this post was submitted on 10 Oct 2024
169 points (98.3% liked)

Asklemmy

43733 readers
1619 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy 🔍

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

  1. Open-ended question
  2. Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
  3. Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
  4. Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
  5. An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_[email protected]~

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Hi all!

We're very excited to move to Denmark soon as lifelong Americans. I have a good job lined up, and we're set on a place to live for a while.

Any advice from people who have done it, looked it up, had friends who have done it, etc? Just in general :)

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (3 children)

The EU isn’t the US.

Most countries in Europe have this idea of integration where the foreigner learns and adopts the language and culture of the country. You’ll see lots of discussions of “failed” integration of foreigners, especially in Germany.

I think this is still a type of colonialism where they think there culture is better and the foreigner must change, rather than the other way around.

I think the US is a bit better in this regard as there is this idea of a cultural mixing pot and foreigners aren’t expected to “integrate”.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago

The integration part is because we would like for anyone to fit in, and not be confined to your ‘hood’

We don’t mind you not speaking the language, but English is usually not a first language, sometimes not even a second, and sometimes omitted. Especially in rural areas.

So yeah, it’s nice if we can actually have a conversation about the local soccer team, or town buffoon who thinks the government is conspiring about pricing covid shots too high…

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

It's not colonialism to prefer one culture (or certain cultural traits) to another. In fact, it's natural.

I've lived in a number of countries and each had their own distinct cultural norms. Each has had aspects which I perceived as either positive or negative.

Add it all together and I definitely have preferred certain cultures, not because they are "better" but because they more closely match my own preferences. Other people would prefer different cultural norms.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

White people moving across the world, imposing their language and culture, is a "cultural mixing pot" ? Did you play a uno reverse card lol

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I wasn’t referring to white people immigrating.

Here is an article today from Deutsche Welle covering this issue: https://www.dw.com/en/do-immigrants-have-to-learn-german-in-germany/a-70467984