Category Archives: immigration and multiculturalism

Connecting people from different cultures

culture, immigration and multiculturalism, language, Societal Issues

“No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive”. – Mahatma Gandhi

The Festival of Migrations and Cultures, one of Luxembourg’s most important annual events organised by the Comité de Liaison des Associations d’Étrangers ( CLAE), took place last February 24-25. There were more than 30,000 visitors and 400 stands. I heard at least a dozen languages spoken by people who visited my English Language Lovers booth.

The multiculturalism of Luxembourg (known as the Grand Duchy), with about 660,000 residents, was showcased. Luxembourg is the seventh-smallest country in Europe and has borders with Belgium to the west and north, France to the south (where I live), and Germany to the east. Its official languages are Luxembourgish, French, and German. It is one of the four institutional seats of the European Union (EU); the others are in Brussels, Frankfurt, and Strasbourg. The EU institutions have 24 official languages; English is one of them.

Last week’s event reminded me of Australia’s multicultural festivals (or even private gatherings and national celebrations that look like the United Nations’ party).

In 2018, the New Internationalist (NI) listed these ten steps to world peace: start by stamping out exclusion, bring about true equality between women and men, share out wealth fairly, tackle climate change, display less hubris, make more policy change, protect political space, fix intergenerational relations, build an integrated peace movement, and look within – peace starts with you.  (https://newint.org/features/2018/09/18/10-steps-world-peace accessed on 10/02/2024)

NI’s suggestions are needed more than ever, notably with what is happening in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Connecting with people helps change thoughts, perceptions, and actions; multicultural gathering is one practical way to do this. Why? Because:

  • It helps us better understand the differences and similarities between people.
  • It promotes open-mindedness among different groups of people and dispels negative stereotypes.
  • It provides opportunities for the mutual sharing of traditions and cultures.
  • It encourages the exchanging of information and perspectives, leading to a peaceful neighbourhood, workplace, and society.

“Peace is not just the absence of conflict; peace is the creation of an environment where all can flourish, regardless of race, colour, creed, religion, gender, class, caste, or any other social markers of difference.”— Nelson Mandela (1918-2013, first Black president of South, i.e. from 1994 to1999).

*The world has evolved; race doesn’t exist, but ethnicity does. Gender identity is wide-ranging from masculinity, femininity, and transgender to agender (genderless or neutral – neither male nor female nor a combination of male and female).

Where do you come from?

culture, immigration and multiculturalism

“Where do you come from” is a phrase that gives me goose pimples. I have answered this question more than a hundred times and expect to encounter the same query at any moment. Do they mean where I was born, where I have studied, worked and lived, where I have immigrated, or where I feel I belong?

It’s summertime in Europe, the holiday season. “Where do you come from” is one of the most uttered questions, from tourism staff who need your answer for statistical purposes to curious strangers because of your look or accent.

(I was trying to learn English and I was very worried about my accent. I’m sure I’ll always have it but I remember Tom Hanks said to me, “Don’t lose the accent. If you do, you’re lost.” Antonio Banderas (sic) (https://www.ef.co.uk/english-resources/english-quotes/language/).

Physical attributes (i.e. your look) and accents are used as categorisation factors of ethnicity. The latter is based on skin colour, hair texture, facial features, and other physical characteristics. The Iowa University Digital Press’s article on Dress, Appearance, and Diversity in US Society (https://iastate.pressbooks.pub/dressappearancediversity/chapter/race-and-ethnicity/) discusses this subject, which – although it has an American perspective – resonates globally.

Not long ago, I heard a fellow bus passenger saying, “I look Indian, but I’m not; I’m South African”.

Research has been done on physical characteristics concerning “racism”. In comparison, accents have received less research interest. Several studies and anecdotes have shown how people with a nonstandard or “non-native” accent are perceived as less competent or of lower socio-economic status.

An accent is different from a dialect. An accent is a sound we produce when we speak; thus, we all have an accent, which is our identity and a clue to group membership, whereas a dialect includes grammar, spelling, and vocabulary differences.

How about if your look doesn’t match your accent; is it all right to ask, “Where do you come from?” Grammatically, this question is correct. It’s also socially and politically correct if it is asked by tourism staff to improve their services. However, there are situations in which this question can be understood to imply that the person you are asking is a foreigner and doesn’t belong in the country. For instance, children of immigrants in Australia and Canada and Asian-Americans (born and raised in the US and speak only English) might take umbrage when keep getting asked, “Where do you come from?” as this assumes that they aren’t citizens of their countries and are from somewhere else.

Hence, think twice before asking someone (Where do you come from?) to avoid insulting them. Anyway, the person often brings it up without you having to ask when it is relevant to the conversation. I haven’t heard of someone getting offended when asked, “What’s your nationality”. People often take pride in answering this; I do. If we aren’t sure what and how to ask, then don’t.

“To effectively communicate, we must realise that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” Tony Robbins (American author, philanthropist, and business strategist). (realise – UK)

Our Words Matter

immigration and multiculturalism, language, Societal Issues, Values and Principles

On 23 March 2023, I was invited to speak at the European Parliament Directorate-General for Personnel’s hybrid event to observe the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The theme was “Anti-Racism –Why words matter”.

Some of the things I said were:

Classifying individuals as English speakers and non-English speakers is inappropriate when based only on the language of the country they come from. They should be described as people with a “First Language Spoken Other Than English” and “First Language Spoken English”. If you want to refer to their spoken English proficiency, describe them as “Speaks English Very Well, Fluent, or Proficient, “Speaks English Well or Conversational”, “Basiс”, or “No English Language Skill”.

“Our, Their, Us, and Them” are pronouns that should be used wisely, as they can be polarising. They affect feelings, thoughts, and actions. Whereas, social cohesion reduces fear and prejudice.

Race is ascribed to individuals based on physical traits; it’s not their choice. Race is not the same as ethnicity, which the individual chooses, encompassing everything from language to nationality, culture and traditions, religion, and values.

Race has no coherent, fixed definition, and its myth hasn’t served humanity well.

We use “blacklist” for something negative or prohibited. Doesn’t this reinforce notions that black is undesirable while white is desirable? How about using “barredlist”, “denylist”, “blockedlist”, or “disallowedlist” instead?

Are there prejudicial and offensive words and phrases in your language?

  • “Gyp” or “Gip” is a short version of gypsy/gipsy- Slang for swindlers and cheaters. Dupe, rip off, take advantage, or trick
  • “Chop Chop!” sounds like you’re making fun of a Chinese speaking Pidgin English. Do it quickly
  • “Guru” – A spiritual guide or leader. In the Buddhist and Hindu traditions, “guru” commands respect and using it casually calls into question its original value.
  • Voodoo economics is used to describe supply-side economics (i.e. something based on unreal and impractical concepts). Voodoo is a religion practised in Haiti and parts of the Caribbean.
  • An immigrant is a human being; a human being cannot be illegal. Why not use “Individual/family/people with undocumented status”; or focus on the action, i.e. illegal entry?
  • “Alien” and “foreigner” suggest that the person does not belong to a particular place or group, i.e. a stranger or outsider. “Foreign-born people” tells you they were born in a country where they don’t currently reside.

Issues on ethnic slurs or racism in the workplace:

  • Is there psychological safety in the workplace?
  • No individual target; no one complains about it. (Someone may perceive this as such and become unproductive due to offended sensibilities).
  • An isolated incident may be repeated and can become a norm.
  • It’s only a joke/just for fun. Humour and jokes can poster or improve group cohesiveness. Laughing and smiling relieve anger, boredom, fatigue, frustration, and tension. However, when the workplace is inundated with such practices and management implicitly or explicitly condones them, making at least one employee uncomfortable, it has to stop. The bottom line is respecting the words and feelings of everyone.

Words matter! Language is the foundation of how we understand and treat each other. Words can make the difference between respecting and dehumanising each other.

Online Gatekeeping

immigration and multiculturalism, personal and social development, Societal Issues, society, Values and Principles


Gatekeeping is a process of selecting and then filtering items that can be consumed within time or space. A gatekeeper is a person who controls access to something; in Facebook groups, this can be an administrator or moderator.

I’m writing this because I posted a message on our FB book club two weeks ago about a culture and immigration festival that included book exhibitions, reading novels’ first pages, etc. After the event, I contacted the administrator enquiring why it wasn’t approved. She apologised and explained that it’s pending (not disallowed) because she’s busy managing other activities and suggested emailing her directly when I have a post.

Gatekeeping has pluses and minuses. Unrelevant and offensive messages are filtered out. On the other hand, it’s toxic when it bars people from participating in a group or community or discussion based on narrow criteria or questionable reasons.


Why and how do administrators and moderators have this gatekeeping power?


Administrators appoint or remove a moderator, manage group settings (such as changing the group name or settings), approve or deny membership and participants’ requests, approve or reject posts, delete comments on posts, ban people from the group, and pin or unpin a post (i.e. positioning – e.g. move to the top of the page.)


Moderators approve or deny membership and participants’ requests, approve or deny posts, remove comments, and ban people from the group.


Do administrators and moderators own the group when they have started or created it?

How can we ensure administrators and moderators don’t use the group for their sole gain?


“The words of the tongue should have three gatekeepers: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?” – Arabian Proverb


My pending, obsolete post is history. However, the success of the festival – organised by the Comité de Liaison des Associations d’Étrangers ( CLAE) and one of Luxembourg’s most important annual events – lingers on. There were about 30,000 visitors to its 400 stands.