TRANSIT BLOG

TRANSIT Blog was formerly part of the Multicultural Germany Project (MGP), which we are now merging with Transit Journal. Founded in 2001 by the German Department at UC Berkeley, MGP served as a research collaborative and continuously updated archive of migration, supported by the tireless energy and willpower of our very own Deniz Göktürk and UC Berkeley’s graduate students. Our blog includes reactions to current events and news, research materials, and teaching resources. Maintained mainly by students at Berkeley, the blog provides a window into our activities and campus discussions. We hope that TRANSIT Blog continues to serve as a resource and forum for both aspiring and continuing professionals in German Studies and its adjacent fields; we welcome contributions of short thought-pieces of ca. 1000-1500 words year-round. If you would like to contribute your own blog post or other materials (in English or German), please contact us at transitjournal@berkeley.edu.

  • It’s Time For Turkey To Snap Out Of Its Self-Delusion

    Conflict ensues over the establishment of Turkish high schools to promote integration in Germany.  Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is putting pressure on German politicians to “see the signs of the times,” having recently lobbied for the Turkish diaspora to promote Turkish interests in their respective countries.  The full article can be read here.…

  • Germany and Britain give strong backing to Iran sanctions

    This article discusses German chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to support stronger sanctions against Iran regarding their nuclear program. Merkal along with British prime minster Gordon Brown met in England, and they both agreed that stronger sanctions against Iran were necessary in order to curb the nation’s nuclear aspirations. They hope this decision will spur other…

  • Islam for the Diaspora revisited

    In this Der Spiegel article religious scholar Rauf Ceylan discusses the role of the imam in Germany. He advocates for a “homegrown” imam who can modernize the religion and its practice in a new nation. As imams are currently imported from abroad for four-year periods, Islamic leaders are not fully equipped to lead a German…

  • International Right-Wingers Gather for EU-Wide Minaret Ban

    An upcoming conference to be held in Germany this weekend seeks to discuss the possibility of an EU-wide minaret ban. The conference, hosted by the German right-wing group called Pro-NRW, will be attended by other conservative parties from throughout Europe as they gather to “discuss the dangers of Islam.” Members of such parties see minarets…

  • Germany’s Favorite Fast Food – Kebab!

    Full Article Here This article examined the Turkish-German industry of Kebab and fast food in Germany. The article mostly concentrated on the enormous profits that Turkish food and Kebabs offer the German economy.  Stating that the Kebab industry may be worth 2.5 billion Euros, but had never been honored with its own convention until now.…

  • Fast jedes vierte Kind in Tageseinrichtungen mit Migrationshintergrund

    The article “Fast jedes vierte Kind in Tageseinrichtungen mit Migrationshintergrund” is a quick overview of the rising percentage of children in Bavaria that have at least one non-German parent. The account reports that 24.8% of children attending preschool in the state of Bavaria have migrant roots. The statistics presented in this article should not, however,…

  • “Merkel offen fuer tuerkische Schulen in Deutschland” (Merkel is open towards Turkish schools in Germany)

    The article “Merkel offen fuer tuerkische Schulen in Deutschland” (Merkel is open towards Turkish schools in Germany) talks about how chancellor Angela Merkel met with Minister-President Erdogan in Turkey this past week. They discussed the topic of Turkish schools in Germany, stating that schools in which Turkish is taught already exist in Germany. This offering…

  • Teach First makes the grade in Germany

    Similar to the United States’ “Teach for America” program, Germany’s “Teach First” organization focuses on improving the education of challenged, mostly low-income schools.  Graduates from elite Universities who wish to give back to the community are placed almost as (it seems to me) communication teachers – bridging the gap between the students, mostly from multicultural…

  • “No” to dual citizenship

    German-born children of foreign parents will have to choose between citizenship in their birth country and their parents’ country. The article on immigration talks about three German states that proposed to allow German-born children of foreign parents to keep dual citizenship, but were denied. Chancellor’s conservative position on immigration is in line with her earlier…

  • Gender Gap in Germany

    This article highlights the growing wage gap between women and men in Germany. According to this article women on average earn about 23% less than their male colleagues. This number is 5% higher than EU’s average, and somewhat higher than that of last year. This article suggests that many believe that reducing the gender pay…