[drukenemo]

This is a mentality based on economics purely. That doesn't work well in practice. Economics might even lead as motivation for one to migrate (as it often does), but culture/religion play a pivotal part in creating difficulties in further assimilation. What do you get then? Exactly what you have in Europe: ethnic division and people living in a country with distaste for it, but benefiting economically from it.

[dnomad]

This is pure nonsense.

A better question is what could possibly lead you to believe that immigrants "have a distaste" for their new home countries? You certainly didn't actually talk to any immigrants.

Perhaps this is the real problem: people who spin these bigoted fantasies around immigrants?

Certainly any objective review of the facts would not explain the sheer panic and accusations of the anti-immigrant crowd [1]. So how and why do people come to believe such nonsense?

[1] https://www.economist.com/europe/2018/06/30/confusion-over-i...

[drukenemo]

"Pure nonsense" based on my daily experience living in the Amsterdam region for the past 10 years. And by the way, I include myself and many other white richy type immigrants living in the country in the issue of not identifying with the culture. You cannot fix that by physically mixing everyone in (I already live around mostly native Dutch).

Most people are here because the economic environment is good. Immigrants like us are good for the capitalistic system and what it creates as a consequence, but not always good for the country and its culture.

Also, here are some facts for what you call "pure nonsense" https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2018/06/dutch-muslims-are-beco...

I had read this article before finding this thread, didn't go out looking for something that matched my vision.

As stated in the article:

‘Young Muslims, who are the least likely to describe themselves as strict Muslims, are most negative about the Netherlands and almost half do not feel at home.’

But you may go ahead and continue do downvote me to oblivion.

[sgift]

> And by the way, I include myself and many other white richy type immigrants living in the country in the issue of not identifying with the culture. You cannot fix that by physically mixing everyone in (I already live around mostly native Dutch).

Describe that "Dutch culture" please. I take issue when people start talking about culture of a country as if the whole country shares one.

[username90]

Most countries in Europe have their own distinct national culture since our borders were mostly made to match cultural and language differences. Americans might not appreciate what it means to have a shared national culture with unique traditions and strongly shared values fostered over millennia but to us it matters a lot.

[sgift]

> What do you get then? Exactly what you have in Europe: ethnic division and people living in a country with distaste for it, but benefiting economically from it.

That's such a tired cliche. It is put out all the time, but there's no proof, just more anecdotes and whatever.