Assimilating or blending in

Sarah: Great. Only sandwiches with ham!! Why is it so hard to consider other people?!. Sometimes it looks like all Dutch people only eat pork. Even at parties only 'bitterballs' [small round croquettes often served as a treat] ares erved. I thought it was well known that there are people in this school who don't eat pork.

Yasemin: That is what assimilating into being Dutch is all about. Eating pork.

Sarah: That is not what I would call respect.

Driss: No, that is certainly not what integration really ought to mean. What do you guys think what it is about?

Yasemin: Celebrating Sinterklaas (Dutch tradition of Santa Claus handing out presents on December 5th) and washing your car on Saturday.

Sarah: I think you're only really at home here when you feel at ease and comfortable, when you're satisfied with your life. I don't think you have to speak perfect Dutch and I don't think you even have to have a job. All practical things have to be settled, though. Only after some more time can you go to a sports club or something.

Driss: I think someone is acclimatised if he feels like a Dutch person and he is aware of and is open to Dutch values, standards and habits, without losing his own person. People don't have to put their roots aside, but they have to adopt Dutch habits. Be at the office at nine o'clock. An appointment is an appointment.

Yasemin: I thought it was all about learning the Dutch language.

Sarah: No it's so much broader than that. When I hear some politician talk about immigrants being acclimatisatised, I think even native Dutch people couldn't meet the standard: it's about being an involved citizen, committed to the country.

Yasemin: I still don't know what they mean with that.

Sarah: Maybe they don't even know that themselves.