lousid

Clearly you have no concept of how the lack of diversity affects mentality. This discussion is pretty much finished. Thanks to everyone else who offered constructive advice. By the way, I'm the 'Lou' half of lousid.

montreal mike

Perhaps I don't, but there is no need to take that tone. And maybe the advice I gave you wasn't quite what you expected?

nooka

Children are not colour blind. Neither are adults for that matter, and it's not even a good quality to have in any case. What's the point of living/working with people from all sorts of backgrounds if you then ignore the differences? Where people come from, their different viewpoints and experiences are really interesting surely?

Research evidence suggests that children go through a phase of very strongly identifying with the similar as part of figuring out who they are (this also tends to include a phase of very strong gender identification). It is one of the reasons why living in an area where difference is normal is an excellent thing because it means that the message that you don't in fact have to be friends with only children who look like you, or behave like that group alone is fairly obvious. For many children it is a big deal if they are the only family from a particular background because it makes them stand out and because they don't have other children to share their experiences. For some children that can be a very lonely place. There are also unfortunately many parts of the world that look at mixed race marriages as a novelty at best and an offense at worst. I think it is a very valid concern when thinking about good places to live.

dbd33

I beg to differ. My children don't see people's colour. It used to irritate the hell out of me to be asked to pick up their friends at a crowded train station armed only with such information as "she's a tall girl". In a sea of Asians knowing that the person in question is black would have been a huge help. I once thought they were being PC but it's not that at all. Raised in a ployglot society they just don't see skin colour as a differentiator.

Culture they can do "If you want to improve your French, get a tutor from the Belgian Congo" but they recognize culture as something independent of skin colour. To them a French person is French regardless of his or her parents being from Algerie.

montreal mike

Colour blind?

My own experience, having lived with 99% non whites at school is that, for kids, colour doesn't really matter. Trouble is that some adults, who should know better, make a big deal about it.

If some kids where all THAT concerned with colour and race and it bothered them that would mean many kids would turn out somewhat dsyfunctional or confused or alienated being at school with kids of different colours or races.

That does not happen.

It is the adults who are the problem, not the kids.

montreal mike

Thanks dbd33 for bringing some common sense to this thread.

nooka

Maybe it depends on the child too. I have to admit I have had similar experiences to dbd on the IDing front But then I also know a fair few people who have had that experience of being the obviously different person (like my niece who was pretty much the only black kid in a school of over a thousand) and it does bring difficulties - especially if you aren't the most socially outgoing child. It is where there is monoculture (for whatever reason, whether it's just that everyone else has lived in the same area for generations) and you find yourself the misfit that it can be very difficult. If there is lots of diversity it is easier to fit in because there isn't such a norm to fit into. Anyway there are plenty of accounts of how tough people have found that, as well as research on how children treat issues of identity. It's something I have experienced myself in a minor way too (although not about colour), but the key is that for some children it is a big deal, and why not make choices where that is less likely to happen?

Not sure you can get more culturally mixed than Queen's (NYC) where we used to live. It is supposed to be the most mixed part of any city in the world, but you still saw that the Chinese American kids hung out with the other Chinese American kids and the Korean Americans with the Korean Americans and the Italian-American with other Italian Americans etc. I think in general hanging out with people of similar background is just less work.

But then I really miss the diversity where I live now. The only interesting heritage tends to be which generation back moved from the UK!

dbd33

I agree with this and I think it accounts for the ethnic clustering one sees in cities such as Toronto; Greektown, Little India and so on. Nonetheless, I think kids growing up in a place with much diversity are more respectful of other cultures (for example one of mine wore a sari to her graduation) without necessarily being able to fully share in that culture (the primary street gang at their school was the Tamil Tigers, not something a white kid could join).

lousid

Thank you Nooka, spot on! This is exactly where I am coming from. Sometimes when there isn't much diversity especially in certain small towns, you can have people with a limited world view. I suppose it could be down to education although even education cannot get through some parochial barriers. This is a very important consideration for a future place to live.

lousid

Sorry about the tone. I suppose I reacted in that way because I detected a hint of arrogance and judgment in your responses. My mistake.

montreal mike

That's fine.

Arrogance no, but judgment possibly.

I base my reaction to what you wrote based of personal experience as a youngster living overseas plus what I have seen my 66 years.

lousid

Fair enough. Thanks for the input.

newshoney

Just to add my two cents... I was similarly a bit worried that, compared to the Greater Toronto Area, Calgary might not be diverse enough for my "diversely-heritaged" family to fit in properly, particularly as my children would be going to a high school which at first glance seemed to be almost entirely 'Caucasian'. From what I have seen, my fears were groundless and so far (touch wood) there has been nothing awkward at any point. However a fellow soccer mom who is of Indian (i.e. South Asian) ancestry told me that it has not always been as straightforward for her family.

Of far more interest to locals here will be the UK accent... made my 16 year old daughter an instant hit!

lousid

Of far more interest to locals here will be the UK accent... made my 16 year old daughter an instant hit![/QUOTE]


It works in teaching, too. My kids LOVE being read to in class. They also listen when I speak to them! The accent is a major plus point, I agree. All the UK kids at the school where I teach have no problems getting acquainted with peers. I'm not sure of the longevity of these acquaintances, but it's always a promising start for them in a new country, new school and new set of circumstances.

Sid

ShawnMcCrea

Oh man, one of the many reasons I wouldnt want to live in the country... many people with very closed minds living in the past. I would not have been able to sit there and say/do nothing if people were ignorant to that particular couple.