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.
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Islam for the Diaspora
This article addresses the role of imams in Germany and anxieties that exist about the nature of Islamic instruction there. As German schools lack training in the Islamic faith, Muslim congregations have been importing imams. One Islamic organization that trains Turkish imams for service in Germany, Diyanet, represents those who would like Europe to develop…
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Homeschooling: German Family Gets Political Asylum in U.S.
This article is an update on a previously posted topic and discuses a German family that was granted asylum in the United states. The family wanted to homecshool their children, which is illegal in Germany and had refused to send their children to public school. They immigrated to the United States rather than a neighboring country,…
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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…
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The Best of (German) Turk Hip-Hop Top 10
Link to Video Here A compilation of Turkish German hip/hop rap songs, the video “the Best of (German) Turk Hip-Hop Top 10” displays a very stimulating presentation, from its title to the lyrics of the songs. Before the music even begins, the title of the video clip bears evidence of the national emphasis placed by…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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Turkey to join the EU?
Full Story Here The discussion of Turkey being included into the EU has generated varying viewpoints about the issue. Proponents of the idea contend that the inclusion of Turkey into the EU would help to restructure and stabilize the country. They also contend that the inclusion of Turkey guarantees the EU a link to Middle…
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Bewerber-Diskriminierung
This was an interesting article in the online addition of Der Spiegel where students sent fictitious resumes to German companies under a Turkish and a German alias. The study proved that discrimination existed in the job market regardless of qualification, though it was also counteracted by things like recommendations. Read the full article here.