Comments on: THE IMMIGRANT http://deviousdiva.com/2006/01/03/the-immigrant/ The only thing necessary for the persistence of evil is for enough good people to do nothing. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:46:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: deviousdiva http://deviousdiva.com/2006/01/03/the-immigrant/comment-page-1/#comment-14624 deviousdiva Sun, 08 Jan 2006 17:10:00 +0000 http://deviousdiva.com/2006/01/03/the-immigrant/#comment-14624 Wole Oguntokun, thank you for your kind words of encouragement and thank you for your poetry. Wole Oguntokun, thank you for your kind words of encouragement and thank you for your poetry.

]]> By: Wole Oguntokun http://deviousdiva.com/2006/01/03/the-immigrant/comment-page-1/#comment-14623 Wole Oguntokun Sun, 08 Jan 2006 04:52:00 +0000 http://deviousdiva.com/2006/01/03/the-immigrant/#comment-14623 dd, I come in here frequently for updates on humanitarian issues. Sea witch left very interesting and accurate observations about "the immigrant" poem, discerning some of the emotions that made me write it. Don't let your voice be still, diva, and thank you for trying to make the world a better place. dd,
I come in here frequently for updates on humanitarian issues. Sea witch left very interesting and accurate observations about “the immigrant” poem, discerning some of the emotions that made me write it. Don’t let your voice be still, diva, and thank you for trying to make the world a better place.

]]> By: deviousdiva http://deviousdiva.com/2006/01/03/the-immigrant/comment-page-1/#comment-14622 deviousdiva Thu, 05 Jan 2006 19:09:00 +0000 http://deviousdiva.com/2006/01/03/the-immigrant/#comment-14622 I agree, good comment seawitch and I totally agree on your points about intergration versus total assimilation. I agree, good comment seawitch and I totally agree on your points about intergration versus total assimilation.

]]> By: scarfalonius http://deviousdiva.com/2006/01/03/the-immigrant/comment-page-1/#comment-14621 scarfalonius Thu, 05 Jan 2006 01:05:00 +0000 http://deviousdiva.com/2006/01/03/the-immigrant/#comment-14621 Yes, nice comments Seawitch. The poem is right on the mark. Yes, nice comments Seawitch. The poem is right on the mark.

]]> By: buruburu http://deviousdiva.com/2006/01/03/the-immigrant/comment-page-1/#comment-14620 buruburu Wed, 04 Jan 2006 23:27:00 +0000 http://deviousdiva.com/2006/01/03/the-immigrant/#comment-14620 Yes, I do agree with you seawitch. My response to the poem is simple. Stop trying and just be. Whatever good your adopted country has to offer you will wash on you in due time. Don't try just be. Yes, I do agree with you seawitch. My response to the poem is simple. Stop trying and just be. Whatever good your adopted country has to offer you will wash on you in due time. Don’t try just be.

]]> By: The SeaWitch http://deviousdiva.com/2006/01/03/the-immigrant/comment-page-1/#comment-14619 The SeaWitch Wed, 04 Jan 2006 09:21:00 +0000 http://deviousdiva.com/2006/01/03/the-immigrant/#comment-14619 That poem speaks for so many immigrants. In 19 lines, Wole has managed to capture the awkwardness, sadness and frustration an immigrant feels in a new country. It's so honest. I love it. Thank you Diva for posting it and thank you Wole for writing it. <I>and I’m trying to look inconspicuous I’m trying to be you, curse this clumsy tongue.</I> Those lines jump out at me. I see so many immigrants who change their names, their religion, their customs in the effort to assimilate. The humility and determination needed for assimilation is something I don't have. I believe in integration because it doesn't involve losing yourself in the process. I love having the choice of Indian, Thai, African, Italian, Spanish or Greek food when I went out to dinner in Canada. I love seeing people wear their traditional African/Indian/Arabic dress. I feel at home when I hear 5 different languages around me at parties. I love that I can talk to them all in English because they took the time to learn my language I can't help but think that if my Greek, Arab and African friends back home had totally assimilated, I would have missed out on so much. They would have been like everyone else and that would have been so boring. That poem speaks for so many immigrants. In 19 lines, Wole has managed to capture the awkwardness, sadness and frustration an immigrant feels in a new country. It’s so honest. I love it. Thank you Diva for posting it and thank you Wole for writing it.

and I’m trying to look inconspicuous

I’m trying to be you, curse this clumsy tongue.

Those lines jump out at me. I see so many immigrants who change their names, their religion, their customs in the effort to assimilate. The humility and determination needed for assimilation is something I don’t have.

I believe in integration because it doesn’t involve losing yourself in the process. I love having the choice of Indian, Thai, African, Italian, Spanish or Greek food when I went out to dinner in Canada. I love seeing people wear their traditional African/Indian/Arabic dress. I feel at home when I hear 5 different languages around me at parties. I love that I can talk to them all in English because they took the time to learn my language

I can’t help but think that if my Greek, Arab and African friends back home had totally assimilated, I would have missed out on so much. They would have been like everyone else and that would have been so boring.

]]> By: Mike http://deviousdiva.com/2006/01/03/the-immigrant/comment-page-1/#comment-14618 Mike Tue, 03 Jan 2006 20:24:00 +0000 http://deviousdiva.com/2006/01/03/the-immigrant/#comment-14618 Oh forget Keats and Yeats, try French & Saunders, or Lennon & McCartney Nice verse tho, universally applies. Oh forget Keats and Yeats, try French & Saunders, or Lennon & McCartney

Nice verse tho, universally applies.

]]> By: Laurelin http://deviousdiva.com/2006/01/03/the-immigrant/comment-page-1/#comment-14617 Laurelin Tue, 03 Jan 2006 19:15:00 +0000 http://deviousdiva.com/2006/01/03/the-immigrant/#comment-14617 That's an incredibly moving poem. On an unrelated note: Happy New Year, Devious :) That’s an incredibly moving poem.

On an unrelated note: Happy New Year, Devious :)

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