Fringe Voices Texts by and about Minorities in the Federal Republic of Germany

by Harnisch, Antje; Stokes, Anne-Marie; Weidauer, Friedemann

• ISBN13: 9781859731321
• ISBN10: 1859731325
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-01-01
• Publisher: Berg Pub Ltd

Summary

Since German unification, there have been many reports about xenophobia in Germany and the government has attempted to stem the new wave of racism. In contrast, the voices of the victims of racism -- refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants -- are seldom heard. This first anthology of essays by significant writers from minority groups in Germany -- Turks, Afro-Germans, German Jews, Eastern Europeans and others -- sheds new light on the diverse experiences of minority groups living in Germany today. It also introduces to English-speaking audiences innovative literary talents whose contribution to German culture has not yet received the attention it deserves. Students of contemporary German culture who wish to increase their understanding of the changing nature of German society will find this book invaluable. It will also be of interest to anyone following the rise of xenophobia in Germany, its possible causes, and the changing politics of immigration.

Author Biography

Antje Harnisch is a Assistant Professor of German,at The College of Wooster.

Anne-Marie Stokes is Previously Visiting Assitant Professor of German, Union College, now at the University of Glasgow.

Friedemann Weidauer is on the faculty of the University of Connecticut.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgment	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
Germany, not a Country of Immigration?	p. 3
Germany as a Multicultural Society: Legal Challenges, Ideological Shifts and Socioeconomic Realities	p. 9
Minority Literature and its Role in a Multicultural Society	p. 16
German Jews: Living in a Double Diaspora	p. 23
Playing Ass	p. 31
Zionism	p. 35
The Underling	p. 43
Why I Am Leaving This Country	p. 47
Heimat? No, Thanks!	p. 57
Afro-Germans: Black and German - a Paradox?	p. 75
An 'Occupation Baby' in Postwar Germany	p. 80
Caught among Germans	p. 89
The Year 1990. Homeland and Unity from an Afro-German Perspective	p. 105
East German Black	p. 120
Ethnic Germans from Eastern Europe: Strangers in Their Own Home	p. 123
The Identity of a Minority is Reflected in its Language	p. 128
The Apparent Patience of the Line	p. 135
Multicultural	p. 141
The Funeral Speech	p. 145
And Still Our Heart Is Frightened	p. 149
Does That Rat Poison Taste Good?	p. 163
Guest Workers: Permanent Guests or Temporary Residents?	p. 171
Dead Soul Costs 200 Marks	p. 175
The Flying Tree	p. 187
The Last Words of the Migrant Rat	p. 194
After Yesterday	p. 198
Integration, a Thought Consisting of Seven Theses	p. 200
The Cafe Tales of Abu al Abed	p. 207
Margarita's Diary	p. 218
Turks in Germany: From German Turks to Turkish-Germans	p. 219
Karagoz in Alamania/Blackeye in Germany	p. 224
Terrible Times under Dursun	p. 234
My Two Faces	p. 238
Women are Property and Honour	p. 241
Putting Obstructions in Young Turks' Way	p. 243
You Will Never Be Able to Learn This Language	p. 245
I Thought I Was in Hell	p. 247
I Played a Role	p. 249
Mother Tongue	p. 252
Germany - a Heimat for Turks?	p. 256
Not an Oriental (Fairy) Tale	p. 264
Zarathustra's Wounded Children	p. 272
Selected Bibliography	p. 279
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