From: gisle@ifi.uio.no (Gisle Hannemyr)
Subject: Racism in Northern Europe
Organization: gisle@ifi.uio.no
	<GISLE.92Aug9152812@gyda.ifi.uio.no>
	<jie.713399378@tgevax.life.uiuc.edu>
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 23:20:31 GMT
Originator: gisle@gyda.ifi.uio.no

In article <jie.713399378@tgevax.life.uiuc.edu> jie@tgevax.life.uiuc.edu (Jie Liang) writes:
> I am wondering if anyone knows the
> "official policy" towards the Pakistanis and the Indians in Europe
> (Norway, Germany, and England).

Of course, none of the people on the net is "official" spokesmen, and
offical  policy is often open to interpretation.

The traditional policy in Norway has been one of respect for the
culture of immigrants.  There has been public support in the form of
funding for establishment of (for example) Pakistani cultural centers,
the city council has helped in finding a suitable location for
construction of a muslim mosque, the children of at least some 3rd
world immigrants (Pakistanis and Vietnamese) has been given publicly
funded education about their own culture and language in their own
mother tongue.

The obvious rationale behind this policy is that the only culture and
value system immigrants have is their own.  If you manage to destroy
the culture and value system of immigrants in the name of "integration",
what you usually get is not people who embrace the Norwegian culture and
value system, but people with no culture and value system.

Unfortunately, the traditional policy towards immigrants is currently
under attack.  The use of public funds for education of the children
of immigrants in their own culture and mother tongue is highly
controversial and is (I believe) discontinued in Oslo.  To summarize
the current debate and that issue here is some of the arguments that
I think has been put forwards by fairly prominent politicians opposed
to the "mother tongue" education program for immigrants:

1) "It is unfair that we spend so much money on education that is only
    available to immigrants.  We should instead spend the money to
    improve the core curriculum of our schools.  This will be of equal
    benifit to native Norwegian children and immigrants".
2) "Understanding their own culture and speaking their own language
    will not help immigrants in getting jobs in Norway.  The money
    should be spent on giving them skills that make them employable
    in Norway."
3) "Special treatment for immigrants breeds racism.  While there is
    good reasons for this special treatment, we should end it because
    we don't want to breed racism".

While I don't agree with the decision to dicontinue the "mother tongue"
education program, I don't think that any of the arguments summarized
above can be characterized as "racist".  Most muslim children attend
some privately funded muslim school in the evening anyway, so they are
certainly not left in a cultural vacuum.  I don't know much about how
the Chinese community handles this.

> I have heard that the Indians and the
> Pakistanis rather than the blacks or the orientals are the main targets 
> of racial bigotry in England. It is the Arabs in France.

The targets of racial bigotry in almost every western country is the
most visible (i.e. numerous) ethnic group.  In Norway that certainly
is the Pakistanis.  Is quite interesting to note that the same negative
characteristics (dishonesty, uncleanlyness, violence) is attributed
completely different ethinic groups in different western countries
depending on no other characteristic than who is the most visible
target.

--
Disclaimer: My employer seldom even LISTENS to my opinion.
 
- gisle hannemyr  (Norsk Regnesentral)
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