[lit-ideas] Re: Long Live the Evolution

  • From: "Judith Evans" <judithevans001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Tue, 4 May 2004 19:06:01 +0100

>>
 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.
>>>

The UK is more "mosaic" -- there are some worrying assimilationist trends
like the citizenship ceremony, which makes people do what we "born citizens"
never have to do, i.e. swear allegiance -- but perhaps less so than Canada.

Judy Evans
jaye@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

-----Original Message-----
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Phil Enns
Sent: 04 May 2004 18:03
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objecting to the desire of immigrants to shape their new homeland into a
newer version of the old country.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'.  I
would think that if immigrants really wanted to return they would and
from my experience this often happens.  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.  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.

Vive la difference!

Sincerely,

Phil Enns (Russian-German-Canadian),
Toronto, ON

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