I definitely can’t comment on what your situation looks like to you directly, but where I live, I find your description of nothing but “lil Istanbuls” in the “inner cities” to sound super suspicious. Gross, honestly.

In the US that’s roughly the exact sentiment (not far from exact words, truly!) that the most egregious Trump supporters spew everywhere they can. To be clear, these folks rarely visit a city in any capacity and will often tell stories for weeks when they do. All the while getting themselves worked up enough to collect legitimate small arsenals (not hypothetical “har har, Americans”, I’ve known many people young and old like this).

I dunno. I can’t see what it looks like from your eyes, fundamentally. But are you sure you’re as unwelcome as you think in the immigrant shops, or even shopping areas/neighborhoods? I randomly pop into whatever vaguely or strongly “ethnic” shop or restaurant and never have a bad time. Pretty often have some fantastic times! Just go shop there and let yourself be (a little) vulnerable and clueless, is the advice I’d give my lost warped countrymen.

Sounds like you’re describing a different desired experience, I don’t mean to be TOO reductive, but idk. Cultural integration can work both ways, it’s fun and dope to learn and enjoy what other people like, might be my single favorite experience on Earth 🤙

Yeah, I’m in the US and what you described matches the experience here too.

One major point though, the physical locations still have to pay humans, in my community, to operate. It’s not much, but these days I consider it roughly a moral duty to do what I can to force companies to spend money on employees.

And then otherwise at our house we just buy more and more stuff second hand. Quality in everything is trash anymore, even just packaging is barely functional trash these days. Everything you open destroys itself, including stuff that’s supposed to reseal with a zipper, like a bag of cheese. Gotta make line go up!

Bought something from AliExpress last week. Showed up in an Amazon box 😐 Aggravating that the only way to avoid them is apparently to never shop online. I already mostly don’t, but sheesh.