LL-L "Perceptions" 2003.09.12 (03) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 12.SEP.2003 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Global Moose Translations <globalmoose at t-online.de>
Subject: LL-L "List" 2003.09.11 (13) [E]

Ron wrote:

> I don't know what the place in Oregon was like where you
> lived, but I do know that the United States are far more diverse than most
> Europeans I know are aware of.

Well, things were a little different when I lived in Portland, Oregon, but
the years I spent in a rural community in Oregon were enough to make anyone
touchy to the subject. And I'm not talking so much about negative remarks
(although one of my daughters was badly bullied and ostracized in school for
being German), but more about uneducated generalizations (which, of course,
one might find anywhere in the world). Take a question like: "How do you
celebrate Easter in Europe"? Huh? Do you mean, in Sweden, in Greece, or in
Poland? In Northern or in Southern Germany? In Munich or in Stuttgart? In
Celle or in Lüneburg? In the Kahn family or in the Hahn family?

I think it's all a matter of "zooming in". If we met an alien race, "the
Klingons" would all be a very homogenous group, almost identical among
themselves, and whatever we learned about one or a group of them would be
automatically applied to all. If you take Yanomami Indians from the
rainforest, for example, it's still "the Yanomami" do this or do that, but
you may have seen fotos or heard reports, and maybe remember some individual
differences. If the group is "Americans" or "French", you probably have some
personal encounters attached to the label, and met several different types
of people from that region, allowing for several categories to mentally sort
them into. And then, in your own country, you know all kinds of people, some
well, some not so well, and you probably still have certain categories in
mind, especially for people who do not really interest you... and finally,
when you zoom in even further, on your own family and close friends, you see
everybody stand out as the individual they are.

Well, and for some people it might simply be a good idea to zoom in a little
further... :-)

Gabriele Kahn

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From: Peter Snepvangers <snepvangers at optushome.com.au>
Subject: List


From: Críostóir Ó Ciardha
A chairde
Peter Snepvangers wrote:
"I know many Aussies who are 60 and 70 years old who
read books and watch videos (or their daughters
married wogs like me)..."

I thought 'wog' was Australian for Mediterreanean.
Surely you're a 'Dutchie', Peter? :)
Sorry to be light-hearted in the midst of all this
seriousness!
Criostóir.

Hello Criostóir,
I think wog actually is defined as "western oriental gentleman". Some of the
first migrants in Australia were Chinese gold seekers. The lovely thing
about Australia is that each new set of immigrants settle and are accepted,
then call the next set of new migrants wogs. We have had Chinese calling
Italian wogs, followed by Italian calling Greek wogs, followed by Greek
calling Dutch and Germans wogs, followed by Dutch calling new Chinese wogs,
followed byChinese calling Vietnamese wogs, followed by Vietnamese calling
Lebanese wogs and finally the generic "muslims" being called wogs. No doubt
our next wave of immigrants( whom ever they be) will be called wog as well.
At the end of the day they ALL become good Aussies and we are lucky enough
to get great variations in restaurants and food, cultural festivals, new
perspectives on international events and generally really good and
interesting friends. I see myself as being born an Aussie and slowly being
lucky enough to realise I'm a Dutchieophile. What a great heritage, I love
it.
Cheers
Peter Snepvangers

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