Immigrants in Germany

German President to Speak Before Turkish Parliament


This article discusses the plan for German President Christian Wulff to address the Turkish Parliament. This is a significant trip for the President, because, despite the two country’s close ties, there has been a lot of controversy over the integration of various cultures into Germany, the largest group of which is Muslims from Turkey. One of the key players in the debate is Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor. She has made some divisive comments regarding the “failure” of Germany’s multicultural integration such as, “Those who want to take part in our society must not only obey our laws, but they must also master our language (para. 5).” The President on the other hand, has not adopted the same viewpoint, and is visiting Turkey to discuss issues pertaining to economics and social issues. One subject that will be avoided is that of the admittance of Turkey into the European Union, which is another sensitive topic.

The underlying factors that are being outlined in this article are the same issues that are faced among multicultural societies worldwide; things such as assimilation, and cultural diffusion, as well as ethnic stratification and subcultures. The immigrants in Germany face the same hardships and challenges as minorities elsewhere; they are often in neighborhoods that are of lower class, and lack the resources for things such as healthcare. Many of the immigrants do not speak the language upon their arrival to the country, and tend to associate with others who share similar ethnicities. Furthermore, often times they immigrate to an area where there are already some family and/or social ties, a phenomenon called “chain migration” (Parrillo, p. 40). All of these factors assist in creating ethnic subcultures throughout the nation, much like those that are seen throughout the U.S. Having just recently moved from Germany, I have seen many of these “Turkish neighborhoods” (as they are often referred to) firsthand. Generally they are areas of high crime and low income, a clear example of ethnic stratification. Not only are they pretty much exclusively populated with minorities, but even the shops and restaurants are reflective of the Turkish culture. We were even warned as “visitors” to the country (American military stationed there) to avoid these particular areas.

To further exacerbate the situation, there are many Germans who view the immigrants as people who move to the country only to take advantage of their system. Sadly, one man even published a bestselling book echoing these sentiments. According to the article, author Thilo Sarrazin published a book where he spoke of the immigrants in Germany “…particularly Muslims….” And how they “…sponged off the German welfare system or were unwilling to integrate (para. 8).” This mentality is detrimental to Germany’s efforts to integrate the minorities and create a multicultural society.

Aside from the differing ethnicities of those who immigrate to Germany, there is also concern over religious integration. The President will be discussing the possibility of organizing Mosques in Germany to help “…with the problem of integrating its four million Muslims, most of whom are of Turkish origin (para. 1).” Most of the German population currently practices Christianity or Catholicism. There are also some Universities who will be training “imams” to lead prayers in both languages.

There are some elements of cultural diffusion that are taking place in Germany. One example of this is the popular “doner” shops that are scattered throughout the cities. Doner kebabs are a Turkish sandwich made of lamb that is sliced off to order. These are extremely popular throughout the country. On the other hand, the rate of diffusion is slow and the evidence of diffusion is minimal.

Hopefully, the German President will continue to make significant measures to aid in creating a multicultural society in Germany, and those such as Mrs. Merkel and Mr. Sarrazin will silence the negative and racist comments. The issues that the country is facing in regards to their immigrant population are a constant theme in many societies today. Just as in America and elsewhere, immigrants to Germany are continually trying to assimilate, while still holding on to their own culture and values, a feat not easily achieved. Allowing racism and poverty to persist towards and among these minority communities will only hinder integration and assimilation into the society, thus negating Germany’s strive for a multicultural nation.

References:

Dempsey, Judy. "German President to Speak Before Turkish Parliament." NYTimes.com. The New York Times, 18 Oct. 2010. Web. 18 Oct. 2010. .

Parrillo, V.N.(2008). Understanding race and ethnic relations(pp.28). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.