Assimilation and “when in Rome”
Posted in fail, New Zealand on July 5th, 2011 by steph – 2 CommentsUgh. Just ugh. “Veiled woman kicked off bus”. If you want to know the reason for my “ugh”, just read the comments. All 300+ of them. What got ot me most was how many people were spouting variations on the “if you come to our country, you have to fit in!” theme. Blend in, adopt, adapt, assimilate, when in Rome, abide by our rules, be like us. Many commenters are saying that if they went to Saudi Arabia they would be respectful of dress codes and cover their arms and legs etc, so obviously when people from over there come here they should abide by our “culture”. I hadn’t realised that a uncovered face and hair were a root aspect of our culture, so that’s me schooled. Not just an issue of politeness, decorum, general ettiquete (e.g. removing caps indoors), but a fundamental element of “Kiwiness”. Basically, there are an awful lot of people who are using the “respect Kiwi culture!” line as a substitute for “blend in with us or don’t complain when you suffer the consequences”. And that is a pretty hateful and nasty attitude.