Race Relations...continued

THE GLOBAL VILLAGE

Today there is a greater inter-change of peoples than ever before through emigration, immigration, visitation and tourism. This has created our multi-racial societies, presenting also some problems. One of these is when immigrants to not always integrate with the host population, and of course there are reasons for this. The older people have difficulty in learning a new language. Their culture, which includes food preferences and religion demand a particular life-style, and it is understandable that they feel more at home with their own community. A danger here is that they can be perceived to be creating a separate community...sometimes a kind ghetto which can appear threatening to their near neighbours. The children and young people however do integrate more readily because of their schooling and work; though in some cases when they mix too freely, their parents lament the danger of them picking up some of the habits of the 'decadent west'.

FLASHPOINTS

In an honest appraisal of the race question, we must not overlook the more sensitive points. They are certainly exacerbated by illegal immigrants who dodge the Authorities, claim benefits to which they are not entitled, contract false marriages, and sometimes turn to crime. These are all embarrassments to legal immigrants

Then there is the matter of the Law which should be applicable to all citizens. For instance in Saudi Arabia their laws are made clear concerning alcohol and the dress code. When one visits Singapore, the Flight cards clearly state in bold red print that the penalty for drug smuggling is death, but in some countries there are cases where the immigrants are immune from certain regulations to accommodate their culture or religion. This is looked on as being unfair to the native population.