[jokethrowaway]

As an immigrant, I didn't want to leave my country, let alone integrate where I did.

I was forced to because the government in my country steals and wastes so much money that the economy breaks and you can't make money there. Still the quality of life is much better at home and I'd rather stay there.

All my friends are immigrants, I couldn care less to integrate here. Ideally I'd just rather live in a town with just immigrants from my country. As long as you keep them out of politics they'll probably won't rob you.

[jdmoreira]

Interesting. I also left my country but mostly because there wasn’t really anything left for me there and I met my girlfriend and she was from somewhere else... So I moved to her country.

Her country is clearly superior in almost everything except for weather and food. I like living here and I've made good friends and enjoy my life here.

Now the curious part comes... I have zero attachment to both countries, their culture and their national identities. I couldn’t care less about their language or customs. I just see myself has some kind of post-nationalistic person that would much rather speak English with everyone, hang out on the internet and live wherever.

As far as I'm concerned national identities and culture are useless and holding us down as a species. I really wish people could outgrow this nonsense.

[cycomanic]

I partly feel the same. I agree with you that identification with a country (patriotism/nationalism) is holding us back. However I do recognize that my upbringing has shaped me culturally and similar in my behaviour. Similarly the 3 other countries I have lived in for significant time, which have also formed my personality. I also do feel attachment to those places, but this is much more due do people and the location, not the nation.

[jdmoreira]

I agree with you that the culture I was raised in has had a huge effect on me. You can take the man of the country but you can’t take the country out of the man.

In hindsight I don’t think I was raised in a particularly enlightened culture. Do those even exist? I would much rather have us move past dumb social biases and constructs and work together to build a better future and a more universal and cooperative world.

[throwaway210222]

"I would much rather have us move past dumb social biases "

On person's unbiased Baysian predictions based on a lifetime of experience and evidence, looks a lot like biases and prejudice to the delicate of mind.

And they get nasty about it.

So no, there will be no building of a better world.

[jdmoreira]

Generalizations like "chinese people are ..." or "muslims tend to..." are garbage. There is no possible objective truth to any of these since we are talking about billions of people.

You brain might think it’s very smart and clever and has the world all figured out but most likely it doesn’t. The world is a chaotic system beyond any one's comprehension. All generalizations that are not purely mathematical and 100% abstract in nature are wrong.

[throwaway210222]

Who the &^& said I think like this? You chose literally the worst example and then attributed it to me.

Perhaps a quick reread of the site guidelines is in order.

[nlitened]

> Ideally I'd just rather live in a town with just immigrants from my country.

That town was in your country which you fled though.

[stuaxo]

Having met some white people in Asia, it's not like immigrant (ex-pat) community all make that much effort to integrate.

[lokedhs]

Just like any other immigrants, westeners in Asia integrate do different degrees. Some only hang out with people from their own country and refuse to go to anything but restaurants that serve their own food. While others practically become locals.

Some nationalities integrate more than others. This goes for different European countries even, so it has very little to do with "race".

[ficklepickle]

I understand and I think that is acceptable. I'd welcome you and yours in Canada. When both groups respect each other, true integration comes over generations of working together.

Obviously we did not respect the Indigenous people and I hope that can me mended through generations of mutual respect.

I think Vancouver is better because of the rich mix of cultures. It's not perfect here but I think it is pretty good. I have seen a Muslim man give his shoes to a homeless man on the bus and walk home barefoot in the rain. I believe anything is possible.