>Just out of curosity do you over there get the
>same arguments about "We must do something about
>the shrinking population - have more babies!",
>while at the same time "We must keep immigrants
>out unless they're the Right Sort for us (white,
>good professions, etc), and be careful of those
>asylum seekers!"?

Yes and no. We hear nothing about how we must have more babies. If anything, it's drilled into us now to only have babies when you're absolutely positively ready.

As for immigration, I'll say this. In just about every age of this country there's been some degree of backlash against immigrants. In the 19th and early 20th centruy it was Irish and Italian immigrants that got the short end of the stick. In more recent times, Mexicans have gotten the "we don't need any more of them" treatment.

My personal feeling on immigration, and I think I'm backed up at least partly on this by actual facts, is that immigration is the lifeblood of the United States. Immigration is what made us the country we are today. We are a nation of immigrants. Originally we were British immigrants. Then Spanish and French, Italian, Irish, eastern European, Asian, Pacific Islanders, and on and on. You name it, we've got it here. Anybody who tells you there's some distinctly "American" identity based in any way on racial or social or economic or cultural or ancestral grounds is either predjudiced or misguided (or talking about Native Americans, which is a whole other ball of wax in itself). The very foundation of our country is as a "melting pot". Our "culture", such as it is, is a weird amalgamation of every culture we've absorbed over the years. We celebrate distinctly Irish holidays such as St Patrick's Day, Mexican holidays such as Cinco de Mayo and distinctly American holidays such as Independance Day. We take the parts of each culture we're exposed to that we like and we add it to the whole no matter if it fits or not. So when the Irish started coming over, we were all "Oh yeah, this potato thing is pretty cool, we'll take that. Also this excuse to get drunk and wear green called 'St. Patrick's Day' is pretty cool, we'll take that. Catholocism, ok we'll put that over here. Oh, BEER, can't have enough of that!" and so on. Similarly, when the Mexicans really started coming over, it was "Oh cool, this taco thing rules! We'll put a Taco Bell on every corner. Hrm, Catholocism, huh? Already have that, thanks anyway. This excuse to get drunk called 'Cinco de Mayo' is pretty cool, we'll take that. Oh, and we're going to take this 'burrito' thing, but we're going to totally frig it up by putting eggs and stuff in it and serving it for breakfast, is that ok?"

The beauty of America is that you can't ruin "American Culture" because there is no such thing. Everytime we absorb a mass of immigrants from one particular area, our "culture" changes to accomodate them in some way, and to add features that they brought with them. Often they start by segregating themselves into little enclaves and certain parts of town, and although this continues on in some cases (I can't think of any major American city that doesn't have a "China Town" for instance) for the most part they eventually integrate seamlessly with the rest of society. Society changes to accomidate them, and they change to accomidate society. It's a move towards an ever shifting mean.

Those Americans that begrudge this totally misunderstand what our country is about, I think. I've said it before here on the forum, but it bears repeating: You can move to Japan, live there your whole life, become a citizen of Japan, but you can never *be* Japanese. You can move to France, become a citizen of France, but I doubt any "true" Frenchman would allow you to call yourself "French". However, from the moment you are naturalized in the US, you *are* an American. This is one of the only nations on Earth where this is true. It's part of what little "national identity" we have, the principle that *anyone* can be an American. You don't have to have been born here, you don't have to have "American" parents, you don't have to speak a certain language, or have a certain religion, or be of a certain race, or a certain economic background, or anything at all. The poor eastern European immigrant who was naturalized today is every bit an American as I am, and I for one am proud to welcome anyone to "my" country who has the desire to come here and make a better life for themselves. I take exception with those who come here to find that better life and yet continue to complain about how "bad" a country this is while continuing to take from the very society they claim to hate so much, but I don't really think this attitude is as widespread as it is sometimes made out to be. And to be truthful, another great thing about this country is that people are free to believe what they want. If they want to be hypocrites by saying they hate America yet continue to avail themselves of everything America has to offer them, well, they can do that. Nobody has to like them for it, but the same principle that protects them also protects me when I want to criticize my government for some gripe *I* have. And for that, I'm thankful and I'll put up with a little insolence.

-- Dave