JUST PHILOSOPHISING - ON THE PARADOX OF THE 'IMMIGRANT' PART 5.

By the stress of living in even two separate ages.  One of the past, which their host, the people of their 'new or second home' have progressed from.  

But which still imprisons the intellect and worldviews of the immigrant who is repulsed by the 'modernity' of their host country. 

Which is why the reluctant immigrant, driven by the desire to secure his/her economic livelihood.  Might find themselves so reluctant to 'let go of  parts of themselves.' 

Which they need to do, in order to be able to take on core aspects of the mainstream society and cultures of their 'reluctant new home.' 

So that they can become, yes, more identified with, and integrated and assimilated into it. Providing their mainstream hosts promote them doing so.  

In the meantime, the immigrant, like a person hedging his/her bets, by not giving up their present job until they secure a new one, holds fast to their preferred world, in case they lose it. 

The world which, for the immigrant, speaks of and to their soul, to the essence of what they consider to be their core. 

Not wanting to lose it, not wanting to give up any of it, even though all of it is clearly not desirable for or capable of meeting their current needs. 

As, if it was, then they might not have had the need to become 'economic and/or political immigrants' in someone else's world, and fearing to make the changes which  are required to make into their new home. 

Fearing to give up on their past, even though it is a past which has denied them, at least some of them, the better  future they aspire for, but cannot achieve. 

While they retain and continue to honour so much of the past. A past which has now become incongruent and contradictory to the present.

We can see evidence of this contradiction in how some sections of marginalised, oppressed and/or persecuted communities, probably most characteristic of the Jewish, African and Kurdish diasporas. 

Appear to harp back to what they believe and/or argue, was a great time for their people. With the inference being to attest to their supposed 'exceptionalism' or 'specialness,' even though such attributes have little or no currency in the present.

To be continued!