I was in a restaurant some years ago and saw a middle aged Caucasian woman having her dinner brought to her by a Hispanic woman, as the woman set the plate down she indicated the diner should be careful saying ‘caliente, caliente’. At the time I reflected how languages change, thinking that in a hundred years the word caliente would probably be a part of the English language, much as many French words became part of the English language. Language is plastic, it changes with time.

Now this is just a small part of the influence of Central or South American culture on the culture of the U.S., food, music, and fashion have also been affected.

In an uncertain world these changes are disconcerting for natives. Hispanics create large communities where they eat their own types of food, speak their own language. A native citizen can become afraid that soon they will become the outsiders, surrounded by a world which demands they adapt. A world which may be viewed as inferior. A world which imposes its will through sheer numbers. A native might easily fall back to racism in response to this. If only they would adapt to the culture they have come to, speak this language, adhere to these social norms, this is our country, that is what would be fair.

That, of course, ignores history. All immigrant groups followed the same trajectory this new wave of Hispanic immigrants has taken. But the children born here will speak English as their primary language. And while their culture has influenced ours, the new culture that results from that mix will still be predominantly what was here before they arrived.

The true danger of these attitudes on the part of natives, either here or in Europe, is that the future is working against them. Global warming will cause population movements that will dwarf what we have seen from economic integration, the allure of a better life, or war. When large swaths of the planet become essentially uninhabitable then the word “immigration” wont even suffice for what occurs.

Countries seeing an influx of people from other countries should consider themselves lucky at this point. What they are getting are middle class families, who can afford to escape war, or hard working individuals intent on sending money back home to less fortunate relatives. Soon that will change, everyone will come, those capable of integrating and willing to work hard, and those who are dependent and uneducated.

What would be ideal would be if their were a international consensus on where these people should go. Technically large areas of Russia and Canada will become far more habitable than they currently are, and both these countries have relatively small and stable populations. They should logically be in a position to absorb large numbers of climate refugees. Unfortunately the degree of global planning that would require doesn’t exist, and a country as xenophobic as Russia would be loath to accept such a plan.