Updated: 4:51 p.m. ET March 15, 2006
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - The camera focuses on two gay men kissing in a park. Later, a topless woman emerges from the sea and walks onto a crowded beach. For would-be immigrants to the Netherlands, this film is a test of their readiness to participate in the liberal Dutch culture.
If they can’t stomach it, no need to apply.
The test — the first of its kind in the world — became compulsory Wednesday, and was made available at 138 Dutch embassies.
Taking the exam costs $420. The price for a preparation package that includes the film, a CD ROM and a picture album of famous Dutch people is $75.
“As of today, immigrants wishing to settle in the Netherlands for, in particular, the purposes of marrying or forming a relationship will be required to take the civic integration examination abroad,” the Immigration Ministry said in a statement.
After viewing the film, which is available in most languages, applicants are then quizzed on important Dutch factoids such as the number of provinces that make up the Netherlands; the role played by William of Orange in the country’s history; and Queen Beatrix’s monarchial functions.

There are some major exemptions. EU nationals, asylum-seekers and skilled workers who earn more than $54,000 per year will not be required to take the 30-minute computerized exam.
Also, citizens of the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan and Switzerland are exempt.

How do you think this would go over here??
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03-15-06, 10:13 PM
GarColga
I don't think this particular test would fly here, as I don't think most people that are already here would be too thrilled to see a couple of bondage-gear wearing guys making out. Interesting though, that MSNBC felt it was OK to use that particular illustration in it's story, and not the one of the topless woman emerging from the sea!

I think we need to change the inscription on the base of the Statue of Liberty, though. No more 'wretched masses'. 'Send us your talented, educated, charming people' would be more appropriate nowadays.

We definitely need to do something about our immigration laws. If we are really going to be serious about fighting terrorism. My gosh, I read that there are half a million men from the Middle East in our country that have jumped bail while waiting for their deportation hearings, whereabouts unknown.

I think a test of the same type would be appropriate, yes. Maybe hook them up to something like a lie-detector to gauge the truthfulness of their answers.

03-15-06, 10:18 PM
DorianGreyed
Many US citizens who were born here would have a problem passing such a test, at least in the area concerning knowledge of US history and the President's functions.

03-16-06, 08:50 AM
Rakuchild
Oh come now! Would a US culture test have nudity and gay love depicted? No, it'd be more along the lines of identifying televangelists and knowing which movie star has made the cover of "People" magazine the most.And applicants would have to successfully fill out a March Madness bracket. Big Grin

What makes the Dutch so certain Americans should be exempted from their test?

03-16-06, 09:50 AM
aminator2002
Two good friends from Pakistan are immigrating to the United States. They make a bet for $1. The bet is "who will be more American after a year in the country." The two friends agree to meet at a bar after a year to determine who wins the bet.

The one friend arrives to the bar in his brand new BMW and finds his friend sitting on a bar stool. He starts with "Hello my friend, I have clearly won this bet. After one year in the country I have a successful job, I own a house in the suburbs, I only eat McDonalds and pizza, my son is playing baseball and I love that Budweiser."

The friend replies "Screw you Towel head" and took the dollar.

That is really American.

03-16-06, 03:09 PM
FredPuli

quote:
Originally posted by frankvan:

There are some major exemptions. EU nationals, asylum-seekers and skilled workers who earn more than $54,000 per year will not be required to take the 30-minute computerized exam.
Also, citizens of the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan and Switzerland are exempt.



And what about the Norwegians? They are not in the EU ! Discrimination, I call it. Switzerland isn't in the EU either but is exempted. (Mind you, probably there's absolutely nobody in Norway earning less than $54,000 p.a. Big Grin)

Britain is working on a culture test too. Can't think the French will bother.They will assume that everyone knows of and expects to see pictures of bare breasted or naked women on covers of home, beauty, fashion and other magazines ,on billboards, on national morning TV etc, as well as live on beaches: everywhere, in fact.As for sexual matters there:in the summer our girl bought a magazine and found that the newsagent's plastic bag came with a free promo pack of condoms attached: in Britain we just get a logo on ours Big Grin

03-16-06, 03:20 PM
Scotty

quote:
The friend replies "Screw you Towel head" and took the dollar.

That is really American



Actually their headgear is really a little sheet,and not a towel. Since that is the case,they should be called "little sheet heads."

03-16-06, 07:33 PM
newnickname
Are you trying to tell us that you're a 'real American', Scotty? [Warning: irony test.]

I wonder why all of Canada is exempt. Maybe they should differentiate between rural and urban Canada.

I'm wondering why Japanese would be exempt, too. They're about fifty years behind the times when it comes to acceptance of gays over there. It does seem like some bureaucrat's half-baked plan to weed out fundamentalist Muslim terrorists, doomed to fail and become a laughing stock.

03-16-06, 08:20 PM
Sarai
Personally, I don't know how you could make a test like this for the US. The test is designed to see if you can "fit in." There is no such thing as "fitting in" in the US. You either fit in or else you're a misfit, and being a misfit is something a great many people in the US take great pride in. And really, which region of the US would we test for?

I think a test like that in the US would be completely absurd.

03-17-06, 07:22 AM
frankvan
I think newnick's got the right idea, that it was some bureaucrat's attempt to weed out fundamentalist muslim terrorists.

From the link: "Anti-immigration sentiment peaked with filmmaker Theo van Gogh’s murder by a Dutch national of Moroccan descent in November 2004".

03-17-06, 09:35 AM
aminator2002
In all fairness I think there should be a bit of a warning sent out to people if they are completely ignorant of the liberal attitude of the majority of Dutch, but would people that are planning to immigrate not know about the country? Amsterdam is a city where you will see 6' tall penis statues and street hawkers trying to pull you in for the "Banana Show" (and there are no monkeys involved). It's also a city where the prostitutes sit in windows along main streets and try to pull customers in. It's a city that is permissive to drugs that are illegal in the rest of the world. THe vast majority of the city is just a normal lovely, quiet place though... and there are a lot of Muslims.

I think rather than making people take a test there should be a contract as part of immigration that tolerance of the culture is important even if they don't agree with it. The test sounds absurd and I'm pretty embarrassed for the minister that passed it into law.

Any sort of test like this here would be equally embarrassing. It all seems very Nationalistic doesn't it?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DorianGreyed,