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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Crossland, David. “Letter From Berlin:Xenophobia at the Heart of German Politics.” The Spiegel Online International. 01/02/2008. . 01/30/2010.
Summary and Commentary Crossland remarks on comments made from a conservative governor who was responding to an incident of an assault of a elderly pensioner, by two alleged “foreign youths.” Conservatives demanded a so-called ‘crackdown’ on “criminal foreigners.” This article does a good job of providing in depth analysis of the problem of widespread xenophobia…
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Racist Assault in Berlin: German Woman Pushes Angolan Man in Front of Train.” The Spiegel Online International. 3/3/2008. . 01/30/2010.
Summary and Commentary The caption to this article read, “A 19-year-old Angolan man in Berlin narrowly escaped death Sunday after he was pushed off a train platform in Berlin by a 20-year-old woman who reportedly called him a “shit nigger.” The article only comments that this appears to be related to the string of violence…
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“Border Trouble: Europe’s New Wall.” The Spiegel Online International. 4/6/2006. . 01/30/2010.
Summary and Commentary This article likens the immigration problem in Europe to the immigration hysteria of the U.S, so much as to call Spain the “California of Europe.” The fear of African invasion has even prompted discussion about the possible erecting of a wall between the two neighboring continents, more specifically between Spain and Morocco…
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“Six-Month Limits: EU Reaches Deal on Detaining Illegal Immigrants.” The Spiegel Online International. 4/25/2008. 01/30/2010.
Summary and Commentary Europe has demonstrated its ability to work together in united force. The EU debated for two years on a law that would make immigrant detention and deportation more consistent within the EU. Der Spiegel reports that, “In exceptional cases, illegal immigrants could be held for a maximum of 18 months, but most…
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“Christopher Caldwell on Muslim Integration’It’s Much Better If Things Are Discussed Openly.’” The Spiegel Online International. 12/23/2009.01/30/2010.
Summary and Commentary: The Spiegel online interviewed Christopher Caldwell, author of a recent book on Islam in Europe, who argued, according to Spiegel Online that, “taboos and wishful thinking prevent an honest discussion of the issue.” Caldwell suggested in the interview that Islamic discourse in Europe has been shaped primarily by fear and framed by…
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“Mediterranean Drama: Hundreds Feared Dead After Immigrant Boats Sink Near Libya.” The Speigel Online International. 03/31/2009. . 01/30/2010.
This article reports the tragic tale of what people from the undeveloped and underdeveloped world must go to because of failed economic plans and the inefficiency of development programs. Skilled labor is forced to go elsewhere in order to survive because industries in their native countries have been neglected.
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Hagen Rether ausländerfeindliche Stimmung und Hetze
Comedian Hagen Rether uses his act to inform as well as criticize politicians and the media on the topic of immigrants and integration in German society. Videos of his acts can be found here
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Translating Tawada: A Workshop with Susan Bernofsky
Thursday, Februrary 11, 5:00-6:30pm UC Berkeley, Dwinelle Hall, Room TBA Susan Bernofsky has translated the work of such authors as Robert Walser, Jenny Erpenbeck, and Yoko Tawada from German into English. This workshop will address practical, linguistic and theoretical perspectives on translation, with a particular focus on the inventive wordplay of Yoko Tawada.
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Was wir alleine nicht schaffen
About a year ago Xavier Naidoo’s song, “Was wir alleine nicht schaffen” (What We Can’t Do Alone) was posted on YouTube, since then over 400,000 people viewed the video and over 200 commented on it. Xavier Naidoo is a german pop/soul singer with a South African mother and Indian father who enjoys a very successful…
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Fast jeder fünfte hat ausländische Wurzeln
The article “Fast jeder fünfte hat ausländische Wurzeln” is a quick glimpse into the current demographic statistics in Germany with a focus on citizens with foreign roots. The article highlights the recent growth in this sector of the population by percentage of the German population at large; stating that since 2007 the percentage of foreigners…