But the cold truth is it’s probably a lot easier to integrate large numbers of politically liberal Americans into European countries than it is to integrate immigrants from Muslim countries
I genuinely don’t think it makes a big difference for like 99% of immigrants. The process is pretty much the same. Gotta find work, a home and learn the language. The cultural friction you mentioned mostly affects the immigrants themselves rather than society as a whole.
Plus there are already ways for Americans to move here, especially skilled workers. There are some hurdles of course but it’s doable. Don’t really see why we should make it any easier except for potential refugees like Latin Americans and queer people.
At an individual level you are right. But this is more an issue with numbers. Immigrants do not just bring themselves; they also bring their culture. Think of it this way. Let’s say Germany decides to bring over a million politically disaffected American progressives. How many mosques do you think those million people will want to build in their new home? Maybe one or two, there will be some Muslims in that group. But most of those million won’t even be religious. And most of those that are will just help fill the pews of half-empty German churches. There won’t be a titanic shift in the German religious landscape from these million American immigrants.
Immigration starts having issues not at the individual level, but the societal level. Too many immigrants too quickly, and people start feeling like their culture is being replaced. The slower assimilation happens, the more people start feeling like their culture is being replaced. The more culturally different the immigrant population is from the native population, and the more people feel like their culture is being replaced. And the more people feel like their culture is being replaced, the more they start voting for hard right parties like AfD.
There’s nothing wrong with Muslims or with people building mosques. But I mention mosques because they are a highly visible symbol of immigrant populations with very different cultures, a symbol that right wing politicians gleefully exploit.
If Germany brings over a million disaffected Americans, what culturally disruptive things will they bring? I guess Germany will get some more McDonalds franchises and a few other American brands? But those million Americans really aren’t going to stir things up too much. It’s not like you’re going to let the Americans bring their guns with them. They’ll have to leave those behind. And the big gun nuts aren’t likely to take Germany up on its immigration offer in the first place.
And just due to genetics, give it a generation or two, and you won’t even able to tell who is descended from those immigrants without checking ancestry records. The first generation will be noticeably American, but the second, third, or fourth? Indistinguishable from the native German population. Completely assimilated.
I genuinely don’t think it makes a big difference for like 99% of immigrants. The process is pretty much the same. Gotta find work, a home and learn the language. The cultural friction you mentioned mostly affects the immigrants themselves rather than society as a whole.
Plus there are already ways for Americans to move here, especially skilled workers. There are some hurdles of course but it’s doable. Don’t really see why we should make it any easier except for potential refugees like Latin Americans and queer people.
At an individual level you are right. But this is more an issue with numbers. Immigrants do not just bring themselves; they also bring their culture. Think of it this way. Let’s say Germany decides to bring over a million politically disaffected American progressives. How many mosques do you think those million people will want to build in their new home? Maybe one or two, there will be some Muslims in that group. But most of those million won’t even be religious. And most of those that are will just help fill the pews of half-empty German churches. There won’t be a titanic shift in the German religious landscape from these million American immigrants.
Immigration starts having issues not at the individual level, but the societal level. Too many immigrants too quickly, and people start feeling like their culture is being replaced. The slower assimilation happens, the more people start feeling like their culture is being replaced. The more culturally different the immigrant population is from the native population, and the more people feel like their culture is being replaced. And the more people feel like their culture is being replaced, the more they start voting for hard right parties like AfD.
There’s nothing wrong with Muslims or with people building mosques. But I mention mosques because they are a highly visible symbol of immigrant populations with very different cultures, a symbol that right wing politicians gleefully exploit.
If Germany brings over a million disaffected Americans, what culturally disruptive things will they bring? I guess Germany will get some more McDonalds franchises and a few other American brands? But those million Americans really aren’t going to stir things up too much. It’s not like you’re going to let the Americans bring their guns with them. They’ll have to leave those behind. And the big gun nuts aren’t likely to take Germany up on its immigration offer in the first place.
And just due to genetics, give it a generation or two, and you won’t even able to tell who is descended from those immigrants without checking ancestry records. The first generation will be noticeably American, but the second, third, or fourth? Indistinguishable from the native German population. Completely assimilated.