Speak German or Sweep the Schoolyard: A Social View on the Integration of Children in Germany”
Although Lucinda Martin’s work article serves as a voice for many immigrants living in Germany, I have to side with the German government on many of the points addressed in this article, especially the notion that “language is the key to integration.” Martin’s article begins with the situation at The Hoover School in Berlin. This […]
Turks in the New Germany
This article presents a new viewpoint on the lasting identity problem faced by the Turkish population living in Germany. As a third generation of Turkish Germans comes of age, the problems of identity, integration and acceptance into German society is still a problem for many of the young, in a more precise way, “German Turks.” […]
At Home in the New Germany? Local Stories and Global Concerns in Yüksel Yavuz’s Aprilkinder and Kleine Freiheit
Kraenzle’s article begins with a discussion about the rise of Turkish-German cinema within the past decade and the common sentiment during the 1990s that it was the successor to the New German Cinema of the 1970s, due to the common social themes they address about marginalized individuals. Kraenzle, however, warns against drawing this direct link. […]
Lamerica
In Lamerica (1994), Gianni Amelio challenges cultural and national essentialism by dismantling the imagined border that separates Italian identity from Albanian identity. The film is set in year 1991, where post-communist Albania is in poverty and thousands of Albanians are desperate to cross the border for a better life in Italy. But without an Italian […]
A Helpful Guide to Germany
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/german/ Created and sponsored by the BBC, this cultural portal provides web browers with up-to-date information about current events and the weather in Germany along with interesting articles about German culture and food for foreigners. In addition the website contains German phrases and travel arrangements for individuals seeking to visit Germany. And for those curious enough to […]
Böhmer calls for Germany to recognize foreign credentials
Integration commissioner Maria Böhmer has called for a concentrated effort to provide the 1.9 million foreigners in Germany who receive welfare with better career prospects. Aside from suggesting that immigrants need to be more willing to integrate she recognizes that many qualified immigrants are not able to work in their professional fields because their degrees […]
The Kite Runner
Based on the novel written by Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner beautifully illustrates the Islamic traditions and class customs of Afghanistan along with emphasizing the cultural conflict which can occur when Middle Eastern immigrants migrate to the Western World. Through Marc Forster’s exquisite directing, primarily in his use of normal lens filming, eye-level camera angles, […]
Second-Generation Turkish Immigrants in the United States and Germany: Dilemmas of Cultural Identity in Crossing Over: Comparing Recent Migration in the United States and Europe
Arguing that immigrants’ origin culture is not the main obstacle to integration, Zeynep Kiliç compares the experiences of second-generation Turkish immigrants in America and Germany. She observes high levels of integration in Turks living in New York, proving that Turkish culture is not incompatible with Western values as it appears to be in Germany. The […]
Sleep Dealer
The film Sleep Dealer wonderfully accentuates and mirrors labor realities taking place near the Mexican-American border. The futuristic sense of the film shows the possibilities of how maquilladora labor can be exploited. The journey of the main character to the “node center of Mexico,” Tijuana, shows the harsh reasons why people leave their hometown village […]
Infectious Diseases before and after German Unification: Trends in Mortality and Morbidity
This article examines disease trends in Eastern and Western Germany after their reunification. The patterns of disease proved to be extremely complex, but deep analysis revealed some interesting nuggets of data. The article demonstrates the ways in which the differences in the social structure in East and West Germany ended up affecting the health of […]