Chinese / migrant support services in Limerick or Ireland

lornamc

Hi Everyone

I am wondering if there are any services in limerick or in Ireland for migrants who are socially isolated for one reason or another and would like to meet other migrants and integrate more with the community.

Any help or ideas would be appreciated

Many thanks

lornamc

billy the squid

lornamc wrote: »

Hi Everyone

I am wondering if there are any services in limerick or in Ireland for migrants who are socially isolated for one reason or another and would like to meet other migrants and integrate more with the community.

Any help or ideas would be appreciated

Many thanks

lornamc

Doras Luimnai
http://www.dorasluimni.org/

They would have the info you seek

lornamc

thankyou so much.x.

tomcollins97

Personally speaking I always wonder why migrants don’t integrate more in Irish society. If migrants are here for the long haul, and not just to make a quick buck and go home, they should embrace ‘becoming Irish’.

Please don’t jump down my throat on this one with things like ‘not everyone drinks’, this I know, but one thing I have noticed is you rarely see Chinese, Polish, Russian, Nigerian etc socialising with Irish people in the local. Many Irish people who don’t drink still go to a pub for the social aspect. It is just something I have found odd. Immigrants work hard in our pubs, shops, restaurants, offices yet never seem to fully embrace Irish society and attempt to integrate. Perhaps this partly leads to their feelings of isolation?

Perhaps if migrants were to integrate more socially us Irish would have a better understanding of their culture and what they find difficult about being a migrant and in turn we would become more tolerant and embracing of those from different countries.

That said lornamc, I am relatively new to Limerick and also at times feel lonely and isolated - you are not the only one.

talkingclock

irish people are very clanish.

irish people ask always the famous five questions (ask any foreigner!):
Where are you from?
How long have you been in Ireland?
Do you like it?
What do you do for living?
How long do you want to stay?

Also irish people tend to be more interested in their questions then in the answers.
There is seldomly any deeper interest in the other, foreign, person.

re why don't you see foreigners mingle with the natives in the pub? The pub/drinking culture seems to be something very specific Irish. Most foreigners (those from mid-continental europe anyway) prefer to socialise at home, having dinner parties with friends or rather drinking at home with friends then "waste" money in a pub. Sure, they go to pubs but not to meet friends there but going together with friends there. A pub is not a 2nd living room for a foreigner. unless he's an alcoholic...

bit of generalisation, i know but I'm talking out of experience due to multiple very close contacts to foreigners...

for the PC brigade: replace the word foreigner (if you don't like it) with the word of your choice. thank you.

tomcollins97

If 'foreigners' don't to embrase the culture of their new home why do they bother moving?

This also goes for Irish people travelling abroad to live & work. If you are not willing to change as a person and adapt to your new surroundings you will never settle down.

Pubs are a part of Irish life, we are know for it. They are also part of the UK culture. Paris has it's cafes, Amsterdam it's own unique type of 'cafe' and god knows what other countries have.

It would be naive to think that you can emigrate and still live the same life.

Iang87

go to the pub. get drunk, Sorted.

the following morning you'll wake with new numbers in your phone

talkingclock

if getting drunk is the centre of irish culture then people should really stay away... for heir own sake.

Builderfromhell

I would have to disagree with much of the above.

I know many foreigners who ahve lived and married here and have integrated very well. They often have little interest in meeting their own races other than to share food etc. They have made friends with locals at their kids schools or with neighbours.

I lived in London for 12 years and occasionally met Irish people who lived there their whole lives and never mixed witht he non Irish. Strrong Irish accents after 20 odd years in the UK.

Iang87

talkingclock wrote: »

if getting drunk is the centre of irish culture then people should really stay away... for heir own sake.

i wouldn't say centre to the irish culture, i would say important to the irish culture

devereaux17

tomcollins97 wrote: »

If 'foreigners' don't to embrase the culture of their new home why do they bother moving?

This also goes for Irish people travelling abroad to live & work. If you are not willing to change as a person and adapt to your new surroundings you will never settle down.

Pubs are a part of Irish life, we are know for it. They are also part of the UK culture. Paris has it's cafes, Amsterdam it's own unique type of 'cafe' and god knows what other countries have.

It would be naive to think that you can emigrate and still live the same life.

What the **** are you talking about? The pub is a ****e aspect of irish culture. I'm Irish and have never ever set inside a pub. My parents hate the pub culture of Ireland. Its people like you who make Ireland a **** place to live.

tomcollins97

devereaux17 wrote: »

What the **** are you talking about? The pub is a ****e aspect of irish culture. I'm Irish and have never ever set inside a pub. My parents hate the pub culture of Ireland. Its people like you who make Ireland a **** place to live.

Bit strong there maybe!!!! What is so wrong with the pub culture? Where would our tourism be without it?

Going to the pub doesn't make you an alcoholic or a sub-standard human being! It's a bit strange that your parents 'hate' pub culture and you in turn have never set foot inside a pub (hard to believe). What other habits of your parents are you blindly following without seeing for yourself what is out there? Looking at the 3 asterisks words in your post you could probably do with heading to a pub and lightening up a bit.

Iang87

devereaux17 wrote: »

What the **** are you talking about? The pub is a ****e aspect of irish culture. I'm Irish and have never ever set inside a pub. My parents hate the pub culture of Ireland. Its people like you who make Ireland a **** place to live.

surprisingly enough the purpose of the pub isn't to get absolutely twisted,

its to meet up with people have a few drinks and relax and have a laugh but if you've a problem with people winding down, having a drink and enjoying themselves then i really pity the woman you end up with

talkingclock

Iang87 wrote: »

surprisingly enough the purpose of the pub isn't to get absolutely twisted,

its to meet up with people have a few drinks and relax and have a laugh but if you've a problem with people winding down, having a drink and enjoying themselves then i really pity the woman you end up with

There we go: socialising means having a drink... just proofed now.

devereaux17

Iang87 wrote: »

surprisingly enough the purpose of the pub isn't to get absolutely twisted,

its to meet up with people have a few drinks and relax and have a laugh but if you've a problem with people winding down, having a drink and enjoying themselves then i really pity the woman you end up with

Iang87 wrote: »

surprisingly enough the purpose of the pub isn't to get absolutely twisted,

its to meet up with people have a few drinks and relax and have a laugh but if you've a problem with people winding down, having a drink and enjoying themselves then i really pity the woman you end up with

Sounds really exciting:rolleyes:

My friends and the women i'm likely to end up with aren't probably like the people you hang out with, i'm probably much younger than you as well and grew up with a completely different mentality in a completely different environment than you(you're from limerick i presume, i'm from dublin-more options, more to do etc.)
Where I live the people who go to the pub are the ones who wear Liverpool jerseys and sit in the pub downing pints while the sun is shining. Theres a few good pubs in Dalkey with nice environments but I never would spend any time in them.
Its really annoying seeing people talk about people who aren't 'native' irish when they never even grew up with people who are 'different' or have a different culture, its very hard as a first generation immigrant to assimiliate if you come here when you are older.
If you're anti-immigrant, xenephobic etc. well then I pity you, but fair enough but don't make it out that irish culture is wonderful and that all immigrants have to adopt these customs(i mean should a muslim became a catholic cause they move to ireland?)
Basic principles for immigrants integrating are fine and important like learning the language of the host country but attempting to state that immigrants should just adopt the drink culture that exists here is wrong especially when in this day in age we should be expanding our horizons as it creates a funner and more interesting place, anyway one of the reasons pub culture is part of irish culture could be down to british influence and opressive catholic church