Pat Doesn't Think Much of the EU

[Dystopia]

This seems to be a basic difference between immigration into the US and immigration into Europe.  Every ethnic group which has arrived in waves in the US has made efforts withing a generation to assimilate into the culture.  Once again, the issue seems to come down to religion.

Says someone, who takes this incompatible issue on say so by the ones feeling threatened or having some nationalistic issues. When I grew up, there wasn't a black person around where I live. Now they're virtually everywhere. Which I consider a sign of a growing and colorful society. I don't give a shit about the culture changing. It always has, it always will.

As a Portuguese, I remember being little and seeing my black cousin for the first time and acting surprised because I didn't know black people existed, no one has ever taught me. I see more black people today as well, specially in southern Portugal (I live in the north) - In fact, I did get surprised by the amount of black people there are in the south because I'm not used to seeing it - But I don't have a problem with it - The only true issue is that the majority of Africans are placed in segregated neighbors and live in poverty - You can go to Lisbon and see many black people during the day, but at night, specially in middle class tourist areas, you won't see a glimpse of a black person. My cousin works as a police sheriff on a predominantly black neighborhood that is one of the most dangerous places to go in Lisbon - He recently got off work because he had a mental breakdown after seeing so many crimes, killings and violence. I think the problem with Europe is that we take too many immigrants at once and ignore the cultural differences that exist - We should organize better how we integrate people into society.

Keep in mind you can never integrate fully a new group into society, only individualized families and individuals who are willing to integrate themselves - Europeans simply put immigrants in ghettos and then pass laws saying "you can't say profanity against this group" and ignore the core issues. It's not just a matter of giving people access to basic services, it's also about actively integrating them into our cultures, something we don't do - That's why people segregate form each other and every group has their own little culture that they prefer over others. 

I am indifferent towards the ethnic composition of each country, as it is something that eventually changes and varies with time and history, but I don't think anyone should accept another culture and see it as equal just because it's holders are a minority - I think the majority of racism comes from culture. In my country, gypsies are the most hated group, far more than blacks - The reason for this is cultural, not ethnic. My girlfriend is part gypsy and she was never discriminated against, because she doesn't adopt gypsy culture, it's as simple as that. It's only natural that some individuals from minority groups will choose to integrate into the majority's culture and succeed if their own culture isn't helping them much. Some people stay, others go.