4 ms·

At least those people are consistent. There are plenty who would be okay with people coming from other countries if they looked like them.

inflatableDodo 7y ago
Have you not noticed that they only generally say that about people from areas that they don't currently have net migration from? Looking like your new neighbors doesn't help if they are determined to keep you as 'other', just look at the plight of the Oklahomans in Grapes of Wrath, or the Burakumin in Japan.
klyrs 7y ago
The real irony in north america is that us white people aren't even "from" here. Hell, Drumpf is only second generation and his wife is first generation.
- inflatableDodo 7y ago
  Also, white and black people don't actually exist. We just adopted what is possibly the world's most stupid taxonomical system ever invented and ran with it; "Hey, I have a great idea, lets categorise people by how much light they reflect. We can use the words that mean 'reflects all light' and 'reflects no light' as signifiers. This should be darn useful, especially as there are pretty much no people whatsoever fitting into those categories. Who's with me?" Not that I expect to win that particular semantic battle any time soon.
soneil 7y ago
I spent a few years in Michigan, and was all but told this. In one conversation that stuck with me, a chap was on one of his frequent rants about "them", and I felt compelled that he was ranting about immigrants, to an immigrant. His responses included "you know what I mean", and "at least you bothered to learn the language". As an Englishman, "at least you bothered to learn the language" tickled me pink; but "you know what I mean" really stood out to me. Yes, we do know exactly what they mean, but they'll entirely deny meaning it. I realise the plural of anecdote isn't data, but there's certainly at least "some" people who feel that white immigrants are acceptable immigrants. This was during the late-bush/early-obama period, so I'm poorly placed to judge whether the scale of this has changed.
- siphon22 7y ago
  It might fall in line with "Better the devil you know than the one you don't." Like while some Japanese people may dislike Korean people, they may at the same time think that Korean immigrants will assimilate far better than say, a bunch of loud Americans. Purely random example by the way, no political or hate motive. I said some, not all, so back off with the pitchforks please. Also, Americans aren't a race :)

inflatableDodo 7y ago

Have you not noticed that they only generally say that about people from areas that they don't currently have net migration from? Looking like your new neighbors doesn't help if they are determined to keep you as 'other', just look at the plight of the Oklahomans in Grapes of Wrath, or the Burakumin in Japan.

klyrs 7y ago

The real irony in north america is that us white people aren't even "from" here. Hell, Drumpf is only second generation and his wife is first generation.

inflatableDodo 7y ago
Also, white and black people don't actually exist. We just adopted what is possibly the world's most stupid taxonomical system ever invented and ran with it; "Hey, I have a great idea, lets categorise people by how much light they reflect. We can use the words that mean 'reflects all light' and 'reflects no light' as signifiers. This should be darn useful, especially as there are pretty much no people whatsoever fitting into those categories. Who's with me?" Not that I expect to win that particular semantic battle any time soon.

soneil 7y ago

I spent a few years in Michigan, and was all but told this. In one conversation that stuck with me, a chap was on one of his frequent rants about "them", and I felt compelled that he was ranting about immigrants, to an immigrant. His responses included "you know what I mean", and "at least you bothered to learn the language". As an Englishman, "at least you bothered to learn the language" tickled me pink; but "you know what I mean" really stood out to me. Yes, we do know exactly what they mean, but they'll entirely deny meaning it. I realise the plural of anecdote isn't data, but there's certainly at least "some" people who feel that white immigrants are acceptable immigrants. This was during the late-bush/early-obama period, so I'm poorly placed to judge whether the scale of this has changed.

siphon22 7y ago
It might fall in line with "Better the devil you know than the one you don't." Like while some Japanese people may dislike Korean people, they may at the same time think that Korean immigrants will assimilate far better than say, a bunch of loud Americans. Purely random example by the way, no political or hate motive. I said some, not all, so back off with the pitchforks please. Also, Americans aren't a race :)