Culture is often mentioned by opponents of immigration. They talk about defending traditional values and say that immigrants should not be accepted uncritically, even if they have fled wars. But it is clear that immigrants must be culturally integrated, which is no easy task, especially when their culture is so different from ours. The most common problems relate to the status of women in society, for example, but there are many others. The question then becomes whether we should accept these cultures.

The typical assumption is that our cultures will gradually merge and a new culture will emerge, combining the two previous cultures. Thus, both sides will be able to maintain “their own” and not fear being attacked by the other. This sounds all very well, but unfortunately the reality is often somewhat different.

The biggest problem is that often the two cultures you want to mix are completely incompatible. In this case, mixing is simply not possible. This is certainly due to the fact that citizens on both sides are more extremist. Indeed, for several reasons, the tendency is often more pronounced among newcomers than among natives.

First, the culture is less represented and it is often the more radical representatives who travel. A further problem is that we often judge the culture we are familiar with with a more moderate eye. Indeed, many things that seem normal to us seem offensive to members of another culture.

Does this mean we should change our habits? No, it does not. There is an old saying, “When in Rome, act like a Roman. This means that we should adapt to the locals and not expect them to adapt to us. Unfortunately, this is the opposite of what many immigrants expect. We don\’t often adapt to different cultures while on vacation either. But there is a difference between taking a vacation and wanting to live in a country. We should be aware of this.

Culture is often mentioned by opponents of immigration. They talk about defending traditional values and say that immigrants should not be accepted uncritically, even if they have fled wars. But it is clear that immigrants must be culturally integrated, which is no easy task, especially when their culture is so different from ours. The most common problems relate to the status of women in society, for example, but there are many others. The question then becomes whether we should accept these cultures.

The typical assumption is that our cultures will gradually merge and a new culture will emerge, combining the two previous cultures. Thus, both sides will be able to maintain “their own” and not fear being attacked by the other. This sounds all very well, but unfortunately the reality is often somewhat different.

The biggest problem is that often the two cultures you want to mix are completely incompatible. In this case, mixing is simply not possible. This is certainly due to the fact that citizens on both sides are more extremist. Indeed, for several reasons, the tendency is often more pronounced among newcomers than among natives.

First, the culture is less represented and it is often the more radical representatives who travel. A further problem is that we often judge the culture we are familiar with with a more moderate eye. Indeed, many things that seem normal to us seem offensive to members of another culture.

Does this mean we should change our habits? No, it does not. There is an old saying, “When in Rome, act like a Roman. This means that we should adapt to the locals and not expect them to adapt to us. Unfortunately, this is the opposite of what many immigrants expect. We don\’t often adapt to different cultures while on vacation either. But there is a difference between taking a vacation and wanting to live in a country. We should be aware of this.