[lit-ideas] Re: Long Live the Evolution
- From: andy amago <aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 4 May 2004 16:53:51 -0400 (GMT-04:00)
-----Original Message-----
From: Phil Enns <phil.enns@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: May 4, 2004 1:03 PM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Long Live the Evolution
Torgeir Fjeld wrote:
"Did the Europeans "assimilate" to the prevalent lifestyle when they
arrived in America?"
to which Andy Amago replied:
"Absolutely. That's the whole point, that they became Americans in
their new home in which they planned to stay, rather than fantasizing
about returning to the old country."
It isn't clear to me to what Andy is objecting. At one point he was
objecting to the desire of immigrants to shape their new homeland into a
newer version of the old country. In this most recent post, the
objection is to 'fantasizing about returning to the old country'.
A.A. It's the same thing. Living in the new land as if it were the old *is*
fantasizing about returning to the old. The problem is that living a fantasy
keeps people stuck.
Phil: I would think that if immigrants really wanted to return they would and
from my experience this often happens.
A.A. I wonder how many return and find the ideal they think they left.
Phil: Furthermore, I am not clear what
is objectionable about the desire to have a little bit of the old
country in one's new home.
A.A. A little bit of the old and replication are two different things.
Phil: Perhaps this is the difference between the
U.S. and Canada. For the U.S., the dominant metaphor is that of the
melting pot whereas in Canada it is the mosaic.
A.A. Your French are like our Texans. A whole 'nother country, still fighting
the Alamo. At least on the History Channel.
Phil: Vive la difference!
A.A. I second the notion.
Mongrel-ly yours,
Andy (Italian/Irish/Finnish/Polish)
Sincerely,
Phil Enns (Russian-German-Canadian),
Toronto, ON
------------------------------------------------------------------
To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off,
digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html
------------------------------------------------------------------
To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off,
digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html
Other related posts:
