Cultural Diversity

[Guest blankman]

Well Bilbo, I can't add much to the mix.

 

I am so hopelessly WASPy that my Mediterranean friends make fun of me and my silly ways, such as ironing, obeying traffic laws, not raising my voice, and squirming if anyone ever talks openly about prices or salaries. I first entered a Catholic church at age 16 and was mortified at the profusion of imagery (Calvin would *not* have approved!). I had never seen a clove of garlic until I was 21 (this is true), nor did I even know how to operate a coffee maker.

 

I recently read that less than 20% of America's current population actually has English ancestry, although I find this hard to believe (if so it must not include Scots or Irish). But maybe it is now true, which makes what was formerly the "norm" now the "exotic" at least statistically.

[Bilbo]

What with Swallows leaving Australia for a world tour, and Barry drewling over guys left and right (instead of what I think is the American spelling - drooling) (And completely a pro pos of nothing - gads! I'm hijacking my own thread halfway into the first posting! - when did major league become majorly?) I keep wondering what fabulous exotic people we have here? We all know that I'm a Coloradan transplanted to Texas (well, some of us do), but who all is where? I know that there are reviews from some interesting places in Europe, but do the reviewers also talk on these threads, or are we too Amerocentric to interest them? Also, I guess we sorts probably all assume that most of us are Judeo-Christian? Are any of you Wiccan, Moslem, or whatever? You probably know if your home or something makes you different from what the majority here seem to be, if you are, please share it with us?

 

(Remember when your class would send up a weather balloon with a postcard just to see where it got mailed back to you from?)

 

And does that difference make you any less likely to post here instead of just lurking?

[Guest jizzdepapi]

hi bilbo. ill weigh in here.

 

white 50yo man of english extraction. ex-catholic. seminarian in fact. now non-practicing anything. believe the goddess is to be found in politics (no, not elections; in advocacy for the oppressed)

 

prefer exotic men though in my youth i cavorted with white boys, principally italians.

 

is this what u want to know?

 

jizz

p.s.: as requested, am sending u my email address

[Guest Merlin]

I agree that much more than 20% of Americans have English ancestry as evidenced by the predominence of English names. I think many families have been here so long that they no longer identify themselves as English and are more likely to identify with the more recent and more ethnic part of their ancestry.

[Guest Konga]

>I agree that much more than

>20% of Americans have English

>ancestry as evidenced by the

>predominence of English names.

 

I don't know the actual percentage of people this happened to, but back when there were a thousand or so immigrants coming through Ellis Island every day, many of the officials who worked there, in an effort to save time and perhaps as a kindly gesture toward helping the newly arrived assimilate themselves into society, would routinely give people "new" names. If a sirname was too ethnic, had too many consonants in it, ended in too many vowels, or just couldn't be pronounced by whichever illiterate official happened to recieve the paperwork on any given family, they would "americanize" the name. Hence, Smittonicaa became Smith, Richelieu became Rich, Eduarte de Vaccamos became Edwards, and so on. This practice may be a contributing factor to the predominance of English sounding names.

Personally, I was born in Asia, but my parents both hailed from the African Continent. However, I am not Asian, nor African. I currently live in America, but neither am I American. Just adrift in a sea of hairless apes I guess.

[Guest trekker]

>I agree that much more than

>20% of Americans have English

>ancestry as evidenced by the

>predominence of English names.

 

The predominence of English names is very misleading in many cases. See the posts below.

 

> I

>think many families have been

>here so long that they

>no longer identify themselves as

>English and are more likely

>to identify with the more

>recent and more ethnic part

>of their ancestry.

 

This may very well be true, if there is a mixed heritage.

Also, I suspect that the figure of 20% may have been referring to entirely or predominantly English, or self-identified English, and that large numbers of people with "some" English are not included there, especially if it is a minor fraction.

[Bilbo]

Within the last two days there have been reviews from London, Antwerp and someplace wonderfully romantic in South America and I'm too tired to remember where it was. Do those people also post notes here in the threads? I am not meaning to pull a Taliban and make them wear armbands or anything. I just think that it would be interesting to celebrate our diversity and far flungness. And it would help us not say nasty things about people/countries who are listening.

 

Is anyone around here from a part of America we wouldn't necessarily expect? I know that that includes nearly anyplace that isn't on a coast. But, for example, is anyone here from an Indian reservation or close to one? Or is anyone a National Parks ranger checking in from home on your off hours?

[Guest trekker]

>Within the last two days there have been reviews from

>London, Antwerp and someplace wonderfully romantic in

>South America and I'm too tired to remember where it was.

 

I think you mean the one from a traveling Italian businessman who had an encounter in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic).

 

 

> Do those people also post notes here in the threads?

>I am not meaning to pull a Taliban and make them wear

>armbands or anything. I just think that it would be

>interesting to celebrate our diversity and far flungness.

>And it would help us not say nasty things about

>people/countries who are listening.

 

"We" shouldn't say things like that even if they're *not* listening....

[Guest trekker]

>The predominence of English names is

>very misleading in many cases.

> See the posts below.

 

Oops! One of them turns out to be above.

You can never tell where and when these posts will appear...

[Guest trekker]

>Hence, Smittonicaa became Smith, Richelieu became Rich,

>Eduarte de Vaccamos became Edwards, and so on.

>This practice may be a contributing factor to the predominance

>of English sounding names.

 

To say nothing of all the names like Bernini that became Berns, Rosenzweig that became Ross, Krzyzanowski that became Christian, Petrosian that became Peterson, Georgopoulos that became George, Rabinowitz that became Roberts, and on and on.

 

And then many of the names which had survived the immigration gauntlet intact or largely intact got changed to something more "American" (read: Anglo-Saxon) during the "melting pot" era of the first half or so of the 20th century. So it's not very accurate at all to try to estimate the percentage of Americans with English ancestry by looking in the phone book.

 

An interesting little anecdote on a similar subject:

I know of two Chinese gentlemen who emigrated here from China many years ago at around the same time, but not together. Each established himself in the US, developed a professional career and raised a family. One is surnamed Li and the other is surnamed Lee. They are brothers.

[Matt_Vancouver]

I am Human in descent: )

I live in a diverse part of Canada called Vancouver. If you listen as you walk down the street here, you will hear probably every language being spoken at some point. We have a very strong Asian population here, it's approaching 40%, and Vancouver is predicted to be the first 'truly' Eurasian city by the year 2050.

The influx of Asian population in this city, due mostly to the speed at which it occured, (within the last 20 years), has not been an easy adjustment. I honestly don't beleive it is racism, I think it's more a case of culturalism. Take two completely different cultures, and throw them together in a rapid blend, and there will be some animosity. The asian culture has different ideas of personal space, different attitudes to the elderly(we westerners should take note), and different ideas of commerce.

There is an obvious rift building between the western Vancouverites, and the Asians. I'm not sure what will help resolve this, but I don't forsee it in the near future, or even in the next two generations.

In most cities where there is a large population of immigrants ( as we all were at one point), the new people eventually integrate into the population, accepting the cultural 'norms', and usually within a generation, have adapted.

This is not going to be the case in Vancouver, the migration was too quick, the land, too overpopulated, so instead of, as in most north american cities, settling in a particular locale (ie. China town) the new population moved in amongst the existing populace. Too much diversity, too soon, no chance to properly adapt. And because of the sheer numbers, they have not been 'forced' to adapt to language and cultural 'norms'.

Sorry I didn't mean for this to become an antropological novel(would this qualify as anthro?)

My point... I lost it along the way: ) There is going to be similar cases in most cities around the globe within the next century, with a population approaching 7 billion, it's bound to happen. Vancouver might be a perfect case study on how to make the transition easier on everyone.

Anyhow we are a diverse people, human beings. Culturally, ethnicly(sp?) and sexually. Celebrate the diversity, accept our differences, and enjoy our sexuality.

Matt's huggy feely post of the week: )

 

http://go.to/mattsplace

matt_escort@yahoo.com

[Guest Gentle Dude]

I am Asian-Pacific Islander of Filipino, Chinese and Spanish descent. I am in my 40's, speak four languages other than English, lived in four different countries prior to coming to America and enjoy traveling around the world especially to Asia and Europe.

 

Mindful of the fact that there are some escorts who caters exclusively to Caucasian males such as the one I found in a website of an escort in Florida, I really had to make sure that the escort I'm hiring is aware of my ethnic background. Since this is going to be my first experience with an escort, I contacted a number of escorts first and found one who I felt comfortable talking to. We e-mailed each other for a number of weeks and even spoke on the phone prior to me closing the deal. I even send him a montage of my photographs that way he knows exactly what I look like prior to the encounter. He complimented me on my looks and thought that I was very classy and GQ looking. I have now booked a suite at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills and hope that this experience will be a good if not a great one. <knock on wood> Nonetheless, no matter what the outcome, it will be an unforgettable learning experience for me. I am very proud of my heritage and the way I look. I respect the fact the some people have limited tastes and preferences, however, I personally believe that diversity can only enrich one's life and in my case, it has.

[Guest Gentle Dude]

>The asian culture has

>different ideas of personal space,

>different attitudes to the elderly(we

>westerners should take note), and

>different ideas of commerce.

 

Matt,

 

This is very true....Being Asian, it is normal in our culture for more than one family to live in one roof even after one gets married. If we have to move to our own homes, it is usually near immediate family members so that we can help each other out in times of need. When I came to the US, I have never heard of a nursing home for the elderly because back home, it is instilled in you at a very early age to respect, revere and to take care of your elders. I cherish and enjoyed as a young child spending the time I did with both my grandparents and great-grandparents before they passed away. In fact one of the best advice I ever had came from my maternal grandmother. She told me that if I ever get to the US to invest in real estate because God doesn't make them anymore. I own several properties in the San Francisco Bay area and in Silicon Valley and also abroad. If we have to go into business, it is normally a family venture. Living here in the US for about 20 years now, I have learned to respect all cultures and learn from them as much as I can.

 

GD