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unrepentant
Original Poster
14,411 posts
125 months
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I find this interesting. We are used to British Indians and Pakistanis, born or raised in the UK, turning up at the Oval or Edgbaston in their thousands and cheering on the country of their parents birth against England. Here's an American - Mexican, taken to live in the USA at age 4 winning an Olympic medal and celebrating with the US and Mexican flags. And being condemned for it by the American - Mexican community. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olympics-fourth-plac...Having lived in both countries it seems to me that immigrants to the USA are much more inclined to embrace the country and want to be part of it whereas immigrants to the UK sometimes seem to want to hang on to the past. (It goes without saying that I have become a country music officianado, changed my name to Billy Bob and bought a Dodge Ram since moving stateside).
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Mr Sparkle
1,727 posts
39 months
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Maybe we are less selective? It's is much more difficult to get into the ~USA so perhaps people are more inclined to adapt and fit in.
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Mr_B
4,753 posts
112 months
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You do know Norman Tebbit's cricket test is seen as racist now, yes ?
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HundredthIdiot
4,353 posts
153 months
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You're not comparing like for like.
If you moved to the US would you stop supporting England in the World Cup?
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hyperblue
2,125 posts
49 months
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I'm more concerned about the article referring to "the metric mile" 
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smegmore
1,717 posts
45 months
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FFS, another wannabe septic trying to justify himself. Sad or what? 
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wormburner
6,397 posts
122 months
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Yes and no. Millions of US citizens would be patriotic about the US but describe themselves in terms of which part of Rumsfeld's 'Old Europe' they came from.
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unrepentant
Original Poster
14,411 posts
125 months
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HundredthIdiot said: You're not comparing like for like.
If you moved to the US would you stop supporting England in the World Cup? I do live in the US. And I do support England in the World Cup. But I moved here as an adult, I wasn't born here. Americans who are born here or raised here tend to think of themselves as Americans, hence the Mexican - Americans being pissed off at this guy. My point is that you get second generation English people with Pakistani parents supporting Pakistan against England whereas that situation would not occur here.
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HundredthIdiot
4,353 posts
153 months
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unrepentant said: I do live in the US. And I do support England in the World Cup. But I moved here as an adult, I wasn't born here. Americans who are born here or raised here tend to think of themselves as Americans, hence the Mexican - Americans being pissed off at this guy. My point is that you get second generation English people with Pakistani parents supporting Pakistan against England whereas that situation would not occur here. Aren't the Mexican Americans pissed off with him because half of them are illegal and they don't want any more negative attention?
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unrepentant
Original Poster
14,411 posts
125 months
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wormburner said: Yes and no. Millions of US citizens would be patriotic about the US but describe themselves in terms of which part of Rumsfeld's 'Old Europe' they came from. That's different, that's just a way of defining themselves in a country built on immigration. My wife keeps telling me she's Irish American but she's never set foot in the Emerald Isle. However much she may think she's Irish she wraps herself in the stars and stripes and cheers on the Americans in every sport and even hates the Boston Celtics.
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Derek Smith
16,058 posts
117 months
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All the Americans I know and most I've met regard themselves as dual nationality but favouring the one outside the USA. I have a friend who is a Russian American because her great grand father came from there. At Gatwick I've had Americans say they are going to the 'home country', often Scotland, despite the fact that their grandfather said he came from there and they are the first of the descendants to come to Scotland, or even leave the USA.
Very strange attitude.
There are those Americans who call themselves Irish or Welsh despite being born in the USA and living there all their lives. I've been criticised by someone 'going home' to Cork, as that's where their mother came, from for saying I was British and then mentioning that my grandmother came from Cork. It seems I should have said I was Irish.
It's a very odd thing. Why isn't one country enough?
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SmoothCriminal
997 posts
68 months
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Thing is supporting a team is different to carrying a flag I think there would have been a 'discussion' if Andy Murray started waving a Scottish flag after his Wimbledon gold medal final match.
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smegmore
1,717 posts
45 months
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SmoothCriminal said: Andy Murry Huh? Woddafock?
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SmoothCriminal
997 posts
68 months
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smegmore said: Huh? Woddafock? Thanks stupid iPhone :/
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smegmore
1,717 posts
45 months
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SmoothCriminal said: smegmore said: Huh? Woddafock? Thanks stupid iPhone :/ It's cool, baby, cool.
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Voight Kampff
1,109 posts
29 months
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Perhaps the difference between S.E Asians and North Americans should be the question here, after all a Mexican is likely to be a Christian with European roots and moving to the U.S ain't exactly a clash of cultures. Take a Muslim Asian and plant him in Christian Europe and he doesn't quite fit as easily. Also there is the little fact that we have had an empire that spanned the globe, something the U.S will never have and that will have some effect on the psyche of the immigrants.
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Halb
17,870 posts
52 months
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I think it is something more to do with the cult of Islam.
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Zad
8,716 posts
105 months
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What I do know is that, unlike the USA, here in the UK we don't have "black footballers" or "black lawyers" or for that matter "black doctors" , "black teachers", "black architects" or whatever. Just footballers, lawyers, doctors, teachers and architects. While ever the USA is kinda going "oh wow, a black person that made it at a lawyer, that's really brave of you" then discrimination is going to be endemic.
The UK still has a lot of problems when it comes to race and culture, but we have come a huge distance since the 1970s, further than almost any other country.
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El Guapo
1,708 posts
59 months
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UK : I was a miner all my life, my son will be a miner.
USA : I was a miner all my life, my son will be CEO of a mining corporation.
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Tyrewrecker
6,419 posts
23 months
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El Guapo said: UK : I was a miner all my life, my son will be a miner.
USA : I was a miner all my life, my son will be CEO of a mining corporation. Very true. Works with car outlook too.
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