Living in the US there are people from everywhere. People who have immigrated from England, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Norway, Finland, Japan, China and so on. It is so normal that it is un-noticeable. Visiting a place with a monoculture it very quickly becomes noticeable and problematic at the same time. In my travels I’ve visited places that have had no foreigners and there are some issues. What do you do as a visitor and a city? I have some suggestions for places that encounter this occurrence.
What I noticed about a monoculture is that non-natives can disrupt or disturb the vibe. Sometimes it brings new business and welcome distractions but sometimes not.
If people have no choice to be in that location, either a migrant or refugee fleeing poverty or oppression that then that place might have to deal with it. People aren’t there by choice. This is happening all over Europe.
If people come from a place that isn’t migrant of refugee or is from a country that has sometimes hostile history (the US) it can be another issue. What are they doing there?
In the US there are people from everywhere. I mean everywhere. And if you don’t accept them sometimes you’re labeled a racist.
In other countries with monocultures, someone from another place is an anomaly. It’s odd, out of sorts. It’s not racist to be suspicious of them. In fact, if someone comes from a sometimes hostile place comes to your monoculture maybe you should be suspicious. But either way make up your mind.
And here’s the thing. I get it. I understand that if people come from other places it can disturb the vibe and feel. That’s a real issue that affects people. So I wouldn’t label it racist specifically but it is something.
This is going to sound bad but my suggestion is, in places where the locals do not want people from other places, where they want to keep the community the way it is, it might be good to let them know they aren’t welcome. I’ve experienced this duplicity in some places in my travels. Don’t let them get their hopes up. It’s already hard enough to be a visitor in a new place.
If on the other hand you are having more than a few visitors (refugees, migrants, tourists etc) then you need to have or be directed to a community of foreigners so they can adjust and help each other navigate in a place with a different way of life. Or host them.
I’m slightly on the side of the locals, in that if a good vibe is going on that is rare thing, so preserve it. You don’t have to be racist but make it clear one way or the other. But again, there’s the opportunity to be racist at the same time.
I’m sure there are other options than the ones listed. Maybe integration? Or like the universities say, matriculation, if that’s a thing. Although, I don’t like people losing their personality.
Side Note: If you are the person the traveler, the nomad or the digital nomad, etc, I have some suggestions. Find a host as quickly as possible. To be there for you for emergencies. And if you can also find someone to show you around. Maybe to be there with you when you go places.
If you are thinking about moving somewhere (digital nomad) and you have a friend who is not a remote worker but open to the idea, take the friend. Even if they don’t work or can’t work. Have them as support. They support you as you work and support them financially as they support you. Their support in a way would be a job. It sounds weird but I hope that makes sense.
And if you’re from the US, you know full well much of the people, the boomers, are gaslighting, psychopathic narcissists who don’t care if you survive or not. If you can’t survive, it’s not your fault. It’s not you. It is, in many places, a hostile and traumatizing environment. You might do well to find other places to live.
