The Melting Pot Of The Western World?
Nov 2nd 2006, 5:47 am
#16
Bugger Off!
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Location: Michigan
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Re: The Melting Pot Of The Western World?
Got it. Will read again tomorrow. Sleep time now. Good night BE. It's good night from me and.........oh sod it ha ha. Nite nite 
Nov 2nd 2006, 10:00 am
#17
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Re: The Melting Pot Of The Western World?
Originally Posted by Silly Sod
As the blurb says for the US section of this forum. Well, I don't want to be a moaning minnie but, having just noticed that, I have to disagree. (Hey, it gives me something to moan about, right? ha ha).
So far, in my (admittedly limited experience) America is so far from a 'melting pot' of cultures, creeds, religion and races that it is untrue.
Anyone who has ever ridden a bus will tell you the same. African Americans avoid Caucasian Americans, or Europeans, studiously. They live in financially, socially and, dare I say it educationally separated neighbourhoods. Latinos don't even bother. America is so much more segregated than even the UK, with it's inherently seperationalist island culture, that to call it (the USA) a melting pot is laughable. A melting pot suggests everyone mixes up and gets along just fine and dandy. That doesn't seem to be the case.
I may be wrong here and invite opinions on this. So far I have seen nothing but segregation and suspicion of other cultures and creeds. Any thoughts?
So far, in my (admittedly limited experience) America is so far from a 'melting pot' of cultures, creeds, religion and races that it is untrue.
Anyone who has ever ridden a bus will tell you the same. African Americans avoid Caucasian Americans, or Europeans, studiously. They live in financially, socially and, dare I say it educationally separated neighbourhoods. Latinos don't even bother. America is so much more segregated than even the UK, with it's inherently seperationalist island culture, that to call it (the USA) a melting pot is laughable. A melting pot suggests everyone mixes up and gets along just fine and dandy. That doesn't seem to be the case.
I may be wrong here and invite opinions on this. So far I have seen nothing but segregation and suspicion of other cultures and creeds. Any thoughts?
When I lived in NYC, a teacher told me that was a rule - that you had to say salad rather than melting pot!
Nov 2nd 2006, 10:39 am
#18
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Re: The Melting Pot Of The Western World?
I think times are changing but it is slow. You can see it in college classrooms also where the blacks all sit together (if they are American black), the hispanics, then the whites don't really care. The only difference you get is when you get non-American blacks in the classroom - they don't seem to have the same issues and it doesn't seem to matter whether they are from South America, Europe or Africa, they are just happy to sit wherever there is a seat and talk to anyone who will talk to them.
As I said - things are changing but it is just going to take time. Segregation was here for a long time and many communities are over 30 years old.
Our neighbourhood - we have many Asians but very few blacks or hispanics. However, the school is a good mix. I think we are still considered a majority white district though.
Saying all that - the students I work with at the two year college are all below the poverty line and are a mix of black, spanish speaking, Indian and white. They all happily talk and mix with each other and there are no dividing lines at all. the only times the divide is ever noticed is when those who struggle with English revert to their native spanish when someone else who speaks spanish is in the room.
As I said - things are changing but it is just going to take time. Segregation was here for a long time and many communities are over 30 years old.
Our neighbourhood - we have many Asians but very few blacks or hispanics. However, the school is a good mix. I think we are still considered a majority white district though.
Saying all that - the students I work with at the two year college are all below the poverty line and are a mix of black, spanish speaking, Indian and white. They all happily talk and mix with each other and there are no dividing lines at all. the only times the divide is ever noticed is when those who struggle with English revert to their native spanish when someone else who speaks spanish is in the room.
Nov 2nd 2006, 12:26 pm
#19
Re vera, potas bene.
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: Cape Cod MA..Davenport FL
Posts: 2,405
Re: The Melting Pot Of The Western World?
Originally Posted by Silly Sod
As the blurb says for the US section of this forum. Well, I don't want to be a moaning minnie but, having just noticed that, I have to disagree. (Hey, it gives me something to moan about, right? ha ha).
So far, in my (admittedly limited experience) America is so far from a 'melting pot' of cultures, creeds, religion and races that it is untrue.
Anyone who has ever ridden a bus will tell you the same. African Americans avoid Caucasian Americans, or Europeans, studiously. They live in financially, socially and, dare I say it educationally separated neighbourhoods. Latinos don't even bother. America is so much more segregated than even the UK, with it's inherently seperationalist island culture, that to call it (the USA) a melting pot is laughable. A melting pot suggests everyone mixes up and gets along just fine and dandy. That doesn't seem to be the case.
I may be wrong here and invite opinions on this. So far I have seen nothing but segregation and suspicion of other cultures and creeds. Any thoughts?
So far, in my (admittedly limited experience) America is so far from a 'melting pot' of cultures, creeds, religion and races that it is untrue.
Anyone who has ever ridden a bus will tell you the same. African Americans avoid Caucasian Americans, or Europeans, studiously. They live in financially, socially and, dare I say it educationally separated neighbourhoods. Latinos don't even bother. America is so much more segregated than even the UK, with it's inherently seperationalist island culture, that to call it (the USA) a melting pot is laughable. A melting pot suggests everyone mixes up and gets along just fine and dandy. That doesn't seem to be the case.
I may be wrong here and invite opinions on this. So far I have seen nothing but segregation and suspicion of other cultures and creeds. Any thoughts?
In FL we have a great mix of people that all get on...they come from Mexico Cuba Asia ...some are black Americans...sorry I don't hold with this African/Caucasian American rubbish...unless you are a new citizen...
Nov 2nd 2006, 1:15 pm
#20
Lost in BE Cyberspace
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Re: The Melting Pot Of The Western World?
Originally Posted by anotherlimey
It's supposed to be a "salad" rather than a melting pot now...
When I lived in NYC, a teacher told me that was a rule - that you had to say salad rather than melting pot!
When I lived in NYC, a teacher told me that was a rule - that you had to say salad rather than melting pot!
Nov 2nd 2006, 1:56 pm
#21
who turned out the light?
Joined: Nov 2004
Location: WA
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Re: The Melting Pot Of The Western World?
Originally Posted by britvic
Well the salad's well tossed around here.
Nov 2nd 2006, 2:04 pm
#22
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Re: The Melting Pot Of The Western World?
Originally Posted by irnbru4u
that's what I was 'taught' to say when moved here - it's a tossed salad. I of course saw the funny side of that which she didn't!
Here where I am must be something to do with the Navy marrying us foreign Bird's 
Nov 2nd 2006, 2:06 pm
#23
who turned out the light?
Joined: Nov 2004
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Re: The Melting Pot Of The Western World?
Originally Posted by britvic
Know what you mean Here where I am must be something to do with the Navy marrying us foreign Bird's
Here where I am must be something to do with the Navy marrying us foreign Bird's
Nov 2nd 2006, 2:10 pm
#24
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Re: The Melting Pot Of The Western World?
Originally Posted by irnbru4u
as long as they don't carry you off to foreign ports.
Nov 2nd 2006, 2:12 pm
#25
who turned out the light?
Joined: Nov 2004
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Re: The Melting Pot Of The Western World?
Originally Posted by britvic
It's foreign enough for me though
but you are right we are the foreigners here!
Nov 2nd 2006, 2:48 pm
#26
Account Closed
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Re: The Melting Pot Of The Western World?
* White Non-Hispanic (89.6%)
* Hispanic (8.0%)
* Other race (4.2%)
* American Indian (1.3%)
* Two or more races (1.3%)
Never too sure about the Hispanic figure, sounds high but I may have Spanish or Portugese ancestors for all I know, never looked that far back.
There are a lot of people with surnames ending in ski or ich, more relevant to have a category for those with eastern european backgrounds.
Most of the demographics are down to economics.
Not sure about the UK though, I lived in central London and it was very divided, maybe by a few streets rather than 10 miles.
* Hispanic (8.0%)
* Other race (4.2%)
* American Indian (1.3%)
* Two or more races (1.3%)
Never too sure about the Hispanic figure, sounds high but I may have Spanish or Portugese ancestors for all I know, never looked that far back.
There are a lot of people with surnames ending in ski or ich, more relevant to have a category for those with eastern european backgrounds.
Most of the demographics are down to economics.
Not sure about the UK though, I lived in central London and it was very divided, maybe by a few streets rather than 10 miles.
Nov 2nd 2006, 2:50 pm
#27
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
Re: The Melting Pot Of The Western World?
I've noticed that there are far fewer mixed race couples here than back in England. It almost seems taboo here for people to have a serious relationship/marriage if one partner is black and one is white.
Nov 2nd 2006, 3:14 pm
#28
who turned out the light?
Joined: Nov 2004
Location: WA
Posts: 7,997
Re: The Melting Pot Of The Western World?
Originally Posted by Englishmum
I've noticed that there are far fewer mixed race couples here than back in England. It almost seems taboo here for people to have a serious relationship/marriage if one partner is black and one is white.
Nov 2nd 2006, 3:14 pm
#29
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Re: The Melting Pot Of The Western World?
Originally Posted by Mrs Danvers
So, rather than how it "feels", how many of you have racial minorities as neighbours, which would be a better measuring stick.
In our street there are two hispanic families, the other 18-20 are white.
In our street there are two hispanic families, the other 18-20 are white.
Nov 2nd 2006, 3:37 pm
#30
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
Re: The Melting Pot Of The Western World?
Originally Posted by irnbru4u
yes but also here I met an apparently mixed race couple and I thought she was white (she called herself African American) so glad I didn't open my mouth! There seems to be loads of people that identify themselves as black but to me look white, which is fine but I don't want to say the wrong thing and offend them!
I think it's odd that some of the black entertainers who are mixed race (eg. Alicia Keys, Halle Berry) who are mixed race (white mother, black father and AFAIK their fathers deserted them) don't identify with being white at all and consider themselves black...
(It may have something to do with the following paragraph).I like the British singer Craig David. He's from Southampton and has a white parent and a black parent. He was going to have a promotional tour in the US and was told that if he didn't get rid of the white members of his backing band and replace them with black musicians, then his records would not be played on the US radio stations. He was appalled and refused to do so and his tour was indefinitely postponed.
Only Eminem sees to have been embraced by the black community I think?