Posted by:
Brother Of Jerry
(
)
Date: August 17, 2021 02:57PM
If the muslim population continues to increase by 2% every 7 years, Germany will ion fact be majority Muslim in 154 years.
Which is about as likely as Rodney Stark's projection back in the 1970s (date?) that there would be hundreds of millions of Mormons by the end of this century.
Perhaps my perspective is skewed by growing up in a city that was heavily immigrant, and living in Winnipeg, which has a spectacular level of cultural diversity. They have a big ethnic festival every August that is quite similar to the Greek Festival in SLC. Incidentally, the SLC Greek Festival is quite popular.
Anyway, the Winnipeg festival is not for one ethnic group, but 20 ethnicities the first week, and 20 more the second week, at separate venues around the town. Bus service is both extended and free for the two weeks because (a) parking, especially around the more popular venues, was a nightmare, and (b) alcohol is served, so people are strongly encouraged to take public transport.
It's been going on for about 40 years, but was originally planned as a one year event for about 11 ethnicities. As with the SLC Greeks, it is a major fundraiser. It draws bus tours from Chicago, which is a ten hour drive away.
Last figure I saw, Manitoba was 36% immigrant or first generation Canadian (i.e. the parents were immigrants). They seem quite proud of the fact, so it is possible to deal with a very high level of ethnic diversity.
My own birth city had ethnic neighborhoods, that were quite distinct and separate in my dad's generation. By the 1950s, that system was breaking down, and now it is all gone, and whole new sets of ethnicities are moving in. I grew up in an Irish/English neighborhood. My grandparents neighborhood had been heavily Slavic. Now there are Costa Ricans and Brazilians, among other groups, though there are still Slavs in the hood.
Anyway, high levels of diversity don't worry me. After 2 or 3 generations, the original cultures are mostly assimilated. The only thing Slavic about me is I can name about a half dozen Slovak/Russian foods. That's a pretty thin reed to hang an identity on. Otherwise, I'm about as Slavic as Steve Martin.
Spasebo ;)
ETA: I just looked up the Winnipeg festival. It is 51 years old, and was cancelled last year and is severely scaled back this year. I assume it will return in full next year.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/2021 03:04PM by Brother Of Jerry.