It’s 2 a.m. and we walk towards the bright lights that shine NARGILE. Everything is bright here. Neon lights flashing and lamps of every shade of glass adorn the outside porch as if this café was a beacon of light, a safe haven from the darkness that had settled outside.
Should I?
Everyday, as I walked the streets of Istanbul, old and young sat together smoking from this mysterious contraption. Relaxed. So relaxed they looked and I wanted to try it all the more.
NARGILE. NARGILE.
Like everything else in Turkey, the inside décor was overly done, The plush and colorful sofas, the pillows of every size and shape, the ornate rugs all beckoned us in like sirens to sit and enjoy.
I had never inhaled smoke of any kind before, unless it was second hand, so I sat on the plush sofa anticipating the unknown. Tired and fatigued, I leaned on the others…half delusional from exhaustion.
Across from me the view of a mosque glowed a yellowish gold and it looked surreal. Fake. It was a painting that was etched into the night sky to pose as reality. The sirens were playing tricks on my eyes. I stared and rubbed my tired lids. Open. Close. Open. Close. Still a surreal image. It was as if I could hold out my hand and be certain I would be touching a canvas smooth with dry paint. I held out my hand but only touched air, cool air that lightly wisped and caressed the palm of my hands and in between my fingers.
I touched nothing.
On our table a tray of delicious fruits and nuts were arranged in a way that called us to eat one or else the fruit would overflow into our laps and onto the floor, wasted. Cold water, unopened, placed right in front of us, only a hand reach away.
“You eat or drink and you have to pay,” states one of my friends. Jarring me back into reality, I don’t touch or eat but just stare. A very good marketing strategy.
The server approaches us wearing a sparkly red vest and a white collared t-shirt. The sparkly red vest attracts my attention as he waits for our choice of nargile. Of course, his outfit has to stand out but why in such a cheap way? Where were the authentic Turkish waiter outfits, if there is such a thing. I felt our server was an impersonator.
Istanbul, a beautiful city overflowing with history from every corner also seemed like a city that was cloaked with a façade. A façade that wasn’t Istanbul. Istanbul the impersonator, Istanbul the appeaser, Istanbul the fake. Where was the real Istanbul? Were the restaurants adorned in red and crystal chandeliers the real Istanbul? What about the building all decorated in white with huge light fixtures spanning the ceiling that housed synthetic flowers—was that the real Istanbul?
Melon. Melon was the choice of nargile and as that same waiter brought out the contraption and prepared the nargile, my fleeting thoughts of “real” Istanbul disappeared in the air like the puffs of smoke that dissolved and became one with the night. Invisible.
The pipe started to be passed around and the world began to be a haze of melon smelling smoke.
How is this done?
Just inhale and let it sit in your mouth, then breathe out.
My turn. I take the pipe and place it gingerly to my mouth.
Inhale.
The taste of sugary artificial melon sits on my tongue and the smoke settles in the back of my mouth near my throat.
Breathe. Out.
I feel nothing. No coughing. No tingly sensations. Nothing.
This isn’t too bad at all.
The pipe is passed around, once, twice, until I lose count and I feel like a pro, deeply inhaling and breathing wisps of smoke that would float up, up, up and away, disappearing into the night. Sometimes I would breathe out the smoke all at once, in a stream, like the smokers in their designated areas, quickly trying to smoke their cigarette before they briskly go on their way. Sometimes I would slowly let the smoke unwind from my mouth and let it curl every which way upward and out until a thick filmy haze would cloud my vision.
Then it hit me. My shoulders began to relax. My head began to feel heavy. And a weird sensation settled within my chest and crawled its way upward to the back of my neck. I kept on smoking until I realized that this weird sensation was getting stronger.
The back of my neck began to tug upwards and my head began to settle downwards and no matter how plushy the sofa was, how shiny the lamps were, how enticing the fruit was, this uncomfortable feeling would not go away. Fresh air did nothing. I reached out for a container of water. O, right. I have to pay for this water. I laid my head back to try and calm the whirl of motion that suddenly overcame me.
I knew it. I knew I was being tricked by someone, something, maybe the Sirens. I was tempted by the neon lights and now trapped in a haze of confusion and dizziness. The mosque in the moonlight was really a painting. The server was an impersonator and I was sitting in fake Istanbul.
I left fake Istanbul and made my way home where upon reaching my room I began to gag. Heaving, convulsing, I threw up an orangish yellow mixture of beyti kebap, chicken pudding, icecream, and cookies. I flushed and watched the blob of ugly color swirl down the drain. I stood up and the heavy sensation did not leave me, unsatisfied, I wiped my mouth, washed my red and pained face, crawled into my bed and stumbled into the sheets.
The world was heavy. My breathing was heavy. My head was heavy and in the uncomfortable weightiness of my body and mind, I fell asleep wishing for the refreshing clarity of morning to come quickly so I could swiftly escape into reality.
Today I felt the feeling. The feeling I was waiting for. Always described by other people's lips but never from mine.
Enchanting buildings Crumbling buildings Intimidating buildings Beautiful buildings Rustic buildings All densely packed together Creating an unforgettable landscape.
Alleyways filled with cafes as the old and the young read, chat, and sit. Up above, grape vines entwined in the rooftops lush grapes dangling down, so enticing, the taste of sweet fruit lingers in my mouth.
The slums, the smell of sewage fill my nostrils and the sight of trash strewn all along the paved walkway as tired old men sit on the curbs sell their wares snapped forever in memory.
Enchanting Turkish children, toothless smiles, mischievous grins, innocent eyes Crowded streets crammed with cars and people weaving in and out like a live mosaic, its pieces moving together, playing its story out before my eyes.
That inexplicable feeling that something has changed. That feeling. That lifechanging feeling.
First night in the city, I was tired but not yet sleepy. I look outside my window in the kitchen area of our dorm and I stop. I was captivated by the view.
The tops of beautiful mosques and its minarets dot the landscape.
Below me an alleyway, a certain enchanting rustic feeling emanates from these old buildings—the lone chair in the street, the rotting wood, chipped bricks, and rickety rooftops—created a picture that I have only seen in movies and picture books.
One window to my left was lighted brightly and inside,two bakers were preparing their dough for the morning ahead. Mind you this was 2 a.m. in the morning. One of the bakers noticed me staring out at them from the window and waved. I waved back. Hello Baker.
So today I had the fortunate chance to chat with Professor Markus and talk to him about this idea of German nationality.
My research project focuses on trying to figure out what it means to be German and, probably, most specifically what it means to be a Berliner and how German identities are influenced by cultural diversity, more specifically minorities or immigrant communities.
When Mischa came as a guest speaker during Spring Quarter he said that Germany was probably one of the foremost countries that would embrace this "European" identity, implying that German's national identity is weak or is weakening. If German's national identity is supposedly weakening, more specifically in Berlin, wouldn't that also mean that they are more inclined towards cultural diversity and embracing difference? The possibility of embracing a supranational identity transcends boundaries and calls for, should I say... a more international or global identity...although I'm still not sure what that exactly means as it can mean several different things for several different people, I naturally thought that Germany would be more culturally aware.
But my first week in Berlin, as I have talked about out in my "ni hao ma" blog entry, everyone thought I was Chinese and my fellow Asian peers have noticed being stared at when we go out because we are different. I point this out because I came to Berlin assuming that Berlin would be a very culturally integrated and diverse city. However, Markus said that, in fact, Berlin is not as multicultural as cities such as Frankfurt and as Germany's immigration policies have shown, integration of minority communities/ immigrants are problematic and is an issue that Germany is currently having.
What I would like to clarify and correct from my earlier "ni hao ma" post is that rather than Berlin lacking cultural sensitivity it is more of the lack of exposure to difference. The confrontation of differences is relatively a new emergence and it is an important issue that is trying to be addressed. I must also emphasize that America is not perfect, it is actually far from perfect and racial issues is still a huge problem that needs to be tackled. The difference however, which was mentioned by Markus as well as a friend of Sam Lim's named Steffen, is that America is confronted by difference all the time and cultural diversity is an issue we freely and openly talk about. Whereas in Europe this is not so. Markus said that Europeans do not like to talk about race and when confronted with difference, they acknowledge it but do not discuss it.
That being said. This leads me to think about the concept of the "Europeanization" of Germany where the identity of being European is favored over an individual's national identity. Markus states that there are of course extremes, but he said that academics and intellectuals are more inclined towards grasping a European identity than a German national identity. He also stated that Germany is one of the most progressive countries in leaning towards this European identity although that, by no means implies that they can possibly lose their national identity. However, what I find difficult to understand is what this "European identity" really means. Although the concept of being "European" rather than being German or Italian or French sounds like a truly international and global concept, to me it still sounds limiting. What are the implications of saying one is European? What I mean by "limiting" is this feeling that this "European" concept just creates different boundaries that imply the sectioning off of Europe from others. But one must still acknowledge that this is a very big step forward from the boundaries of nation states.
Trying to figure out this European identity leads me back to the issue that migration and the influx of different bodies is a relatively new phenomenon in Germany as well as other European countries. Like Markus pointed out, exposure to difference is not only new but a growing and urgent issue. So does this European identity include different European national identities as well as those ethnic identities that are not familiar to the continent? Such ethnicities that come from the Middle East, East Asia, SE Asia, Africa and so on?
With Berliners being confronted by waves of immigration and cultural diversity is a relatively new phenomenon, how ready are they to accept a supranational identity? In what ways is Germany more progressive than other European countries in this regard?
A slough of more questions accompany this question which I have to write out so I don't lose them swimming around in my head.
What does it mean to be German? More specifically a Berliner and how salient is this so called German national identity when it comes in confrontation with diversity. Furthermore, what does this say about the embracing of a "European" identity, what does it mean?
This blog post has led me to more questions and I clearly have a lot of work to do...
I have to really crunch all these questions into one specific question that clearly addresses the issues I want to explore.
Turkish men as they pass me. Blatantly trying to flirt with me. But.
I am not Chinese.
"NI HAO MA!"
Burger King cashier, yells this greeting to me. Jarring, Embarrassing, Eyes wide open. I Nervously giggle. Quietly..."I am not chinese"
"Ni hao ma" confused stares from me to her. "are you English?" "O yes, yes I'm English" "O, I thought you were Chinese" This was Berlin's immigration office.
I am not Chinese. I am Korean.
One of the more striking things I noticed about Berlin is the lack of cultural sensitivity towards those with Asian descent. This blog is not a post for me to rant and rave about rude berliners because, first of all, they are not. Berliners are in fact very considerate and many have taken the time to help me around in this city. However, in the past week, experience and observation has made me realize that Germany has a long ways to go in terms of embracing, acknowledging, and being sensitive towards cultural diversity.
I cannot be angry at those who greet me with "ni hao ma" and then look at me with satisfaction, like they had just cracked some kind of difficult puzzle, when they had not been raised in an environment where difference is all around you.
Germany is not a country of immigrants. The lack of cultural sensitivity seems to come from cultural ignorance rather than just being rude.
Well then. If Germany has yet to handle or is just starting to confront the influx of foreign faces, what does the meaning of globalization mean to Berliners?
Also on a funny note. Why is it "ni hao ma" when the largest asian immigrant population seems to be Vietnamese?
So here is our group's research proposal (joe just sent his individually but that's cool too!)
Background: Our group’s theme is the minority experience in Germany where we will focus on the Vietnamese, Turkish, and Berlin community. Our group was able to settle on the main theme of our project after discussing our interest in different German immigration policies, minorities and their interactions with the German people, and the impact of nationalism. This topic will help others to further understand the social structure of Germany as well as investigating the impact of Germany’s immigration policies on minority communities.
Trang Le
The Vietnamese Community:
I became interested in this topic while researching about the different minority groups living in Berlin. At first, it was a struggle to narrow down the topic since I was curious about all types of minorities. I was researching based on the question “what it means to be a Berliner”? I was also thinking about the media’s depictions of minorities. These ideas did not connect well with the ideas from the other members of my group. However, I was able to discover information about the Vietnamese community living in Berlin during my search. I gathered a lot of interesting stories and news about the challenges that the Vietnamese went through while living in East and West Berlin. I became curious about the Vietnamese people’s experience in Berlin after the fall of the wall and most importantly their current lifestyle. Their assimilation into the German culture is the most intriguing. I believe that it is relevant to learn about the different cultures that exist in Germany and how they were affected by Cold War ideologies as well as different government policies.
Anna Lee
Berlin:
I am interested in how Berliner’s view immigrants living within their city’s boundaries. By investigating immigration policies and Berlin attitudes towards immigrants, I hope to learn something about German nationalism. I became interested in German nationalism when Misha talked of how Germany might be the first country to successfully accept a supranational identity. In this day and age, where the term “global citizen” is bandied about more frequently due to rapid globalization, can we really shed our national identities as easily as it is implied when one states that he or she is a “global citizen?”
Trang Le
Question: "What are the different challenges that the Vietnamese people (East and West) face living in Germany (from the fall of the wall to now) and how has their identity changed as they try to assimilate and whether the German culture is flexible to assimilation?
Background that helped me formed my question:
Due to the Cold War and Vietnam War, many Vietnamese either fled to West Germany or a lot were offered a work contract with the East Germans before the fall of the wall. After reunification, many of these immigrants in the East were being deported because their contract was over. Although some left, many had to stay behind because they have already built their new lives in Germany and some feared persecution from the new Vietnamese government. The West Vietnamese assimilated to the German culture well. However, the East German Vietnamese were still struggling with the aftermath of the fall of the wall. In the mid 90’s “new legislation narrowed guarantees of asylum and many East German Vietnamese were being hunted down and deported. After learning about all of this, I wanted to do more research about the experience that Vietnamese people have today in Germany and is there still a big difference between those in the east and those in the west. I want to explore different places in Berlin and observe the differences in lifestyle, beliefs, and cultural practices between the two Vietnamese groups. In the New York Times article called The Vietnamese in Germany: No Jobs, No Country, Alan Cowell discussed the experience the Vietnamese people had living illegally in East Germany and their deportation by the German government. He said “some of them gave up everything in Vietnam to come here. Here, they have jobs, houses, children at school. They will do everything they can to stay in Germany. In their own land, they are strangers." This quote made me curious about the psychological experience of living in Germany, with all of its history with Nazism and Communism. I wonder how the Vietnamese people in East who came from North Vietnam feel about the fall of the Berlin wall and ultimately communism. I want to learn more about their perspective as well as those in West Germany.
As I dive into my research I will keep the following quote by Michael Smith and John Eade in mind,
“citizenship is not only formal legal status, but also a form of belonging that requires immediate aural and visual recognition. Even if becoming German is not possible, being in Germany generates certain types of performances that become visible through the body, language, and bodily practices. It is through these performances, through the body, that one begins to see links between citizenship as an official legal status and as everyday practice.”
Cultural sensitivity: I will try to avoid biases when I interview people and ask them questions about their beliefs and values. I will be subjective when speaking with the different Vietnamese and German people. Although I have grown up in Vietnam and have had the minority experience in America, I understand that the Vietnamese people in Germany will have a much different experience than my own. I will be sensitive to their perspective. In addition, also as foreigner in Germany, I will learn about the different cultural differences in order to make be comfortable when interviewing people in Germany.
Daily Schedule:
I plan to go to the different Vietnamese Restaurants and shops in Berlin and talk to the restaurant owners as well as the customers. I will also explore small towns outside of Berlin where there might a large community of Vietnamese people. I will take a lot of pictures of the places I visit and compare the differences both between East and West as well as Berlin and the rest of Germany. I would also like to visit the Vietnamese Embassy in Berlin and perhaps gain some knowledge about the different immigration policies and governmental programs for minorities. I will compile a set of questions I want to ask the people I interview and keep log of the answers in a notebook.
Anna Lee
Question:
Why is Germany against immigration, indicative in their immigration policies of “tolerance” which acknowledges their presence but nothing more, yet Germans pride in their sensitivity towards nationalism, almost to the point where it is implied that Germans embrace their supranational identity (EU) more so than their German national identity?
Germany has been called the “reluctant land of immigration,” unable to form integrative policies for their immigrants as well as continuously rejecting EU proposal’s for a common immigration policy (Dettke, 2001). Furthermore, their current immigration policies are called policies of “tolerance” where immigrant minority communities are recognized but no integrative policies are implemented. Therefore, immigrant communities grow as little enclaves within Germany, separate little worlds of their own, as German policies make it harder for immigrants to find jobs. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants are documented in Germany but no legal status is given to them, thus they are in a state of limbo even as they have been living in Germany for years. The policies of tolerance, as they make it harder for immigrants to find jobs, force them to rely on welfare. This has helped spur the mentality within German society that immigrants are lazy and are only taking German taxpayer money when in fact, many of these immigrants have no choice but to rely on welfare due to the restrictions that bar immigrants entrance to the German job market (Henninger, 2007). With the world becoming an increasingly globalized place, states must face the massive influx of foreign bodies as it becomes easier and easier to cross boundaries. The confrontation between state citizens and foreign bodies such as immigrants within Germany, say something significant about German nationalism and whether or not a German national identity is still strong and kicking.
Due to Germany’s history of terror and devastation (WWI, WWII, the Cold War, and the Berlin Wall), there is a notion that Germans are extremely sensitive to nationalism. Supposedly, Germans do not favor flashes of patriotic colors or waving of the German flag as Americans do, unless it is at soccer games (Misha’s guest lecture). If Germany is leaning towards embracing a supranational identity while shedding their national identity behind, then what accounts for the reluctance to accept immigrants and embrace them if German nationalism only shows its face at soccer games? Other traces of German nationalism that have come to my attention is with the recent economic crisis, Germany has been having difficulty accepting economic policies that will help out their fellow EU countries. Unwilling to spend German money on “other” country’s problems, is this kind of attitude representative of a country who supposedly embraces their supranational identity than their national identity?
Hopefully during my stay in Berlin, I will be able to investigate this question within Berlin and see if Berlin has a more accepting attitude of foreigners especially with such a large Turkish population within their city’s borders.
Cultural Sensitivity: As I do interviews I will be sensitive towards my interviewees and be aware of where they come from and their background. I will be courteous at all times and try my best to not let my intellectual curiosity overstep my bounds. With the help of Trang and Joe, hopefully I can interview both the Turkish and the Vietnamese without being insensitive towards cultural norms.
Daily Schedule:
I plan to visit immigrant communities within Berlin, tagalong with Joe and Trang, as they visit their places, in order to ask questions of my own. I also want to go to museums that showcase German history and ask questions about German nationalism among the people there. I will also be going to soccer games or other sporting events if I can in order to see how much Germans love their soccer! This is a tentative schedule, more like a summary of where I want to go. Hopefully I can solidify my plans in order to carry out my research project soon.
