Becoming a German, What does it Mean?
This article was particularly relevant and interesting to me because it addressed the issues of minorities in European countries, in a population that is predominantly white. I think it is a common belief that in this day in age racism and prejudice have only occurred in history, but there is always inequity between white and minority. I was so surprised to learn that there are some regions in Germany where minorities genuinely fear for their safety, especially considering Germany's past. I can personally relate to being a minority, growing up as a Latina in a predominately white suburb in Vancouver, WA; I have always had to work a little harder to dispel the stereotypes strangers have towards me, whether it be as a student or merely just a member of my community.
Why does Germany discourage the acceptance of minorities, despite their history? What needs to happen for this minorities' rights movement to be successful?
The Nation Form
I was very intrigued by the claim made that nations are never the final product, they will always evolve and change. I think this statement has the power to be so profound because it leaves room for growth and it leaves hope perhaps to minorities in their oppressed countries. I had never really given thought to the question "what is a nation and how does it form?" A nation can be described as a physical boundary or a group of people that hold common beliefs. A nation's identity is produced by the projection of individual identities. This sparked questions in me about what the purpose of a nation is and the role it plays in everyday life. I found it very interesting when reading how ethnicity is defined, I find it kind of comical how in every survey that I have taken when asked my ethnicity the only two options are Hispanic and Latino OR Not Hispanic of Latino. I do think that language plays such an important role in ethnicity because it unites a group of people. If I am put into a group of people and we all have the same race and all these common factors, unless there is a common language there will be no unity.
What is the difference between a state and a nation? How do different definitions of ethnicity and race affect the ability to define a national identity?
I thought the article discussing "What does it mean to be German" provided a fascinating summary of social problems in Germany. I too was so surprised that Germans would have any hint of national identity prejudice after their tumulus (to say the least) history! My response to this article was to question what influence policy or institutions have on keeping minorities in cycles of discrimination. I think it would be interesting to compare the Spanish case and the United States case to the German case to see how each country has built institutions and policies to promote or discriminate against minorities.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, I liked the questions you presented at the end of your response on "The Nation Form". I think in the United States, the majority of the country has come to the conclusion that defining yourself by one identity is not necessary. This comes with the territory of being a heterogenous "state" and I think is a healthy outlook on nationality. However, Germans, whom have struggled with the idea of nation for years, obviously have not been able to figure out if a German state is homogenous (which in the past has been disastrous) or heterogeneous. I think that by looking at the policies and institutions of the German state one might be able to discern why certain patterns of discrimination exist and which way the country might be moving.