Passport Canada offices in Surrey,BC.

[dialamah]

Opposites attract. Although we love to repeat this optimistic cliche about human nature, decades of psychological research have demonstrated that the truism isn’t true. Rather, people seek out people who are just like them. This is known as the similarity-attraction effect, or SAE. Although there is slight variation in the strength of the effect, the SAE has been shown to exist in nearly every culture, from Western Europe to the remote tribes of the Brazilian rainforest. It doesn’t matter where we live or how we grew up or which language we speak – we still want to spend time with people who feel similar. It’s simply more comfortable.

http://www.wired.com/2012/01/opposites-dont-attract-and-thats-bad-news/

All true stuff. Also, Harvard has developed an implicit association test which can indicate one's unconscious bias for or against certain things about other people (weight, race, religion, etc.)

Still, some people like to expand their comfort zone and deliberately look for similarities in people that are different from themselves.

[Argus]

All true stuff. Also, Harvard has developed an implicit association test which can indicate one's unconscious bias for or against certain things about other people (weight, race, religion, etc.)

Still, some people like to expand their comfort zone and deliberately look for similarities in people that are different from themselves.

Of course they do, especially if they can return to more comfortable environments later. But the supposition the elites make that everyone should be content to see the places they grow up swamped by foreign immigration and not utter a word of protest is incredibly silly. That hasn't happened with me, but if I had grown up in Richmond, say, or Brampton or other areas where foreigners now greatly outnumber those who were born in Canada and the place is unrecognizable I might be highly pissed off about it too.

[dialamah]

Of course they do, especially if they can return to more comfortable environments later. But the supposition the elites make that everyone should be content to see the places they grow up swamped by foreign immigration and not utter a word of protest is incredibly silly. That hasn't happened with me, but if I had grown up in Richmond, say, or Brampton or other areas where foreigners now greatly outnumber those who were born in Canada and the place is unrecognizable I might be highly pissed off about it too.

What does that mean? What should Richmond or Brampton look like that would make it recognizable to you?

I have to say, you seem pretty pissed off anyway.

[Argus]

What does that mean? What should Richmond or Brampton look like that would make it recognizable to you?

I have to say, you seem pretty pissed off anyway.

They should look like Canada, and not like foreign countries full of foreign speaking people and businesses that cater to them.

Bearing on what I posted above and which you agreed, why would people not be uncomfortable when two thirds or three quarters of their town is now foreign born?

Edited August 29, 2016 by Argus

[dialamah]

Of course they do, especially if they can return to more comfortable environments later. But the supposition the elites make that everyone should be content to see the places they grow up swamped by foreign immigration and not utter a word of protest is incredibly silly. That hasn't happened with me, but if I had grown up in Richmond, say, or Brampton or other areas where foreigners now greatly outnumber those who were born in Canada and the place is unrecognizable I might be highly pissed off about it too.

Oh yeah. These people who like to expand their comfort zones - it doesn't mean they go 'visit' like tourists to a strange country. It means they get to know that which makes them uncomfortable until they are comfortable with it. That means they don't need to return to 'more comfortable' environments.

I grant you that the majority of people do not do this. I moved from Kitsilano to Surrey, so I guess I'm in a lot more diverse neighborhood now. I live in a complex of 18 townhouses; there are seven obvious white families, the rest are ethnic but really couldn't say if they are first, second or third generation Canadian. Or PRs, for all I know. Two of the white families are quite racist, one violently so. I guess they're pretty uncomfortable here, but I'm not. I love it for a few reasons, but the two racist neighbors annoy me.

On the other hand, not sure I'd be entirely comfortable if, for instance, I lived in a place where it was entirely East Indian except for me, and there were a lot of East Indian signage in my closest consumer center.

[dialamah]

They should look like Canada, and not like foreign countries full of foreign speaking people and businesses that cater to them.

Bearing on what I posted above and which you agreed, why would people not be uncomfortable when two thirds or three quarters of their town is now foreign born?

Well I don't know how many Richmonites are actually foreign-born, but I agree a lot of them look Asian. But I think this is what Canada looks like; perhaps I simply don't have the same emotional connection as you do to seeing mostly 'white' faces and English signs?

Edited August 29, 2016 by dialamah

[Argus]

Well I don't know how many Richmonites are actually foreign-born, but I agree a lot of them look Asian. But I think this is what Canada looks like; perhaps I simply don't have the same emotional connection as you do to seeing mostly 'white' faces and English signs?

I saw my first non-white face in high school, one Lebanese kid. In college I had two Chinese girls in one class. That was the extent of the visible minority presence in Ottawa in the 1970s and early 1980s. It was pretty similar almost everywhere else in Canada. I might add I knew no one up through college, white or not, who wasn't born in Canada.

Now 20% of the population is a visible minority, two thirds of whom are foreign born. In places like Toronto and Vancouver those numbers are much, much higher, of course. This has utterly transformed cities and towns as the newcomers brought their cultures with them.

[dialamah]

I saw my first non-white face in high school, one Lebanese kid. In college I had two Chinese girls in one class. That was the extent of the visible minority presence in Ottawa in the 1970s and early 1980s. It was pretty similar almost everywhere else in Canada. I might add I knew no one up through college, white or not, who wasn't born in Canada.

Now 20% of the population is a visible minority, two thirds of whom are foreign born. In places like Toronto and Vancouver those numbers are much, much higher, of course. This has utterly transformed cities and towns as the newcomers brought their cultures with them.

I was raised in the Cariboo; I saw plenty of non-white faces starting in grade school, though they were of the native kind. I saw my first black kid in Grade 2, and she already knew people didn't like her because of her skin color. In high school, an American kid made fun of me because I befriended some East Indian kids. Called me snake charmer and some other things, I forget all what. There was a lot of racism directed toward those non-white kids and I didn't want to be a part of it.

Edited August 29, 2016 by dialamah

[BC_chick]

Opposites attract. Although we love to repeat this optimistic cliche about human nature, decades of psychological research have demonstrated that the truism isn’t true. Rather, people seek out people who are just like them. This is known as the similarity-attraction effect, or SAE. Although there is slight variation in the strength of the effect, the SAE has been shown to exist in nearly every culture, from Western Europe to the remote tribes of the Brazilian rainforest. It doesn’t matter where we live or how we grew up or which language we speak – we still want to spend time with people who feel similar. It’s simply more comfortable.

http://www.wired.com/2012/01/opposites-dont-attract-and-thats-bad-news/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/3336375/We-prefer-people-we-think-are-similar-to-ourselves.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/research-human-friendships-based-on-genetic-similarities-beyond-the-superficial/2014/07/14/8aea04fe-0ab5-11e4-8c9a-923ecc0c7d23_story.html

My husband and I grew up in the same neighbourhood, a few blocks away from each other. We knew each other when we were young but it wasn't until a couple of decades later we became an item.

I always think about how our "similar" upbringing in the same neighbourhood played a big role in forming a bond together later in life. Thankfully our melatonin levels doesn't seem to be hindrance.

[BC_chick]

The question I have to ask myself and others here also if they care to comment is why does Passport Canada in Surrey have more non-whites working for it than white people? A reasonable question to ask. Yes/no?

Whites are minority in Surrey (45%). Seems like the passport office is a reflection of that demographic.

[dre]

Now 20% of the population is a visible minority, two thirds of whom are foreign born. In places like Toronto and Vancouver those numbers are much, much higher, of course. This has utterly transformed cities and towns as the newcomers brought their cultures with them.

I know! You can buy good food now.

[taxme]

If we slow immigration down how do we hit our population growth targets?

Why do we need population growth targets anyway? More people in Canada would mean more problems for Canada and Canadians.

So, are you trying to tell me that Canada has targets for population growth? Is that a part of some program and agenda plan?

Edited August 30, 2016 by taxme

[taxme]

Whites are minority in Surrey (45%). Seems like the passport office is a reflection of that demographic.

This should not be the case. White people should never be allowed to become a minority in any city in Canada. This is just starting to show us that all of this massive non-white immigration into Canada that has been going on for the past several decades is going to be the white peoples downfall. They are fast putting themselves into becoming a minority in their own country. They are losing their country bit by bit. In Richmond, BC white people are in the minority. In Vancouver, minorities make up approx. 40% of the population and rising. How much more do white people need to be told before they get it thru their thick skulls that they are fast becoming a minority in their own country. If racial suicide is their goal, then racial suicide is what they will get. When a people won't fight for their traditions and culture and country, than they don't deserve to keep any of those mentioned.

[taxme]

I know! You can buy good food now.

Ha-ha, you funny person you, ha-ha.

[dre]

So, are you trying to tell me that Canada has targets for population growth? Is that a part of some program and agenda plan?

Its part of Keynesian economics and its built into our economic and monetary system. We need a constant supply of new builders/borrowers in order to keep the system afloat. All western economics target ~2%.

Its theoretically possible to build a system that would be stable with zero growth, but you would have to scrap our entire banking and monetary systems and probably nationalize them. We would also have to default on our national debt.

[Smoke]

So no links to counter Argus' points then dre? Just as I predicted.

[taxme]

Its part of Keynesian economics and its built into our economic and monetary system. We need a constant supply of new builders/borrowers in order to keep the system afloat. All western economics target ~2%.

Its theoretically possible to build a system that would be stable with zero growth, but you would have to scrap our entire banking and monetary systems and probably nationalize them. We would also have to default on our national debt.

All a country is doing by bringing in more new immigrants only means that you have to build up a bigger infrastructure. Keeping it as it is will not bring a country down to it's knees. As one ex-immigration minister once said many decades ago Canada can survive well enough without bringing in more new immigrants. That ex-minister said that in Canada there are just as many people being born in Canada every year that are dying every year. If the scales tip and more people are dying then are being born, then open the border gates and bring in the replacements that are needed. I have no problem with that.

But in Canada today, I think that it is going way over board on it's bringing in the hundreds of thousands of new immigrants that we do not need and where many have to be fed,clothed and housed for years for free. This nonsense idea that Canada needs more new immigrants to remain afloat does not make any common sense or logic to me. All we are doing is just creating more jobs to bring in more new immigrants. Government bureaucracies work like that. Create more new jobs and hire more people. By creating more government jobs or bringing in more new immigrants, especially unskilled ones and refugees, only means that the Canadian taxpayer gets to pay more taxes. But we should all know by now that Canadians luv to pay more taxes. It's in their blood to do so. So, in my personal opinion and belief that Canada will survive with less immigration then what we are seeing today. It's too much.

If it is suppose to be Canada's duty to bring in more new refugees as the United Nations has dictated to us that we must do so because we signed some paper with the UN then I say to hell with the UN and the Canadian politically correct politicians who signed those papers and who keep writing Canada off. The majority of Canadians should be making those decisions, and not the UN or our politically correct politicians who, in my opinion, don't give a dam about Canada at all. We don't need more immigration, we need less. The Canadian taxpayer's are paying billions for this farce that is being spread by big business, banksters, and foolish politicians and the corporate media that we need lots of new immigrants or we will sink. Bull to that idea.

Edited August 30, 2016 by taxme

[dre]

All a country is doing by bringing in more new immigrants only means that you have to build up a bigger infrastructure. Keeping it as it is will not bring a country down to it's knees. As one ex-immigration minister once said many decades ago Canada can survive well enough without bringing in more new immigrants. That ex-minister said that in Canada there are just as many people being born in Canada every year that are dying every year. If the scales tip and more people are dying then are being born, then open the border gates and bring in the replacements that are needed. I have no problem with that.

But in Canada today, I think that it is going way over board on it's bringing in the hundreds of thousands of new immigrants that we do not need and where many have to be fed,clothed and housed for years for free. This nonsense idea that Canada needs more new immigrants to remain afloat does not make any common sense or logic to me. All we are doing is just creating more jobs to bring in more new immigrants. Government bureaucracies work like that. Create more new jobs and hire more people. By creating more government jobs or bringing in more new immigrants, especially unskilled ones and refugees, only means that the Canadian taxpayer gets to pay more taxes. But we should all know by now that Canadians luv to pay more taxes. It's in their blood to do so. So, in my personal opinion and belief that Canada will survive with less immigration then what we are seeing today. It's too much.

If it is suppose to be Canada's duty to bring in more new refugees as the United Nations has dictated to us that we must do so because we signed some paper with the UN then I say to hell with the UN and the Canadian politically correct politicians who signed those papers and who keep writing Canada off. The majority of Canadians should be making those decisions, and not the UN or our politically correct politicians who, in my opinion, don't give a dam about Canada at all. We don't need more immigration, we need less. The Canadian taxpayer's are paying billions for this farce that is being spread by big business, banksters, and foolish politicians and the corporate media that we need lots of new immigrants or we will sink. Bull to that idea.

You missing the points I was making. Population and economic growth are hard requirements of our current financial and monetary system. Nobody would have any money without them.

[taxme]

You missing the points I was making. Population and economic growth are hard requirements of our current financial and monetary system. Nobody would have any money without them.

Whatever.

Edited August 31, 2016 by taxme