The unidentifiable beauty of intercultural relationships
One of the first remarks people make about immigrants often is that integrating should be the top priority when they come to live in their country. Immigrants should learn the language and adjust to the historical and cultural fingerprints of the country they have chosen or, for some Geo-political reason, were forced to live in. That may sound reasonable but it isn’t that obvious for a lot of reasons. We, as an example, choose to leave our home country and start the adventure of a new life in a small hamlet on the top of a lonesome hill in Central Portugal. The country obviously is built on Catholic traditions and the influences of a dark period of dictatorship, poverty and a dislike of authority are still noticeable in all kinds of daily situations.
Throughout history, societies changed and gained, as well socially as economically, broader views by influences from foreign people that brought their skills, culture, and knowledge. Controversial however is when people, considering themselves to be from a more “civilized” society - or even worse, a superior religion - are settling in a country to change the local culture. It’s a fact that the whole American continent is reformed into Christianity, while a few centuries ago, the concept of a major continent-wide religion was unthinkable. This kind of “reforms” were often achieved by slavery, bribery, punishment and even genocide. The concept is thousands of years old and turned out to be a successful way of gaining control over a population. Portugal for that matter isn’t any different than other historic colonial powers, maybe even, because of the unbreakable cohesion with the catholic church, one of the cultures that put a stamp on religious occupation.
History is often written multiple times and it requires effort to find some kind of accuracy in the different versions. Most history books are written from a nation’s perspective and there might be a few chapters on defeats and wrongdoings, while historic victories, conqueror’s and national heroes are put on a pedestal. We, as Dutch children, learned about the great “Golden century”, about all the heroic battles at sea, the conquered colonies and the unrestricted wealth that made The Netherlands (Holland) to be the center of the universe during times that Rembrandt painted his masterpieces. There’s little mention of the majority of people that died of hunger, the plague and the fact that 90 percent of the people were utterly poor. I guess it is fair to say that all these colonial accomplishments of European countries only lead to more wealth and power for the elite and the devastation of many peaceful cultures, not to mention slavery and the total ruining of natural resources. This historical understanding of consequences should be a factor in our modern-day look at ourselves as migrants and immigration a such.
I didn’t move to Portugal purely for the nice weather, the beautiful landscape or even the misunderstood opportunities some people seem to see. I certainly didn’t come to feel the “excitement” when there’s a forest fire close to the village, or to reconfigure my thoughts on chained dogs, Templar Knights, bullfights or even the fact that oranges are left on the trees while supermarkets sell massively subsidized Spanish ones. Adjusting to a culture doesn’t mean that you can’t criticize the parts you don’t agree with. It is not a secret that new generations always try to “bend” so-called cultural inheritances for the better. Since I live here, some of these “normality’s” already changed for the better, animal rights to name one. You have to ask yourself where cultural traditions originate from. Not everything is what it seems to be and sometimes historical reasons are overlooked or just forgotten. When does a cultural tradition become a part of a nation’s fingerprint? After 100 years, 200 years or should it be anchored in the roots of a nation, but then, when is a nation born? Every time when borders are alternated by war?
Let’s look at a very simple example from my home country, it’s just a small tradition claimed by people in The Netherlands as a “real” cultural example of what Dutch culture is all about. Next to the “black Piet and Santa Clause” (Zwarte Piet en Sinterklaas) and Tulips (which both originate in Turkey), there’s the oliebol (literally: oil balls) that is highly popular between Christmas and New year’s eve and is considered to be a typical example of Dutch traditions. And so to those standards “cultural traditions” become valid when foreign influences are welcomed and stay popular for centuries. The “Oliebol” is a version of the Sufganiyot a Jewish Hanukkah delicacy, that was introduced by Jewish refugees on the run for the Catholic suppressors in Portugal. The Portuguese Synagogue was the first one in Amsterdam and until the second World War, more than 140.000 Jews originating from the once that fled for the Catholic inquisition were living in the trading city that was so successful because of all the migrants. Lately, the last decade, the fascist far-right populists are targeting exactly the people who were responsible for their so-called important “Dutch Culture”. You don’t have to be an “Oxford professor” to see similarities in other countries.
The whole argument of “migrants need to adapt fully to the cultural traditions” is placed out of context by people (mostly right-wing populists) who don’t even have the slightest idea from where their own “cultural traditions” come from. I am a migrant here (not an Expat, but that’s just a personal statement to annoy certain people) and therefore I should respect certain aspects of the Portuguese culture, and it helps to know where these “traditions” come from. There are much more important cultural consequences related to the revolution and the difficult times after and before that, than there are from ancient times. In the end, it all depends on which history books you read, what you were told when you were at school and whether there’s economical gain for yourself and your family in certain “cultural traditions” and the events that are related to them. I kind of like a part of this “grey” economical solutions that are creatively used, I respect my neighbours for their religious faith and I won’t stand in their way to express their culture, of course not. But does that mean that I have to join them in visiting a bullfight? Or do I have to embrace this historic falsifying of Templar Knights heroism? Do I have to walk side by side in Fatima with people that believe that God was satisfied and forgiving with the punishment of the Catholic Inquisition after the Lisbon Earthquake? I don’t think so. I think I have multiple options without being disrespectful. I can just smile and walk away when something occurs that goes against my personal believes (whether they are right or wrong), I can discuss the matter and share my points of view (which can lead - in contrary with what’s happening on social media – to serious conversations ending with a beer or glass of wine and a well-meant handshake) or I can join the (Portuguese) people who think alike and walk hand in hand with them, even to protest (against bullfights for example). That doesn’t mean I’m disrespectful or not “integrating” enough as a migrant. On the contrary, I find it is often appreciated.
Throughout history, societies changed and gained, as well socially as economically, broader views by influences from foreign people that brought their skills, culture, and knowledge. Controversial however is when people, considering themselves to be from a more “civilized” society - or even worse, a superior religion - are settling in a country to change the local culture. It’s a fact that the whole American continent is reformed into Christianity, while a few centuries ago, the concept of a major continent-wide religion was unthinkable. This kind of “reforms” were often achieved by slavery, bribery, punishment and even genocide. The concept is thousands of years old and turned out to be a successful way of gaining control over a population. Portugal for that matter isn’t any different than other historic colonial powers, maybe even, because of the unbreakable cohesion with the catholic church, one of the cultures that put a stamp on religious occupation.
History is often written multiple times and it requires effort to find some kind of accuracy in the different versions. Most history books are written from a nation’s perspective and there might be a few chapters on defeats and wrongdoings, while historic victories, conqueror’s and national heroes are put on a pedestal. We, as Dutch children, learned about the great “Golden century”, about all the heroic battles at sea, the conquered colonies and the unrestricted wealth that made The Netherlands (Holland) to be the center of the universe during times that Rembrandt painted his masterpieces. There’s little mention of the majority of people that died of hunger, the plague and the fact that 90 percent of the people were utterly poor. I guess it is fair to say that all these colonial accomplishments of European countries only lead to more wealth and power for the elite and the devastation of many peaceful cultures, not to mention slavery and the total ruining of natural resources. This historical understanding of consequences should be a factor in our modern-day look at ourselves as migrants and immigration a such.
I didn’t move to Portugal purely for the nice weather, the beautiful landscape or even the misunderstood opportunities some people seem to see. I certainly didn’t come to feel the “excitement” when there’s a forest fire close to the village, or to reconfigure my thoughts on chained dogs, Templar Knights, bullfights or even the fact that oranges are left on the trees while supermarkets sell massively subsidized Spanish ones. Adjusting to a culture doesn’t mean that you can’t criticize the parts you don’t agree with. It is not a secret that new generations always try to “bend” so-called cultural inheritances for the better. Since I live here, some of these “normality’s” already changed for the better, animal rights to name one. You have to ask yourself where cultural traditions originate from. Not everything is what it seems to be and sometimes historical reasons are overlooked or just forgotten. When does a cultural tradition become a part of a nation’s fingerprint? After 100 years, 200 years or should it be anchored in the roots of a nation, but then, when is a nation born? Every time when borders are alternated by war?
Let’s look at a very simple example from my home country, it’s just a small tradition claimed by people in The Netherlands as a “real” cultural example of what Dutch culture is all about. Next to the “black Piet and Santa Clause” (Zwarte Piet en Sinterklaas) and Tulips (which both originate in Turkey), there’s the oliebol (literally: oil balls) that is highly popular between Christmas and New year’s eve and is considered to be a typical example of Dutch traditions. And so to those standards “cultural traditions” become valid when foreign influences are welcomed and stay popular for centuries. The “Oliebol” is a version of the Sufganiyot a Jewish Hanukkah delicacy, that was introduced by Jewish refugees on the run for the Catholic suppressors in Portugal. The Portuguese Synagogue was the first one in Amsterdam and until the second World War, more than 140.000 Jews originating from the once that fled for the Catholic inquisition were living in the trading city that was so successful because of all the migrants. Lately, the last decade, the fascist far-right populists are targeting exactly the people who were responsible for their so-called important “Dutch Culture”. You don’t have to be an “Oxford professor” to see similarities in other countries.
The whole argument of “migrants need to adapt fully to the cultural traditions” is placed out of context by people (mostly right-wing populists) who don’t even have the slightest idea from where their own “cultural traditions” come from. I am a migrant here (not an Expat, but that’s just a personal statement to annoy certain people) and therefore I should respect certain aspects of the Portuguese culture, and it helps to know where these “traditions” come from. There are much more important cultural consequences related to the revolution and the difficult times after and before that, than there are from ancient times. In the end, it all depends on which history books you read, what you were told when you were at school and whether there’s economical gain for yourself and your family in certain “cultural traditions” and the events that are related to them. I kind of like a part of this “grey” economical solutions that are creatively used, I respect my neighbours for their religious faith and I won’t stand in their way to express their culture, of course not. But does that mean that I have to join them in visiting a bullfight? Or do I have to embrace this historic falsifying of Templar Knights heroism? Do I have to walk side by side in Fatima with people that believe that God was satisfied and forgiving with the punishment of the Catholic Inquisition after the Lisbon Earthquake? I don’t think so. I think I have multiple options without being disrespectful. I can just smile and walk away when something occurs that goes against my personal believes (whether they are right or wrong), I can discuss the matter and share my points of view (which can lead - in contrary with what’s happening on social media – to serious conversations ending with a beer or glass of wine and a well-meant handshake) or I can join the (Portuguese) people who think alike and walk hand in hand with them, even to protest (against bullfights for example). That doesn’t mean I’m disrespectful or not “integrating” enough as a migrant. On the contrary, I find it is often appreciated.
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