About Spain, Immigration and the Satellite Dish

"body">That is not done in Spain. No help, no translation; if
You can't judge a book by its cover. Can't you --you can't read Spanish you've got a problem to
in the same way -- judge an experience yousolve by yourself (although free language
have not lived through ?programs are open for immigrants).
In Holland, a country I resided until two years ago,And the new experience?
there are many satellite dishes. Most of them areThat is - now that I live in Spain, I'm observing
owned by foreigners (wrongly labeling this group,again the foreigners who own the majority of the
but I'll repeat doing this consistently later on in thissatellite dishes. But this time, I'm part of this
article). The dishes are visible in many suburbs andgroup of foreigners.
scandalize people, expressing the non-integrationThis experience sheds some new light on
issue.integration and immigration issues. Language is
By means of a satellite dish you are able toindeed the main topic. But while speaking different
receive television from your own country. In yourlanguages, that doesn't mean that living together
own language. Everybody is free to use them.is not possible. We are here for some reasons. In
But, is the main problem language, or (mis-)the little town nearby there are residents from
understanding itself? Do people who do speak the118 different nationalities.
same language always understand themselves?Like in Holland, immigration happens for some
In Holland, "we" have helped foreign immigrants byreason.
translating administration (admission) papers intoThe satellite dish represents the symbol of
several (foreign) languages. So they were easy tomisunderstanding. But that has little to do with
read.language itself. I think.