These are the sort of immigrants that give the rest of us a bad name. By saying this, I am in no way claiming that they have no right to free speech. I am, however, deeply troubled by their behaviour, and here’s why:
Let’s set aside the issue of homosexuality. Homophobes make my blood boil, but whatever. If people want to be hateful and stupid, that’s entirely their problem. If these people, however, are antagonistic to the larger community they live in, it becomes everyone’s problem.
Slavic Pentacostals were persecuted in the USSR and the Eastern Bloc. They* came to this country like most of us did, seeking a better life, and have set about living said better life by… persecuting others. I wish Stanley Kubrick were still around to make a film about this. The hypocrisy is staggering.
Also troubling is the vehemence they have against California in general. They way they keep talking about “sin” this and “sin” that makes me think that the Golden State is a giant prison, and they are its most unfortunate inmates. They want to blame the people of California for their inability to fit in. This is childish.
If you don’t want to be good neighbours, that’s entirely your problem.
*- No, I don’t think they all act like this, naturally. Just the particular community profiled in the article.
Natalia A. 
Some of the immigrants from the Eastern European countries are homophobes, a lot of them are racists, most of them are very patriarchal in their thinking and majority of them appear to be right-wing leaning politically. Those are just some of the reasons I try to stay away from the immigrants from my country. They speak my language, but we don’t understand each other. It never ceases to amaze me how these people claim to come here looking for freedom or escaping persecution, yet they have no problem lobbying to take away the freedoms of others, those who they deem unworthy. If this is not the classic case of hypocrisy I don’t know what is.
I think I was lucky in the sense that when I was growing up in Charlotte, the immigrant community around us was very nice. I think the biggest weirdos were a protestant fringe-group who reminded people of a cult, but they were a minority, and most of our protestant acquintances were far cry from the people portrayed in the article.
Every time I run into immigrants like that, I am first and foremost shocked.
Just because I am a Californian nitpicker–Florida is the Sunshine State. California is the Golden State.
Anyway, yes, this is quite disturbing. SH’s point about hypocrisy is really well illustrated here: “We hate government oppression of religious freedom and family values, whether in Russia or California,” Bondar said. “We just have more we can do about it in California.”
So–they hate oppression of religious freedom and family values, but want to use political process take away the rights of others to determine their own values in these areas? How does that make sense?
Haha! I was thinking which one was which, I always get confused. Thanks!
And thank you for your thoughts on this.
I’m a Russian from West Hollywood, a neighborhood the article mentioned. The fact of the matter is (and this is by no means an excuse) that most Russian immigrants come from a world where homosexuality is a huge, huge taboo. So, even the “progressive” Russians that are mentioned in the article (from West Hollywood, Richmond, Brighton, etc) aren’t really all that progressive. Sure, they don’t go out and march against homosexuality, but you can bet that the majority of them are homophobes behind closed doors (which is funny, given the fact that West Hollywood is home to a large homosexual community).
Their kids (i.e me and people in my generation) are “Americanized” in a lot of ways, and we are taught to be tolerant, regardless of our views on homosexuality (the core American value: “I don’t have to accept , but I have to be tolerant of it”).
Which brings me to my point. Most people (my age) in America take for granted that they grew up in a society that tries (albeit, not perfectly) to teach tolerance. So, when we see people who are from a different culture, and we don’t really understand how their culture has shaped their development, it is hard for us to understand how they can be so “hypocritical”.
I guess homophobia in Russians is just an extension of the Russian immigrant habit of bringing Russia to America. If you go to the Russian neighborhoods mentioned in the article, you’ll see that it’s almost like being transplanted to a different world. It’s like being in Odessa or Moscow. People don’t want to leave that stuff behind, and homophobia seems to come along with the culture they bring to the states.
Waving around hateful signs is too much, though.
1849. gold rush. I feel so insulted. gosh.
Geez, Napoleon.
Alex, you’re mentioning something that isn’t really specific to Russian and Eastern European immigrants, when you think about it. A lot of people fight “absorption” even after they move to a new country. I think striking a balance is always healthy in that situation. You don’t want to be someone you’re not, but you also don’t want to reject your environment and insult your neighbours.
Homophobia is a huuuuge issue where I come from. I’m tired of arguing with my parents about it. Then again, my parents don’t threaten or harrass gays, so there’s a big difference there.
agreed. i don’t know about other cultures… i just know what it’s like amongst my parents/grandparents and their generation… and they just don’t get it, and they never will, and i understand why… thats about it.