Article: “ ‘I’ve Become a Racist’: Migrant Wave Unleashes Danish Tensions Over Identity”
Before Reading
Over the last couple of years, thousands of Muslim asylum seekers have poured into Denmark, a small, stable and homogeneous country.
The article quotes Bo Lidegaard, a prominent historian, as saying that many Danes feel strongly that “we are a multiethnic society today, and we have to realize it — but we are not and should never become a multicultural society.”
What do you think this means? What is the difference between “multiethnic” and “multicultural”?
Why might an influx of immigrants to a previously homogeneous place make many feel this way?
Questions for Comprehension and Analysis
1. What is the “social covenant” on which Denmark is built, according to this article?
2. How has the recent influx of immigrants caused political tension in the country? How have these immigrants strained Denmark’s resources?
3. How are similar tensions playing out all over Europe? What examples does this article give?
4. What examples of cultural differences between Danes and Muslim immigrants does the article cite? What are some of the subtle unspoken differences that can confuse immigrants?
5. What examples of racism and anti-Muslim sentiment are described here? What is your reaction to them?
What Do You Think?
This article raises complicated questions — about immigration, assimilation, racism and national identity — that can apply to places all over the world and to other times in history.
What lines from this article remind you of something else you’ve read, heard about, seen or personally experienced? Why?
You might use our handout, Connecting The New York Times to Your World, to help you think about these questions.