AC integrate
Dress as appropriate for climate not to express difference
Have as much respect for others religion, or lack of it, as they demand for theirs
Find reason to be like us rather than actively do the opposite
Find work if and when possible, not live near full life on our social welfare, some times by design

Good Evening Belly,

Integrate ? Yes, I agree. However sometimes that's
not that easy when not all locals are welcoming.
It does take as we know several generations to be
completely successful. After all that's how
Aussies became Aussies - it took time before
many stopped saying "We're British, you know."

Dress as appropriate? Not to express difference?
What's appropriate? For the beach, footy,
back-yard, or church, evening-wear?
Shorts and thongs? Torn jeans? Maybe new arrivals
should be re-dressed by appropriate authorities
before they're allowed into the country?

Respect others?
Respect when given is usually returned.

As for liking people? Most people start off trying to
fit in and like others - but it's hard to like some
who abuse you and accuse you of all sort of things.
And look upon you as a terrorist - when in fact you're
fleeing from terrorism - and it's your reason for coming here
in the first place.

Finding Work? Most migrants take whatever jobs they can.
Even the skilled ones will settle for what they can at first
until their qualifications get recognised.
And it's not always easy - with a name like "Mohammad."

Thanks, Foxy, for a lot of common sense and human compassion.

Joe

Aidan.
You said "the punishment should fit the crime".

Yeah, I go along with that But it means far stronger sentences for most criminals. I don't think I will live long enough to see migrants and refugees not receiving reduced sentences on cultural grounds.

Even though they have for many years received information about Aus and our laws and standards before they are apply for a visa.

Doubt that! Take a look at penalties handed out for FGM and under age marriage. Or for the actions of muslim rioters, in central Sydney some time back. But of course they were terribly offended by the over seas cartoon or video.

Well, I have to say Belly comes out on top in this one. As usual, I have gained amusement from certain people projecting their fairy tale imaginings about immigrants and refugees as 'facts'. Ah well, there's little that can be done with the naive and gullible who spend most of their time in front of a computer scouring ABC sites.

Slightly off topic, but still on those wonderful, non-white, hard done by paragons of virtue who Australia couldn't possibly survive without, some of us were reminded this morning by an Adelaide University professor of politics that President Trump was actually honouring another one of his election promises by withdrawing troops from sh.tholes. His supporters are thrilled to finally have a President who sticks to his promises. They are very happy that they made the right choice.

Dear Foxy,

If multiculturalism is the great social panacea then why are there laws that enforce compliance with attitudes and behaviours set by government to achieve this supposed miracle of national and communal togetherness?

Truth is that outside of the workplace people tend to congregate within their own ethnic group. People might accept the purported modes of togetherness within the workplace or at the shopping centre but outside of these places people are very uncomfortable associating with people of different ethnicity who have a different world view to members of their own ethnic group.

People behave differently as individuals than they do as members of a group in which case they adopt a group psychology and will do things that they would not do as an individual. And it is at the level of the group that the practice of multicultural must be determined. We can always cite so-and-so who gets on well with everyone but can we show evidence of ethnic groups that get on well with all of the other ethnic groups? I don't think so.