No.Nonsense.

Great Britain has a problem. In a country of history and art and pomp and circumstance, kings and queens, they are losing their own cultural identity due to the influx of migrants.

With an overwhelming increase in migration, these new residents are bringing their own culture, religion, and language. That’s not the issue- that’s who they are. The issue is that those measures of identity are superseding their host country. A majority of these immigrants are from Muslim countries and seem to be remaking large pockets of Great Britain into another Muslim country. If the natural-born citizens of the country state their objections to this change, they are labeled as xenophobic; and if those objections are stated on a social media platform, they can find themselves imprisoned, all in the name of sensitivity.

Though not to the extent of what’s happening in Great Britain, we in the US are beginning to experience these same growing pains as our population continues to become more diverse. We have always been a “melting pot” but more and more the ingredients of that pot are separating into their distinct parts.

What is happening now is similar to what we did to the indigenous peoples when we came to these shores, forcing them to conform to our traditions and values. Now, it is being done to us.

After World War II when so many came from around the world through Ellis Island, they brought their language, culture, and traditions. But once they were here, they all became American. In becoming part of our collective, they identified as Americans first. They didn’t lay down their identities as Italian or Jewish or Chinese or Russian. They still spoke their language with family and friends but they learned English as well. They still went to their churches or synagogues or temples. They still celebrated their holidays and had their parades. They still had their communities, as seen in New York City, where they fully embraced everything they were. But they incorporated into the larger community of the city and the country as well.

I understand when moving to a new country, there can be a culture shock. There is a transition period where communication is more difficult. But if I moved to Spain, I would learn Spanish. I would adopt some of their cultural morays while not sacrificing my own values. I would commit to the country I called home without trying to remake it into the home I left. In my mind, there should be no reason for someone to live in a country and never learn the language. I personally would want to engage with the world around me.

When you have Muslim call to prayer being blasted throughout a Western European city, namely London, there is a problem with assimilation. Now the proposal is to do this in New York. There are whole cities in the Midwest that are Muslim and whole cities in the southwest where Spanish is heard spoken more than English. If you want the call to prayer, do it from the mosque just like you would ring the bells at the cathedral. That’s freedom. If you wish to speak your native tongue, do so with my blessing. But don’t expect the city as a whole to conform to you.

Whether you’re from the south or east or west, you came to your new home because it provided you something different. If you remake it into what you left, what have you gained? You don’t have to sacrifice yourself to become a part of your home. I’m a right-of-center living in a progressive city. What you must do, however is learn to shape yourself a bit rather than the world around you. And you can do so without sacrificing yourself.