Yep, I know that feeling. You have so many thoughts on your mind for sure, and it's hard to articulate a particular stream of thought since you are both lazy and not finished with your profound thoughts.
Anyways, I think Leary's point was about perception/awareness (in a sober state), and a critique towards pretentious America that was so prevalent before the 60's. Not to suggest that his LSD experiments did not alter his perceptions
"My advice to people today is as follows: If you take the game of life seriously, if you take your nervous system seriously, if you take your sense organs seriously, if you take the energy process seriously, you must turn on, tune in, and drop out."
~Timothy Leary
"Hippy is an establishment label for a profound, invisible, underground, evolutionary process. For every visible hippy, barefoot, beflowered, beaded, there are a thousand invisible members of the turned-on underground. Persons whose lives are tuned in to their inner vision, who are dropping out of the TV comedy of American Life."
Please post one poem a day. Posting 10 poems a day makes it hard to find and read the other poems. I find that I have to go as far as 10 pages back to see other poems by other people who don't flood the poem section on CS. When you have 2-3 people dominating the poem section on the first 5 pages, it really encourages me to just leave. I understand you want to get your work out there and receive some input, but please be more judicious when publishing your poems----LIKE STOP PUBLISHING 5 POEMS A DAY!
Okay, just had to get this off my chest. Thank you.
There are elementary schools like this in California where the community is 100 percent Mexican. The primary education is done in Spanish, and of course they are taught English. I think Charlie is referring to the adults who immigrated from Mexico and never learned the language after so many years. Most of them are able to work in jobs that are run by Mexicans (like landscaping/cleaning services), so not knowing English has not restricted them from working for a living. The kids do learn English, and then go on to junior high and high school----and there are no spanish only speaking high schools in California.
All the little businesses in these communities are spanish speaking as well. I've been in Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, and Filipino shopping areas and communities, and all of them do have english speaking people---though you'll find some people who can't speak any english. I've been in a lot of these neighborhoods in the San Francisco bay area. (I worked door-to-door in my younger 20')
It doesn't create unjust or unhappy people from what I observed. It's like they are living in their native countries in a foreign country haha---speaking about the immigrant adults. The kids who grow up in these communities do integrate---they have to if they want to succeed, and their parents push this of course. And a lot of adults do everything in their power to learn the language and accept America culture.
Good point. Well, if one does get citizenship there, or here, or in Germany or wherever in Europe, then that person will be accepted since he or she is a citizen on paper. Of course, if they learn the language and respect the culture as well as tune it with it, then they'll have no problem assimilating into the society.
An interesting point that I have noticed in Europe, is that a first generation foreigner can never be considered Swedish or German, even if they have citizenship. This is hard to articulate, but I am Swedish on paper ( I have dual citizenship), but I'll never be Swedish or considered Swedish. In America, you get your citizenship, you are American---since being American is more of an idea than a birthright.
As far as second generation foreigners, they are definitely Swedish culturally while maintaining some of their parents cultural concepts and behaviors. I've observed how second generation foreigners in Sweden mix in fine with Swedish culture, while still identifying with other first generation foreigners just fine. Kinda like double agents haha!
My mom and step dad are from Europe, and I was raised by first generation foreigners in California. My parents never said one bad thing about America. In fact, they often said more bad things about Europe haha! My point here, is that I've seen a lot of foreigners here in Sweden not embrace this country, but rather condemn it and the people. It's an interesting experience I've had the opportunity to have.
BTW tomcat, what's with all the animosity between Swedes and Finns?
You're right R, no quarrels there. Like I said, it is part of our identity as Americans, so it's not really fair to compare it with Europe. I've seen a lot of Swedes treat foreigners as their own, and just judge them on their actions---and not by stereotypes. I've also seen my share of foreigners do the same, but this is not the norm here in Sweden and from what I've seen in Europe.
The adjustment will take generations for sure, but I do believe that immigration really needs to slow down in Europe and America. Too much too soon creates problems imo, and the global economy is not helping this at all.
RE: love hurts
And I'm asking you.