The Georgia runoff for the control of the Senate

Decoy73 said:
Unfortunately my home town hasn’t changed much from a diversity standpoint the past 25 years, but I see your point.  There’s no doubt parts of Nebraska are changing in that regard, but is it the right kind of diversity yet?  Are the minorities fully integrated into society in those communities? Or are they still viewed as outsiders?  I think it takes at least a couple of generations for a good level of diversity to begin.  It’s surely a step in the right direction.   My parents are originally from and I have extended family still living in one of your aforementioned towns.   For my parents and myself, it’s actually a point of contention.  They used to see it as the “Mexicans” ruining their hometown and I very much disagreed and saw it as saving the town while trying to explain why diversity was important.  I would imagine many older generation conservatives in Nebraska just aren’t easily convinced.  They like things to remain familiar to them.  I get it, but also look back at my teenage years and realize how incredibly clueless and uncomfortable I was about people who didn’t look like me.  
Click to expand...


When my kids were growing up, we taught them that the cultural diversity in our town was a benefit to them, because it broadened their horizons and outlook towards folks that are different from them. I know we were probably in the minority (pun intended).

 
deedsker said:
And in the communities I know, these are the newest people to see as "invaders". The "who" has change, but the attitude towards them has not.
Click to expand...


That view is sadly often held by our Latino community as well as our Anglos. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
DevoHusker said:
When my kids were growing up, we taught them that the cultural diversity in our town was a benefit to them, because it broadened their horizons and outlook towards folks that are different from them. I know we were probably in the minority (pun intended).
Click to expand...


The bold is true, but also they bring some really good food, too. The actual factual Mexicans who own restaurants in Lincoln have greatly benefitted the food scene. Same with Asians of all persuasions. 

I know that's a pretty selfish way to look at things, but it's practical, too.  

 
Omaha-Husker said:
Some of you obviously have better experiences having lived it, but I did find this report an interesting look at this rural immigration issue specifically focused on Lexington and Madison NE.

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/reports/2018/11/14/460894/proactive-and-patient/

Among the many issues it touches on the new immigrants are touched upon. It talks about how many of the first wave immigrants obviously had differences, but having a shared religion was a helpful path to acceptance. The newer immigrants not sharing the Christian faith is creating a new hurdle for people.
Click to expand...
My wife’s sister-in-law has lived in small-town (less than 2,000 people) Nebraska her entire life. She basically hinks that all Muslims are terrorists and are the same as those who led the 9/11 attacks. 

 
DevoHusker said:
Not going to say that your argument regarding open mindedness is always off base.

However, I will point out that your reference to Mexican immigrants is a little antiquated. Immigrants from Mexico have been in Central Nebraska longer than my family from Eastern Europe. There was a long period where they were the primary ethnic group. But now, most newcomers to the towns I listed are no longer from Mexico. Central Americans, Cubans, Sudanese and Somali refugees are much more prevalent today. 
Click to expand...




I'm mostly thinking about Schuyler as I know people from there. Maybe I should have said Hispanic. But they may be 2nd generation by now too. This is coming from old people so the "back in my day" may be 30 years ago.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
knapplc said:
The bold is true, but also they bring some really good food, too. The actual factual Mexicans who own restaurants in Lincoln have greatly benefitted the food scene. Same with Asians of all persuasions. 

I know that's a pretty selfish way to look at things, but it's practical, too.  
Click to expand...
Absolutely! On any given day I can get authentic birria tacos or a pastor torta from folks of Mexican heritage, or papusas from El Salvadorans, or pho at an actual noodle place run by Vietnamese immigrants, or larb and sticky rice at the Laotian market place, or a Cuban pork sandwich from the Cuban coffee place.  

 
deedsker said:
Which becomes a problem with large segments of homogenous rural folks who make decisions for urban centers based on “bad” people living there.
Click to expand...
I don’t know that they think people in cities are bad.  Different for sure.  I grew up in small town western KS and they thought anyone from a city was a bit odd.  

 
deedsker said:
Which becomes a problem with large segments of homogenous rural folks who make decisions for urban centers based on “bad” people living there.
Click to expand...


True! But the funny thing is, those "homogeneous rural folks" weren't so homogeneous 100 years ago. My grandparents told me about learning English when they moved to Nebraska. My grandparents-in-law told me how their parents came to rural Hall County from back East, barely off the boat from Europe, and they took English classes at night (mandated?) after working the farm all day.

And they didn't speak the same language as their neighbors. Some spoke Swedish. Some spoke Czech. Some spoke German or Plattdeutsch or some eastern European tongue.

But they all brought tasty dishes from their country. And we're all better off for that.

 
Back
Top