Immigrants lead the way in demanding assimilation, study finds

[Tennis]

Detractors of immigration to Germany often claim that migrants fail to integrate into the mainstream. A study by a conservative think tank has concluded exactly the opposite is the case.

Resident aliens in Germany and Germans with immigrant backgrounds are, in some respects, more "German" than people whose families have been German citizens for generations. That's the main conclusion of a 104-page study by the conservative Konrad Adenauer Foundation, entitled "What Makes Us Who We Are, What Unites Us," which was unveiled in Berlin on Friday.

"Integration entails the willingness to take majority society on board and to adopt the rules of that society as one's own," said Peter Altmaier, the head of the Chancellor's Office and the government's refugee coordinator, at the presentation. "What the study tells us is that this willingness is abundantly and distinctly present."

The author of the study, sociologist Sabine Pokorny, conducted extensive interviews with three groups of roughly 1,000 people each: resident aliens, German citizens who either were not born in Germany or have one parent born elsewhere, and citizens from longer-standing German families. The surveys indicated that first- and second-generation immigrants valued integration slightly more than anyone else.

83 percent of Germans with a migrant background thought that people coming to Germany should "adapt their behavior to German culture" compared to 76 percent each for resident aliens and Germans without a migrant background. There was also little difference between groups on the question of whether everyone living in Germany should learn the German language - 96 percent in total found that desirable.


Most immigrants place enormous value on learning German

Significantly more first- and second-generation immigrants (76 percent) and resident aliens (74) think that people in Germany have excellent developmental opportunities than "traditional Germans" (66).

Moreover, 38 percent of aliens and 28 percent of first- and second-generation immigrants say they are "very satisfied" with democracy in Germany compared to 22 percent among the third group. Between 88 and 90 percent of all three groups are at least "somewhat satisfied" with the German political system.

Interestingly, basically the same percentages from all three groups agreed that society lacked guiding ideals (37-40 percent), that capitalism was ruining the world (43-46) and that "those on top" could do whatever they wanted (49-52). That suggests that the acquisition of a certain political skepticism, even cynicism, is part of the assimilation process.

All in all, the study's findings refute the notions propagated by right-wing populists that migrants rarely assimilate into German society and that immigration poses a threat to core German values.

"For me, if you were to write a headline for this study it would be: 'Integration is possible,'" Altmeier said.

But migrants to Germany by no means form a heterogeneous group. So what does the study say, particularly about the political proclivities, of the two largest sub-sets, those from Turkish-Muslim and from Russian backgrounds?

http://www.dw.com/en/immigrants-lead...nds/a-36798260

Hopefully we can stop having these false claims posted that they don't want to be part of society. Clearly they do.
Really neat how highly they view Germany as well eh?

[Deleted]

Some assimilate some don't news at 10

[micwini]

1. Not a credible source
2. Just going outside and looking around proves to me that this clearly is NOT the case. I still hear arabic gibberish when I see immigrants talking among eachother.

[Tennis]

1. Not a credible source
2. Just going outside and looking around proves to me that this clearly is NOT the case. I still hear arabic gibberish when I see immigrants talking among eachother.

It's quite telling that it's a conservative source saying they're fitting in. Hardly any bias there.

That's pretty racist to call another language gibberish. Wow!

[primalmatter]

It's quite telling that it's a conservative source saying they're fitting in. Hardly any bias there.

That's pretty racist to call another language gibberish. Wow!

Moral outrage and concern trolling again...

[Deleted]

In the US that is not too hard... in the EU it seems people dislike the idea of any kind of national identity, even as generic as "Western" or "Humanistic" values.

It's not the "people", it's the multiculturalists who tyrannically want to define the rules of the discussion. Multi-cultists not only arrogantly despise the common people, but they consist practically entirely of narcissistic liars, such as marxists and other completely worthless and despicable human trash who are driven by burning hatred against the Western culture and political system, and as such they naturally prefer immigrants with morals and motives closer to their own instead of decent folk.

[Deleted]

1. Not a credible source
2. Just going outside and looking around proves to me that this clearly is NOT the case. I still hear arabic gibberish when I see immigrants talking among eachother.

Why is it a problem speak their own language with each others?

[Deleted]

that's nothing new, but the rightwing mouthpieces will be here soon enough to undermine it with dubious sources and circular arguments. Humans are humans, culture can be evolved, reprogrammed or diluted no matter how stringently it's embedded. If every immigrant was middle class or above, there would be 90% less resentment towards them. Unfortunately many come from poverty, into poverty, and the vicious cycle continues.

[Deleted]

Actually, the Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung is a very credible source.

Konrad Adenauer was the first conservative chancellor of germany after the 2nd world war.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

Why is it a problem speak their own language with each others?

Cuz this is 'Murica and they should speak 'Murican.

[Deleted]

.. multiculturalists tyrannically .. Multi-cultists .. arrogantly .. narcissistic liars.. completely worthless .. despicable human trash .. burning hatred

Another example where the hatred really comes from.

[Deleted]

Aren't you a immigrant? And if so, why would your opinion matter?

Why wouldn't it matter?

[primalmatter]

It isn't really a had thing to figure out.

Highly skilled immigrants who enrich a country = good.
Useless turds unable to read,write, and even speak the native language = bad

A child honestly could figure it out the fact that we wanted to destroy the wages of local citizens in a effort to appeal to the rich should be seen as the height of betray by the people who elected their leaders to serve them.

[alemaite]

1. Not a credible source
2. Just going outside and looking around proves to me that this clearly is NOT the case. I still hear arabic gibberish when I see immigrants talking among eachother.

1. Why?
2. Oh so when you went outside that one time and heard Arabic it proved a whole study wrong. Got it.

[Austilias]

There was also little difference between groups on the question of whether everyone living in Germany should learn the German language - 96 percent in total found that desirable.

But how many actually do?

[mittacc]

It's quite telling that it's a conservative source saying they're fitting in. Hardly any bias there.

That's pretty racist to call another language gibberish. Wow!

How is it racist? If one can't understand another it's gibberish to that person. Ever heard of the theory of relativity? I'm sure my language would be incoherent gibberish to you.

Isn't that "think tank" a joke on youtube? Do they include refugees in these statistics or only the actual immigrants which actually are very precious to the society? You know, those that come to study and such.

[Tennis]

But how many actually do?

You don't learn a new language overnight.

[Khaza-R]

I would be skeptical of such a study.

Not because I believe that migrants can't adapt or are unwilling. But if you're asking migrants who already learned German if they believe in assimilating, it's seems obvious what the answer you're going to get is.

[Xanjori]

1. Not a credible source
2. Just going outside and looking around proves to me that this clearly is NOT the case. I still hear arabic gibberish when I see immigrants talking among eachother.

I mean I don't know if you thought this through properly. Do you expect people to learn a second language, and then use that language when communicating with people that already speak their own language?

I mean, do you even know what it's like to speak a second language? How difficult it is and how frustrating when in a conversation to not be able to find the word you want.

[ParanoiD84]

There is only one kind of immigrants who have a hard time integrate no? What kind is this from?