Germany's global village: in Berlin, especially, cultural diversity is on the rise.On a Friday afternoon, Sisoli Sambo, 15, bounds out of the French Gymnasium, a secondary school in Berlin, Germany's capital. The 10th-grader and her classmates Classmates can refer to either:
Sisoli is part of a new generation of Germans who represent true ethnic diversity. Such a mix is fairly new in a country that once persecuted "outsiders." Sisoli's mother, Manuela, is Portuguese-Angolan, and her father, Daniel, is German. Sisoli speaks Portuguese and German at home, and French in her courses at school. If it sounds very international, it is. "Being French, my school is especially multicultural," says Sisoli. "But I think it's like this in most other Berlin schools, too." Postwar Immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. After World War II ended in 1945, most of Germany lay in ruins. Since then, various waves of immigrants have come to this European country. The influx began in the late 1950s, when Italian and Turkish "guest workers" were recruited to help rebuild Germany's war-torn cities. In the 1970s, many Asians, particularly Vietnamese and Cambodians, came to Germany to escape wars and political strife in their homelands. Iranians and other Middle Easterners followed in the 1980s. In the 1990s, after the fall of the Soviet Union and Communism, immigrants from Russia and Eastern Europe Eastern Europe The countries of eastern Europe, especially those that were allied with the USSR in the Warsaw Pact, which was established in 1955 and dissolved in 1991. came in search of greater opportunities. Today, an estimated 7 million of the 82.4 million people who live in Germany are of foreign ancestry. Even the Jewish community in Germany has grown since the early 1990s, despite lingering reminders of the Holocaust (see World History, pp. 16-19). All along, the newcomers have caused uneasiness among many Germans. Germany never considered itself a country of immigrants, like the U.S., and immigration laws immigration laws npl → leyes fpl de inmigración immigration laws npl → lois fpl sur l'immigration immigration laws npl were vague for many years. Some ethnic groups, particularly Turks, were not happy about integrating into German society. Many sought to retain their own language and customs. Assimilation (absorption into a culture) and acceptance have come only recently. Turkish-Germans, for instance, are beginning to gain prominence as politicians and star athletes. East vs. West After the war, the Allied powers Allied Powers or Allies Nations allied in opposition to the Central Powers in World War I or to the Axis Powers in World War II. The original Allies in World War I—the British Empire, France, and the Russian Empire—were later joined by many , including the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union, occupied Germany in an effort to provide political stability. But quarrels between the former Allies soon caused a split into two separate countries, East Germany East Germany: see Germany. and West Germany West Germany: see Germany. . U.S., British, and French troops controlled the West (including West Berlin). In the East, the Soviet Union imposed a harsh Communist regime. In 1961, East Germany built a wall in Berlin to stop steady streams of its citizens from migrating west. East Germany's Communist government ruled until the Berlin Wall was torn down in 1989. At the time, Communism was failing in Eastern Europe. The dissatisfaction of many East Germans, after years of strict government control and poor living conditions living conditions npl → condiciones fpl de vida living conditions npl → conditions fpl de vie living conditions living , reached the breaking point. Today, the eastern part of Germany, with the exception of Berlin, has fewer immigrants than the west. In some eastern regions, non-Germans represent only 1 percent of the population. Racial incidents are higher in the east. This may be, partly, because of the higher unemployment rate there. Some Germans blame foreigners for "stealing jobs." Sisoli's early years were spent in the eastern city of Cottbus. When she was 10, she and her parents moved to Berlin, in part because the capital was more tolerant of ethnic diversity. "In Berlin, nothing bad happens to me," Sisoli tells JS. "But in Cottbus, sometimes people looked at me funny, or taunted me and my mom." Last year, at an outdoor festival south of the capital, Sisoli and a friend were beaten up by white youths with shaved heads. They may have been neo-Nazi skinheads Noun 1. skinheads - a youth subculture that appeared first in England in the late 1960s as a working-class reaction to the hippies; hair was cropped close to the scalp; wore work-shirts and short jeans (supported by suspenders) and heavy red boots; involved in attacks , members of a violent, racist subculture subculture /sub·cul·ture/ (sub´kul-chur) a culture of bacteria derived from another culture. sub·cul·ture n. . Officially Multicultural For years, people of foreign heritage who were born in Germany were not granted automatic citizenship. But recent laws have changed that. For instance, a child born in Berlin to Bosnian parents can now become a German citizen if at least one parent has legally resided in Germany for at least eight years. Another law provides for language instruction for prospective immigrants. Such developments may be a sign that Germany is officially accepting its role as an immigration- and integration-friendly country. "Integration is one of the major tasks and challenges of our time," German Chancellor Angela Merkel Angela Dorothea Merkel (IPA: [ˈaŋɡela doʁoˈteːa ˈmɛɐ̯kəl]) (b. (AHN-guh-lah MEHR-kul) recently told the German Parliament. Patrick Wiggins Patrick Wiggins (Born February 9, 1981) is a former Australian Rules footballer, who played for the Western Bulldogs in the AFL. He was recruited in the third round of the 1999 AFL Draft, selection number 35 overall, and made his debut in round 15 of the 2000 AFL season, but , 15, says that multiculturalism is already alive and well at his Berlin school. "Hardly anyone is just German in my school," says the ninth-grader, who was born in Berlin to a German mother and an African-American father. "Everyone's half-something." Patrick plays basketball and is a budding musician in Berlin's young hip-hop scene. "I feel more American than German, and a lot of my really good friends are African," Patrick tells JS. "I feel best with them." With his Brazilian friend, Diego, Patrick started a rap duo. Patrick raps in English and German, Diego in Portuguese. Patrick's father, Gary, is a blues saxophonist from Detroit. He makes videos and mixes tracks for the boys, who hope to perform live someday. Sisoli likes hip-hop, but prefers alternative rock. She attends concerts at places like Tacheles (TAKH-ah-liss), a community for artists and musicians in the center of the former East Berlin. One of Sisoli's closest friends is half-Algerian; another is half-Uruguayan. "For my generation, this is normal," Sisoli says. "Berlin is a little bit of everything. It's not divided. It's all inked, like a big network." This may be a surprising statement to make about a city that was long split by a concrete wall. But it is a testament to the global village that Germany has become. TEEN DIARY A REPORT FROM BERLIN "A Mix of Both" by Melissa Krammer, 14 I live with my mother and father in an apartment in the Wilmersdorf section of West Berlin. My mom, who was born in Argentina, has a Spanish background; my dad is German. I was born in Argentina. We moved to Berlin when I was 2 months old. I'm in the eighth grade. On weekdays, I go to school from 8 a.m. until either 1:30 or 2:30. After school, I study for two or three hours. Then I play tennis or do ballet. On weekends, I meet friends, and we shop at our favorite stores in West Berlin. I hope to be an actress or maybe a lawyer when I'm older, so I study hard, and never go to parties. I speak Spanish with my morn, German with my dad, and I learn French and English in school. Some of my friends are mixed--half-Polish, half-Iraqi--but others are just German. I set along with everyone. I don't feel more German or more Argentinean. I'm a mix of both! Words to Know * Allied powers: the United States and its allies, which opposed Germany, Japan, and Italy during World War II. * Communist: a government based on state ownership of land and businesses. The Communist Party Communist party, in China Communist party, in China, ruling party of the world's most populous nation since 1949 and most important Communist party in the world since the disintegration of the USSR in 1991. typically allows no opposition. * intergration: the inclusion of people of all races on an equal basis into society. Reading a Country Map Located in central Europe Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. In addition, Northern, Southern and Southeastern Europe may variously delimit or overlap into Central Europe. , Germany has more inhabitants
The game is based loosely on the concepts from SameGame. than any country on the continent besides Russia. After its defeat in World War II (1939-1945), Germany was divided into two separate countries, Communist-ruled East Germany and democratic West Germany. In October 1990, the two were reunited "Reunited" was a #1 hit in the United States in 1979 by the Washington, D.C.-based group Peaches & Herb. Preceded by "Heart of Glass" by Blondie Billboard Hot 100 number one single May 5 1979 Succeeded by "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer . Here are some key facts about Germany. Use them, and the map, to answer the questions below. FAST FACTS: AREA: 137,830 sq mi [about the size of Montana]. POPULATION: 82,400,000. GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary democracy parliamentary democracy Democratic form of government in which the party (or a coalition of parties) with the greatest representation in the parliament (legislature) forms the government, its leader becoming prime minister or chancellor. . Germany has a two-house elected legislature. The party that wins the majority of seats in the lower house of Parliament chooses the head of government, currently Chancellor [Prime Minister] Angela Merkel. ECONOMY: Germany is an affluent country whose economy is based on manufacturing. It is the world's third-largest automobile manufacturer. Modernizing and merging the economy of eastern Germany Eastern Germany refers to:
PER CAPITA [Latin, By the heads or polls.] A term used in the Descent and Distribution of the estate of one who dies without a will. It means to share and share alike according to the number of individuals. GDP GDP (guanosine diphosphate): see guanine. *: $31,400. ETHNIC GROUPS: German 91.5%; Turkish 2.4%; other 6.1% [mainly Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Crotian, Spanish]. LIFE EXPECTANCY Life Expectancy 1. The age until which a person is expected to live. 2. The remaining number of years an individual is expected to live, based on IRS issued life expectancy tables. : 76 years [males]; 82 years [females]. LITERACY: 99% [males]; 99% [females]. Source: The World Factbook 2006 [Central Intelligence Agency] * GDP stands for gross domestic product; per capita means per person. The amount is the value of all items produced by a country in a year, divided by the population. It often is used as a measure of a nation's wealth. Questions 1. What is the capital of Germany? 2. What type of land feature is found in most of northern Germany Northern Germany is the geographic area in the north of Germany. The native German concept of northern Germany is called Norddeutschland. Northern German States Norddeutschland is the geographic area of five German states:
3. The Elbe River Elbe River Czech Labe ancient Albis River, central Europe. One of the continent's major waterways, it rises in the Krkonoše (Giant) Mountains on the border of the Czech Republic and Poland and flows southwest across Bohemia. empties into which body of water? 4. Germany shares a land border with how many countries? 5. Which mountains form most of Germany's southern border? 6. Which city is closest to Berlin: Dresden, Hamburg, or Leipzig? 7. Which city on the map is located closest to 48[degrees]N, 12[degrees]E? 8. What is the second-largest ethnic group in Germany? 9. Who chooses the Chancellor [the head of government]? 10. The map shows the former border between which two countries? ANSWERS 1. Berlin 2. plains 3. North Sea 4. nine (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic Czech Republic, Czech Česká Republika (2005 est. pop. 10,241,000), republic, 29,677 sq mi (78,864 sq km), central Europe. It is bordered by Slovakia on the east, Austria on the south, Germany on the west, and Poland on the north. , Poland, Denmark) 5. Bavarian Alps Bavarian Alps A range of the Alps between southern Bavaria in Germany and the Tyrol in western Austria. It rises to 2,964.9 m (9,721 ft) at Zugspitze on the southern border of Germany. 6. Leipzig 7. Munich 8. Turkish (2.4 percent) 9. lower house of Parliament 10. West Germany and East Germany * Objectives Students should be able to: * understand that German society, not known for its racial mix, is becoming multicultural. * see how people of foreign cultures, especially teens, are fitting into a new Germany A New Germany is the first episode of the 1973 Thames Television documentary series The World at War. It covers Germany from 1933 to 1939 and includes interviews with Hugh Greene and Ewald von Kleist. . * Words to Know * Gymnasium: in Germany, a state-sponsored secondary school that prepares students for college. * neo-Nazi: any one of a broad range of people and beliefs that advocate racist policies associated with the Nazis. (Neo means "new.") * Critical Thinking COMPREHENSION: What are some of the reasoils foreigners have moved to Germany? (to rebuild the country's cities; to escape wars and political strife; to find greater opportunities) RECOGNIZING PARALLELS: Keeping World War II in mind, how do you think Germany's struggle to assimilate foreigners might be the same or different from that of the U.S.? What history has each had to overcome? (Answers may cite: Germany's persecution of Jews
The persecution of Jews has been a constant feature in Jewish history. Persecution by Christians
* Activity HALF-SOMETHING: "Everybody's half-something," says German/African-American Patrick Wiggins in the story. Is this true for your class? Do any students consider themselves half-something? What are the halves? Do you identify more strongly with one, or with both equally? What problems and/or benefits come with being half-something? STANDARD SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5-8 * Culture: The face of Germany is changing to include different races and traditions. RESOURCES * Blashfield, Jean F., Germany (Children's Press, 2003). Grades 5-8. * Epler, Doris M., The Berlin Wall: How It Rose and Why It Fell (Lerner Publishing, 1992). Grades 7 & up. WEB SITES * Germany Info germany.info * German History in Documents and Images germanhistorgdocs.ghi-dc.org QUICK QUIZ * Use a word from this list to correctly complete each sentence. airplanes, automobiles, Berlin Wall, Chancellor, citizens, Communist, democratic, emigrants, immigrants, multicultural, nuclear energy, President Rhine River Rhine River German Rhein River, western Europe. Rising in the Swiss Alps, it flows north and west through western Germany to drain through the delta region of The Netherlands into the North Sea. It is 820 mi (1,319 km) long and navigable for 540 mi (870 km). , Secretary of State, Soviet Union 11. Until 1989, the government of East Germany was--. 12. Today's German capital was once divided by the--. 13. Changes in law have allowed German-born children of foreign-born parents to become--. 14. Angela Merkel is Germany's--. 15. Germany is a major exporter of--. ANSWERS 11. Communist 12. Berlin Wall 13. citizens 14. Chancellor 15. automobiles by Kimberly Bradley in Berlin |
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