Re: Problem with Paki parents moving abroad...
I think Sara means that the way you look down on foreign-born Pakistanis makes you narrow-minded.
Having Western citizenship doesn't mean you can't be fond of other cultures. It doesn't mean I cannot enjoy Pakistani music, Pakistani dramas, Pakistani food, and Pakistani fashion. Likewise, I enjoy Japanese and Korean entertainment, German music, Chinese food, Belgian comics and Russian novels.
My parents are from Pakistan. My ancestors are from the subcontinent. I've been to Pakistan and have had exposure to Pakistani culture due to which I am quite fond of it. That doesn't mean I must give up my Canadian identity.
It also doesn't mean I must stictly adhere to the values propagated by Western media.
Not all Westerners have the exact same set of values. Like I said, being a Canadian (in this case) and being a Muslim is not mutually exclusive.
The society is not homogeneous.
You can be a Canadian and a Christian.
You can be a Canadian and an atheist.
You can be a Canadian and a Jew.
You can be a Canadian and a Buddhist.
You can be Canadian and a Hindu.
You can be Canadian and a Wiccan.
You can be Canadian and a Teetotaler.
You can be Canadian and a vegan.
You can be Canadian and straight-edge.
You can be Canadian and be able to speak Swahili.
Each of these groups of people will possess different beliefs.
I didn't realize you had to have white skin in order to be Canadian.
From my experience, provided that Western born Pakistanis make an attempt to integrate within society, the 'goras' have no problem with calling them Canadians. (with the exception of extreme conservatives, and White supremecists.)
By 'integrated' I mean the ones who immigrate legally, learn English, work hard, pay their taxes, don't leech off benefits and are happy to live there. I haven't come across people who've considered me a 'dark-skinned alien'. I've never felt like a second-class citizen here. Like Reha said, it isn't 1950 anymore.
I have one question for you-why must you resort to ad-hominem abuse to justify your viewpoint?
I am the one to launch ad-hominem attacks?. Did you not read the whole thread. I have not launched a single personal attack on anyone until now. I have been called narrow minded, like a FOB girl who visited one of the poster's house and all sorts of nonsense. I am just expressing my view, it doesn't mean that you have to attack me personally.
It is interesting that not a single desi male attacked me, it's all frustrated unmarried ABCD girls who are venting their anger against males who marry girls from Pakistan, by attacking my viewpoints supporting those males. You would never see males attacking each other like that for a view point because we have mutual respect for each other. Also it is interesting that no single male here agrees that he or his family moved to USA to become Americans. I understand that you are angry at males marrying Pakistani girls based in Pakistan, but when you show your true cranky self, you are merely confirming that stereotypes that no matter how much Pakistani values your partents have taught you, you are still very different from an average Pakistani girl from Pakistan