Integration, assimilation and marginalisation

The belief that one race is better than another brought horrors in different countries and civilisations. Many in the United States, until relatively recently, believed in segregation. South Africa believed in apartheid. Racism in real terms has many manifestations and paternities.

Unfortunately racism is also rearing its head in our island. Perhaps we are simplifying a difficult and complex situation. It is true that there are several reasons that explain (but do not justify in any degree) the anger that many decent people feel at the increasing presence of several foreigners who reached our shores without wanting to. We call them klandestini or illegal immigrants. We think that xenophobia and some form of budding racism are among the reasons. This is very worrying indeed.

In a recent speech Pope John Paul II said that the social integration of immigrants calls for finding a "proper balance" between "respect for their own identity and recognition of that of others". He said: "I wished to emphasise the importance of integration among peoples, which calls for a proper balance between respect for their own identity and recognition of that of others."

The message given by the Pope in December calls for the exclusion of "assimilationist models" that aim to homogenise culture differences, as well as the avoidance of forms of marginalisation that "can even arrive at the choice of apartheid".

John Paul II in the text said that integration is not "assimilation", which "leads migrants to suppress or to forget their own cultural identity. Rather, contact with others leads to discovering their 'secret', to being open to them in order to welcome their valid aspects and thus contribute to knowing each one better."

"In this process, the migrant is intent on taking the necessary steps towards social inclusion, such as learning the national language and complying with the laws and requirements at work, so as to avoid the occurrence of exasperated differentiation," the Pope wrote.

The Pope proposed dialogue, friendliness and understanding as the three aspects of a strategy that can help people of different cultures and race come closer together. Friendliness we as a people have in abundance. We are renowned for it.

Understanding is not lacking so much. We need dialogue with these guests of ours, who found themselves on our shores without planning it. Here they are now. As long as they remain we cannot not treat them as fellow humans. Let's dialogue with them so that we can reach mutual understanding and offer them our friendship.