Immigrant Double standards

Having lived in five countries over the years and being an immigrant myself, I can’t help but notice that no matter where you live in the world, there always seems to be a double standard: the standard set by the natives and the standard set by the immigrants.

In your home country you expect non natives to respect your laws, your traditions and customs, your language - in all, the whole country’s system and lifestyle. Is it not when in Rome do what the Romans do?

Don’t you feel upset if someone, who is not a native, imposes their way in your country, community and society? I do. It is as if what is yours is no longer relevant.

Constantly in the media we can appreciate how money is spent on meeting immigrants’ different demands on social security, benefits, religion, rights, etc. All of this in order to continue living the way they used to in their country.

The question is, what makes these people so special that -to top it off- the government has to bend over backwards to accommodate?

Surely there is something wrong with this picture. Shouldn’t every person strive to blend in, accept what comes with the country where they have chosen to live?

Conversely, to mention a couple of examples, UK soldiers who have been fighting abroad come back to no home, no job and may be ill or disabled and get very little help from the government, if any. Or children who are living in poverty and depend on the meal they receive at school to see them through the day.

The need to ‘feel at home’ is understandable but the extremes that people go to appear to be something like this: Laws – What laws?; Customs – What customs?; Speak the language – they should learn mine!; Mix with the natives –I mix with my community at my ‘local’; Try the native food - I only eat the food which I buy in my country’s food store.

The double standard occurs when after being ‘law-abiding’ and ‘respectful’ citizens in their home country - who complained about immigration there – now, in their new chosen country, they behave in the exact same manner: they complain, demand, moonlight, cheat the systems, work and pay in the black, tax evade, etc.

Moreover, disappointingly, too many conduct themselves as if the empire still existed, with a ‘conqueror’ attitude with an air of superiority that may have been acceptable in by gone eras but that sadly now have earned us foreigners in Spain the title of “guiri”.

As immigrants we should really see the country we live in as more than merely ‘sun and fun’, and ponder on just how far we actually push this double standard to. Ought we not change and start now?

Kerry Sastrías

www.espanglish.net

Recenlty published in the Euroweekly Edition 1416 Costa de Almería