hold sway over the host country's

[ScornedVixen]

A group of Christian friends of my husband showed irriation for the moslems to come into the UK, erect a Mosque, and spread their faith, ways and teachings all over the land. They cannot or won't see the irony in that, in this day and age, they still go all over the world preaching Christainity and try to convert people.

A few years ago in Spain, I met up with some deaf Spanish people in Benidorm. While they say they loved the British, they felt frustrated that the British way of life keeps expanding over there, that the Brits stick together and expect the Spanish to bend over backwards for them. They felt if you wanted to emigrate, you should embrace their way of life, speak their language, and do what the natives do. I guess, in every country, the natives feel the same, including the modern Americans and Brits. Maybe if we never allowed anyone to leave their country of origin in the first place, we would be one happy society in the world?