F. W. de Klerk Quotes

I was born in South Africa during apartheid, a system of laws that made it illegal for people to mix in South Africa. And this was obviously awkward because I grew up in a mixed family. My mother's a black woman, South African Xhosa woman... and my father's Swiss, from Switzerland.

You know, I would like to ask to the other parts of Canada to respect the minority of the French Canadians.

We do not want the Quebec nation to disappear.

The very moment you understand that being a Muslim and being American or European are not mutually exclusive, you enrich your society. Promote the universal principles of justice and freedom, and leave the societies elsewhere to find their model of democracy based on their collective psychology and cultural heritage.

What I haven't apologised for is the original concept of seeking to bring justice to all South Africans through the concept of nation states.

When I was at school, you had to choose; there was a lot of pressure to assimilate. You were an Aussie, or you were one of 'the wogs' - which was everybody else. But I didn't want to be in either group, so I felt like an odd one out.

The Sami, as an indigenous people, as well as the Roma and other groups, have the right to maintain and develop their own language and culture.

The distinct society were asking for is not a society of privileged citizens. Is a society with a different culture, a society with a different legal system, a society with specific institutions.

All these nations and peoples of Europe and Asia will insist upon their independence and their own cultures.

The wind of change is blowing through the continent. Whether we like it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact.

… people should not be hindered from attaining development in accordance with their own culture.

Why is it that no African in the history of this country has ever had the honor of being tried by his own kith and kin, by his own flesh and blood?

The security and happiness of all minority groups in South Africa depend on the Afrikaner. Whether they are English- or German- or Portuguese- or Italian-speaking, or even Jewish-speaking, makes no difference.

I think living in the U.S. it has given me an outsider's perspective on South Africa, and something that makes South Africans shine is our warm heartedness, and how we welcome and accept everyone, we are truly a nation of community, who embraces diversity.

I've always considered myself a person of color.

South Africa is really diverse, with many cultures and 11 official languages, so there are lots of different Christmas traditions.

I was born in South Africa and lived there until I was 19.

Many of the most difficult questions concerning the role of ethnic minorities centers on language.

Since the 1960s, we have seen the failure of the melting pot ideology. This ideology suggested that different historical, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds could be subordinated to a larger ideology or social amalgam which is "America." This concept obviously did not work, because paradoxically America encourages a politics of contestation.

I believe Western culture - rule of law, universal suffrage, etc. - is preferable to Arab culture: that's why there are millions of Muslims in Scandinavia, and four Scandinavians in Syria. Follow the traffic. I support immigration, but with assimilation.

I'm sad because I want to bow out of my race and leave my beautiful identity? Chinese love Chinese. They love their little slant eyed, pale brown skinned babies. Pakistanis love their culture.Jewish people love their culture. A lot of Catholics want to marry Catholics because the want their religion to stay the same.

We're a spoiled, lazy culture, full of ethnic pride that has to have a parade for every nationality.

I am a Mexican that has been lucky enough to travel the world, speaking English, but with a heart that speaks a universal language.

The Liberals may blather about protecting cultural minorities, but the fact is that undermining the traditional definition of marriage is an assault on multiculturalism and the practices in those communities.

We don't want apartheid liberalized. We want it dismantled. You can't improve something that is intrinsically evil.