Reply #3: That part of the country

[SheilaT]

has never been very friendly to immigration after the Colonial period. So it just doesn't have any kind of history of or experience with dealing with "furriners". Not that all other parts of this country are wonderful and welcoming as they should be.

I always try to remember that the difference between me and the newest immigrant is simply how recently we (or our families) arrived here, and perhaps the circumstances of immigration. My ethnic group was widely despised when they arrived in large numbers in the 19th century. Our history is an ongoing one of immigration and assimilation.