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deaths of two black teenagers while being pursued by French cops ignited
violent riots that rocked the poor African and Arab suburbs of Paris).
In Europe, many immigrants melt into their adopted homelands, while
others l at-out don't want to assimilate. With the increasing af ordability
of modern communication technologies, it's becoming easier and easier
for immigrants to establish insulated satellite communities that remain in
constant contact with the culture and language of their homeland. When
my grandparents migrated from Norway to the US, they ef ectively severed
communications with their Norwegian relatives, and had little choice but to
melt into American society. (And, while they arrived speaking barely a word
of English, just two generations later, I barely speak a word of Norwegian.)
Today they could use the Internet to read newspapers and watch television
shows from home, and talk to relatives around the world for free on Skype.
h ese days, it seems that immigrant groups can choose whether or not
they want to integrate with their adopted countries. I've met third-generation
Algerians in the Netherlands who don't speak a word of Dutch, and don't
expect their children to, either. And I've met third-generation Pakistanis
in Denmark that speak only Danish and know and love their adopted new
country just as their blonde neighbors do.
Like the US, Europe is suf ering growing pains when it comes to its
immigrants. Coming from an immigrant family in a nation of immigrants, I
like America's “melting pot” approach. I think it works best for all if newcom-
ers embrace their adopted culture, learn the local language, and melt in.
But the European scene is a bit more complex. While I'm a fan of melting
in, I also respect the cultural diversity and survival of Europe's smaller ethnic
groups. If diversity is such a virtue, what's wrong with immigrants wanting to
preserve their home cultures? Is it hypocritical to celebrate the preservation of
the Catalan language, but expect Algerians to learn Dutch? Should Europe's
famous tolerance extend only to indigenous European cultures?
While I'm glad I'm not a policymaker who needs to implement immigra-
tion laws in Europe, I'll be honest about my take on this dicey issue: I favor
indigenous diversity (policies favoring European “nations without states”),
but policies facilitating immigrant laborers and their families (from outside
Europe) to embrace local cultural norms and assimilate.
While Europe could probably learn more from America on immigration
issues, as both societies grapple with this challenge, we can learn from each
others' successes and failures.
