Immigration: the reality

So going from your last two posts granjura, it seems that multi-culturalism doesn't work anywhere!

I spent 5 years in Kenya as an 'expat' because I went there to work and not settle down. People who had been there for generations were, of course, 'settlers' - at one time they would have been called 'white settlers' but even in the 60s that term was becoming outmoded. I think I have heard it used - in jest, of course - of the English who settle in the Scottish Highlands.

I thought the term 'ex-pat' came from the Latin...

We see ourselves as immigrants in France. From experience I agree with Granjura's view of the failure of most of us to master the french language.
I'm just guessing, but if you look at the the different communities in eg, the USA, which is a real mixture, the different nationalities seem to keep their identity, yet they don't threaten to overpower and take over the differentiation that exists. Which is the current threat in the UK.

Although those of hispanic descent are looked down upon in the US and mainly do manual jobs.

However the US isn't the UK. The US has always been large enough to absorb other nationalities.

Ex-pat must come from Latin, can't possibly be an Anglo Saxon word [possibly ex-pater, 'from the Father' or Fatherland?]

In Germany there used to be huge camps of Brits, living in tents and looking for work, they were looked down upon by the germans! In the 80s and 90s. I think most countries are a bit wary of any foreigner that descends in large numbers. What's the saying - I can't remember how it goes, but's something along the lines of, Give an Englishman one of anything and he will make a pet of it, two and he will get them to fight and lay odds on it, three and he will run them out of town for creating a nuisance. Something like that.

Is that a German saying then? We could say a thing or two about them no doubt.

Here in Boston, we have more immigrants per capita than anywhere else in the UK. Whilst the majority of them, mostly E.Europeans, are hard working, decent people, the fact remains that almost every case to come up in the magistrates courts are to do with immigrants, mostly drinking and driving incidents. It also seems to be the norm for them to fight in the streets, drink and smoke heavily, and generally make quite a lot of noise outdoors. Almost every terraced house that comes up for sale is bought to be rented out to immigrants, who quite often are 12 to a small house. We have a couple living in the house opposite, neither of them has a job, he`s about late 40s to 50, she`s about late 30s, he is constantly drunk, and I mean falling down drunk, knocks her about, their rows always erupt onto the street, and the police are called there regularly, but it doesn`t make any difference to how they carry on.

So you are directly affected number living where you do.I had heard that Boston was quite badly affected by large numbers of Eastern Europeans.How are the services, doctors, schools etc there?

Expat is a shortened form of ex-patriate, ie someone living outside their native country.

Origin:
mid 18th century (as a verb): from medieval Latin expatriat-'gone out from one's country', from the verb expatriare, from ex-'out' + patria 'native country'.

ah, well done Rose thought it sounded like Latin.

Immigrant is someone who comes to live permanently in another country (Latin: immigrare)

I said it was Latin ages ago!

Just answering roses Ana.

There is a difference in meaning which I think was being debated earlier.

I agree with janerowena about town centres being enlivened. Ely has a very well know independent school and you might think that Waitrose would be frequented by the middle classes and Aldi full of immigrants but in fact, it's the other way round. High Street shops are now thriving again which is lovely because not so long ago we had a bit of a 'ghost town' image with many small shops being boarded up.

I do agree with anyone who thinks the influx takes some getting used to though but I think the 'locals' are a lot more friendly than when we first moved here in 1975 and we were treated like foreigners!

We live in the middle of an arable farming area and although the gang labour is from Eastern Europe, we have not found them to be a problem. They are hard working and where would the farming industry be without them?

Before I retired I taught Polish, Latvian and Lithuanian children who spoke very little English. Any behaviour issues were no worse than those of English students and most of them were cheerful and polite.

I really can't speak for Wisbech other than to say that locally it has a bad reputation for crime and other problems associated with large numbers of immigrants moving there. It's easy for me to keep an open mind but I do feel sorry for those who feel their lives have been blighted by what might seem like a never ending flow of Eastern Europeans.

Firstly my lovely cleaner is Rumanian.
She cant read English which can be a problem, but she is a very hard worker, and we are good friends. (So I am not prejudiced )
I would just like to point out how Areas differ.
I happened to go to Wood Green in North London last week.
It was a frightening experience. Hardly an English person around, the foreigners have very loud voices Which isn't our culture and I personally find irritating. Even the buses were unnerving. The poor drivers have a difficult time. I have a walking stick and two young men were sitting in the disabled seats, passengers asked them to give me a seat and they made signs that they didn't speak English.Also so many beggars, (some limbless) Which is disturbing.
My bus took me to Muswell Hill, only 10 minutes away, and what a Vast difference. ---Raised my spirits, I was in another world.
Sorry to be such a moaning Minnie. Probably an Age 'thing'
I am a little hesitant to post this but hear goes.

Your views are welcome, anneey. I can well understand how disorienting it must be to take just a short journey and find oneself in a completely unfamiliar environment.

To some extent I think it is an 'age' thing. We feel more vulnerable, and less able to cope with the unexpected or unfamiliar - it's only natural. Younger folk find it easier to adapt to change in their neighbourhood.

anneey, I am sure they understood perfectly well that they were in seats for the disabled even if they did not speak the language. If not, they should have realised that, as fit and able young men, they could politely give up their seats to an older person with a walking stick. They were just being obdurate and giving other immigrants a bad name.
Most immigrants I have come across (usually in an environment where they are working) have been very pleasant and helpful. I think they were exceptions.

You can't say that with any certainty though, can you rosequartz? Maybe the immigrants you know are exceptions. Everyone's opinion differs according to their own experience.

To some extent I think it is an 'age' thing. We feel more vulnerable, and less able to cope with the unexpected or unfamiliar - it's only natural. Younger folk find it easier to adapt to change in their neighbourhood.

I'm not so sure Ana - this is the recent survey by National Centre for Social Research:

www.natcen.ac.uk/media/205573/immigration-bsa31.pdf

The youngsters aren't that far behind the oldsters with feeling concern.

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Welcome Annee your thoughts and observations are as valid as anyone else's on here.You simply speak as you find that environment.I'm sure that Wood Green is completely different to how it used to be.

HollyDaze that's because you were only a woman getting in their way.