Despite we have confrontational opinions here, we appreciate your topic. Seriously. Hearing a different opinion is always worth. But I think we should not go deeper because it's not for our
current forums. You must agree that not me, not you actually didn't take part in WWII, nor in war in Abkhazia. Every information we get, comes from TV, Internet, mass media, books and can not be trusted
a priori, because it can't be validated by the modern individual. But then you also must agree any information can be faked. And
it is faked. There is war of information around us. Everywhere, right now. The only true comes from belief. You believe in your country, I believe in what I feel by heart. No problem.
Answering questions:
Guy from USA:
Why do the Russians that live in Latvia refuse to assimilate into Latvia?
You don't have to say for all Russians living here. Most of them already got the citizens passport, which actually gives them the freedom of relocation in European Union. Actually it's the only con which Latvian passport gives. Also, as you might know, we already have the immigration law improved which allows to get Latvian citizenship following some financial conditions. So everybody is allowed to use this, and it is used.
Answering for those people who are "refusing to assimilate", let's imagine the following: you are now 40-50 years old. The most active part of life is gone. Your brain doesn't work that good as when you were 20, and the memory, too. As you might know, the older you get, the harder is to learn new things. I know a man 55-years old who tried to solve the theoretical auto driving exam. It took 15 attempts for him. If you would be 20, it takes 1 attempt. Just to compare.
Assimilation exam is the same. You must know the language better than any Latvian, you must know the history which is fake, in very deep details. And the same time most Latvians didn't hear about their ancestor,
Edward Leedskalnin, who built the coral castle in Florida, which is NOT fake; but they bravely rewrote the history of WWI and WWII.
For people who devoted their lives to this country, it is
humiliating. Additionally, for most of them it's really difficult. There are no so many advantages comparing to how many nerves they should kill. It's all the question of advantages and disadvantages.
And until they don't have the citizenship, they could much more easily travel to Russia or Belarus, those countries give some advantages to the huge Latvian "non-citizens" army, or like they are called "Negroids", by an s-word in America. Somebody likes Europe, somebody loves Russia. That's all.
It's truly not their problem. It's political problem, in general. And this problem will come out sooner or later in more critical points.
Guy from USA:
Why do Russians living in Latvia refuse to embrace Latvia as their country and still identify themselves as Russians and not Latvians?
It's hard to explain for a person which doesn't come from a
Nation. Do you really
feel some of your deep ancestors roots?
Then come to Bosnia and say: why don't you want to become Bosniaks? Or come to your black neighbor and ask: why don't you want to become white? My answer would be the same... Russians are Russians, Latvians are Latvians, and we all live on the same bridge. Such questions always suck because we need to give ourselves completely other questions. Such questions destroy the country.
Guy from USA:
Why do some Russians that live in Latvia refuse to learn the Latvian language?
Ok, this time I liked the word "some". I already answered above: partially because most of such Russians are over the age when you can easily adopt a new language. I suppose everybody living in Latvia for years, knows the Latvian language even without big learning. Specially youth. Everybody understands Latvian here.
But the most important in any communication, I think, is not to know the language like it would be your native (this is what Latvian politicians are pressing on). Important is that two persons can understand each other. You can speak English, and I will understand you, despite I can't speak English that well. Somebody speaks Latvian, and despite I can't speak Latvian well, I will answer in Russian, and the person will understand me, too. That's how the human law formula should work. Without giving such confrontational questions like you give.
On another hand, Russian is
Wikipedia:
the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe.
Latvian is
Wikipedia:
the official state language of Latvia. It is also sometimes referred to as Lettish. There are about 1.4 million native Latvian speakers in Latvia and about 150,000 abroad.
So, doesn't your question sound funny now, huh?..
Ask any person which language he prefers to study. The language which is spoken by a little tribal group, or language which is spoken by the whole Eurasia? It's a fact: put a Latvian baby in a Russian
kindergarten, and in a few months s/he will speak Russian. Then put a Russian baby in a Latvian kindergarten, and in a few months all kids will speak Russian.
Russian language is the majority. Russians are majority. I don't need any proofs of that. I don't need to chew your tellings like
Guy from USA:
if the USA wouldn't have opened up a second front in WWII, Germany would have easily won that war too
Oh common. Russians won this war.
If there wouldn't be a Russian spirit, not if USA wouldn't have opened a front.
Now I think you may understand why questions like you gave me, do not have sense...