Here is a report on a book by an immigrant to Austria. An Austrian of Turkish Kurd background, Mr Inan Türkmen, 25 years of age, is the author of We are Coming, currently available in German, on the Kindle. The blog states:
A second-generation Muslim immigrant in Austria has authored a provocative new book in which he argues that Europe's future is Turkish, whether Europeans like it or not.An interesting view and one sure to upset several constituencies.
The book's short, sharp and confrontational title says it all: "We are Coming."
The thesis is: "Regardless of whether or not you [Europeans] like us [Turks], whether or not you integrate us, whether or not you want us in the European Union, our influence in Europe is growing. We are more numerous. We are younger. We are more ambitious. Our economy is growing faster. We are stronger."
I favor the melting pot approach. I assume people come to the United States for religious, political or economic freedom. To achieve such freedom one needs to buy into the "American Way", maybe even buy into "American Exceptionalism". So, from my point of view, everyone who buys into the American dream is one of us.
Regards — Cliff
1 comment:
I cringe every time an otherwise well-intentioned essential xenophobe trumpets something like "English-only" or any otherwise immigrant-unfriendly political stance. Our strength as a nation is precisely because we integrate newcomers and their languages and culture. (Sports metaphors are littered with "bagels" and "mano a mano" and any number of other proofs that we are an assimilating bunch). If people want to keep America strong, they can do it best by integrating the best of all those who fight and kick and scratch and claw to be here to be part of it. We don't have nearly enough Turks here, Muslim and otherwise, or any other foreign nationality, who are possessed of the skill and intelligence and drive demonstrated by those now in Germany and Austria and elsewhere in Europe. It's too bad we're closing the borders at exactly the same time when their energy is needed to help us solve our approaching-intractable problems.
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