Next Stop, Germany: An Account of Immigrating to Germany

By: Andrew Davis

Produced & Edited By: Megan Laird          

          
         As a western European country, Germany has seen a rise in immigrants over the past few decades.  But this has not always been the case, even for the location that was recently named the "world’s favorite country." Germany has struggled with its xenophobia, but lately it has become easier to become a German citizen. 

Troubled Past

         Following the atrocities of World War II, Germany was left with a decimated work force. To increase the size of available workers, the German government offered incentives for foreigners, mainly Turkish workers, to come and live in Germany.

         While this was supposed to be a temporary program, many Turks and other immigrants had already built up a life in Germany, and made permanent residence in the newly reformed country.

Baumholder, Germany
© Courtesy of: Military.com

         Today, 20 percent of Germany’s citizens have a heritage that is not strictly German. Immigration plays an important role for Germany’s economy, mostly due to the declining birth rate slowing population growth.   

         And while the German government is now promoting a “pro-immigration” platform, becoming a full German citizen still has its hurdles. 

Becoming German

         Heidi Seebohm was born and raised in America. Moving to Germany did not even cross her mind until after she got married. She and her new husband traveled across Europe for their honeymoon, with Germany being one of the stops.

         It was not until a couple months later that Seebohm found out she and her husband would be moving to Germany for his job. A transition she was nervous about.

“I was a little afraid I wouldn't make any good friends since I live off post and I thought it would be hard to get to know people speaking broken Germenglish back and forth. It's proving kind of true, but at the same time not so much because other wives and girlfriends of players on my husband's fußball team in the next town over are really cool and it's working out well enough.”

        

View from Seebohm's Residence
© Courtesy of: Heidi Seebohm

The couple ended up in Baumholder, Germany. It is a small town in western Germany that boasts a population of just over four thousand.

“The people in Germany walk on any road they please at any time of day or night, usually in dark clothing. I'm talking elderly men toting oxygen tanks on windy, hilly roads in dense fog. They are a bunch of honey badgers. They have an incredible sense of humor and they're mostly outgoing. I feel like in the states we have a "mind your own business" attitude that just doesn't exist here.”

         
         Seebohm quickly got a job working at a local bar, the “Tavern on the Rock,” a quaint tapas bar located in the small town. Seebohm said that getting a job was not the tricky part, it was getting used to the language barrier.

“We use a lot of hand gestures and it typically goes smoothly enough. The Germans are so easygoing and we would only have a problem if we didn't know how to laugh at ourselves.”

National Pride

         Seebohm is the perfect example of how Germany is trying to leave its historically xenophobic past. In 2000, the German government passed new immigration laws that made it easier for foreigners to gain full citizenship.

         However, for a country that has always struggled with showing its national pride, getting used to non-western European or American immigrants has actually been a fairly easy adjustment. A regular to Seebohm’s bar, a young man from Somoa named Salima said that he has not experienced any negative reactions from native Germans despite being from the Pacific Islands.

         “Most people don’t even realize I’m not full German until I speak. My accent gives it away.”

         Germans are quickly becoming known as open and are excited to share their culture with new citizens.

“Every single one has been friendly....some are guarded at first but when I try my German speaking they usually smile and we fake it till we make it (example: ordering food in a town where there are hardly ever soldiers passing through and no one speaks any English. Hilarious for all parties),” said Seebohm. 

Obtaining Citizenship

        

Scenic Trails Near Seebohm's Home
© Courtesy of: Heidi Seebohm

Even though Germans are open with the idea with immigration, actually becoming a German citizen still requires a bit of work.  In order to become a naturalized citizen, they have to live in Germany for at least 8 years. And just like in America, there is a written test that needs to be passed.

         However, unlike in America, German citizens cannot hold dual citizenships unless it is with another European Union country or Switzerland. This means that becoming a full German citizen takes a long-term commitment.

         Germany is one of the more progressive European countries when it comes to opinions on immigrants, but they still have their share of anti-foreigner thinking, especially in the eastern part of the country where unemployment is still high. 

Brighter Future

         Seebohm is excited to start the next phase of her life in Germany with her new husband. As of right now she does not have any plans on returning to the United States, but she said that nothing should be ruled out.

“We are planning on staying in Europe but all my family is still in the US. If anything I’ll plan to visit as often as I can.”

         Many Eastern Europeans are flocking to Western European countries, like Germany, for the better opportunities they offer. And while Germany may not have the most accepting past, the new Germany is an exciting place to start a new life.

“We have a small community with a ton of neighbors who know us and we can walk everywhere,” said Seebohm, “I love it, I’m so happy where we ended up.”

Education, Fertility, and Citizenship: Italy’s Strange Bedfellows

By: Alex Rhue

Produced & Edited By: Megan Laird

© Courtesy of: Shutterstock

         Faced with a dwindling number of citizens and a future of economic instability, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has proposed some bold legislative initiatives. 

         They come at a time when Italy needs more residents to maintain its economic viability. The changes unite the seemingly unrelated issues of the Italian birth rate, immigration, and education in a mix of solutions that may prove strangely workable. Topping this list of changes is a faster track to citizenship for the children of immigrants. For children born in Italy to foreign parents, attending primary or secondary Italian schools and learning Italian would allow them to acquire citizenship as children.

Proponents of the initiative say that teaching Italian to immigrant children would help them stay in school and succeed. 

         Dr. Flavia Bruno, a psychoanalyst living in Milan and the mother of a 15-year-old daughter agrees with the initiative. She says, 

         “Immigrants speaking Italian are able to become integrated citizen(s). Kids deprived of the opportunity to learn the language of the hosting country will probably become adults ‘forced’ into a marginalized life.” 

         This represents a significant change from the current cumbersome application process, which cannot begin until they are 18. Dr. Emanuela Di Re, a gynecologist from Milan concurs with Bruno. Discussing the idea of teaching Italian to immigrant school children, she says, “It is a good idea.”

Immigrant children make up almost twelve percent of Italian students overall, and some regions report educating as many as 30% foreign students. 

         “Children, contrary to adults who require much longer, can absorb the culture of the host country…in a very short period of time,” says Matilde Bagnoli, the CEO of a small company that manages a tourist resort in Italy. Not only does it pave the way to citizenship, speaking Italian is seen as a way to foster a sense of belonging and create greater integration into Italian society. Bagnoli believes in this philosophy. 

         "If made citizens, they will integrate and feel respected and less inclined to feel marginalized and behave as such.”

© Courtesy of: Shutterstock

         
         Another change involves the issue of boosting the Italian birth rate.  At a time when Italy is experiencing one of the lowest birth rates among the European nations, Renzi is looking at ways to increase it. Although southern Italy fares far worse in comparison to birth rates in central and northern regions of the country where the economy is better, the entire country is facing a bleak population future. 

         With more than one-fifth of its population over 65, Italy currently has the highest percentage of people living on pensions of any European country. The aging population combined with the declining birth rate could spell economic disaster if nothing is done to increase the birth rate.

This is where Renzi’s plan comes in. With the current Italian birth rate at a low 1.6 births per family and a rate of 2.1 necessary for population stability, enticements to have babies seem to be the answer. Renzi is offering a payment of an extra 80 Euros per month for three years to families making less than 90,000 Euros per year if they have a new baby. With immigrant populations already having higher birth rates and lower incomes than many Italian citizens, they are likely to experience the greatest benefit from the “baby bonus.”

In responding to the issue of offering extra money to parents of newborns for three years, Bruno does not feel that it is a good idea. She says, “Its just a marketing operation. It would be more useful to invest money in kindergartens, schools, after-school activities, etc.” 
         Di Re says, “No, I don’t think so,” in responding to whether offering extra money to parents of newborns is a good idea. Taking a different position, Barbara Zucchi Frua suggests that offering extra money may help somewhat, but says, “I don’t think it is enough.”

The marriage of the population issues and the solutions offered by Renzi are not without controversy and dissension. The wave of immigration that Italy has experienced in recent years has produced resistance among some Italian citizens to the large number of immigrant students. 
         
         Last year, two Italian schools received media coverage when the parents of Italian students removed them from the schools because of the high number of foreign students in classrooms. Increasing the teaching of Italian in schools would cost money. It would mean hiring additional teachers and increasing educational costs for taxpayers.  Earlier this year, Italy’s cabinet agreed to reduce taxes for 2015 by increasing the country’s borrowing from other nations.

© Courtesy of: Flicker:Angelo Amboldi

         
         Nor is the idea of a “baby bonus” embraced by many in the Italian population. Davide Baroni from Tortoreto Lido in central Italy feels “it is not clear how this aid will work. Right now, (it) sounds like a political slogan.” The cost of sending monthly allowances for three years to new parents with lower incomes becomes an additional short-term economic burden. Di Re, in discussing Italy’s problems says, “…we are suffering a world-wide ‘failure’ situation at its highest levels, very high tax-pressure…”

It is clear that Italy needs to increase its number of citizens, particularly younger ones with the potential to work, pay taxes, and purchase good if it is to maintain economic stability. While helping immigrant children learn Italian to assimilate into society and more easily become citizens, this intervention alone is not adequate to solve Italy’s population concerns. The “baby bonus” may well increase birth rates, but this is likely be skewed by increasing births in immigrant families where fertility seems higher and more families meet the income criteria.

Artisans in Colombia: "The Essence of Our Work is Fading"

By: Ayleen Cabas Mijares

Produced & Edited By: Megan Laird

Traditional artisans strive to keep their unique cultural expressions alive in the modern market

© Courtesy of: Artesanias de Colombia

A Historical Art

His hands dive into boiling water and take out a mass that looks like gum at first glance. He stretches the mass with his hands and mouth, then smashes it with a hammer, and puts it back into hot water. Eduardo Muñoz will repeat this process at least thirty times to distill impurities from the material, which he will later use to impregnate plates, vessels, canvases and sculptures with indigenous culture. The “gum” are the leaves of the mopa-mopa tree transformed into varnish, and Muñoz has devoted to this material for more than fifty years.

To witness Muñoz work with mopa-mopa is to lay eyes upon a craft whose origins trace back to the 10^th century A.D. Inhabitants of Pasto’s indigenous community—established in the current capitol of south western Colombia’s Department of Nariño—used the material to craft and decorate water resistant objects. The technique appealed to the Spanish conquistadors, and throughout the colonial period, Pasto artisans decorated utensils with characteristic images of European culture.

“This is an example of how an extraneous influence can kill a culture,” Muñoz says. “The varnish didn’t reflect indigenous legends and cosmovision anymore. I try to bring it back by working with the same materials and techniques the indigenous used. I always do research on Pasto culture to accurately represent it.”

© Courtesy of: Luis Angel Arango Library

Muñoz is among many whose ultimate goal is to rescue ancient Colombian traditions. The conservation of traditional artisanship techniques and the culture behind them has been part of Colombia’s governmental policy for decades. However, the preservation of cultural patrimony is an intricate task and many artisans still fear the disappearance of their traditions in the midst of the sector’s modernization.

Perishing Through Adaptation?

Artesanías de Colombia (Artisanships of Colombia)—the government corporation that coordinates Colombia’s craftsmanship policies—celebrated its 50^th anniversary this year.

“We hope to keep helping the artisans improve their quality of life and promote their craft in the modern market,” says Ariadna Padrón of Artesanías de Colombia. This year, 8,000 artisans have taken advantage of the company’s services.

The corporation offers programs to develop artisans’ skills in making and marketing their crafts. Iván Moreno, also of Artesanías de Colombia, works side by side with artisans to see how they can improve their products by incorporating sophisticated materials and design technology, to a degree.

“A multidisciplinary team of professionals meets regularly with artisans to think about new and sustainable practices that can reduce the production costs and make their products better, more eco-friendly and profitable,” Moreno says.

© Courtesy: Eduardo Muñoz Lora

However, as Artesanías de Colombia advocates for the improvement of artisanship, many of its essential features might be getting lost in the process. For UNESCO, the special nature of artisanal products derives from their distinctive characteristics, which can be utilitarian, artistic, culturally attached or socially symbolic. The last two are the most important and difficult features to preserve.

Muñoz says many traditional artisans perceive the government and Artesanías de Colombia as trying to save something they do not fully understand. “It’s impossible for them (as people born and raised in another culture) to apprehend the ancient traditions that make every piece of artisanship unique. They cannot reach the heart of cultures. Despite of their good intentions, the essence of our work is fading.”

Even within the government there are different opinions about how to safeguard artisanship. “The efforts are currently focused on improving the artisans’ quality of life from an economic perspective,” says Juan Henao of the Ministry of Culture. “Policy makers fail to prioritize the fact that these crafts are manifestations of our cultural identity as Colombians.”

Henao works in the Ministry of Culture’s Division of Immaterial Patrimony, which develops policies to sustain the survival of traditional arts. The goals of the division are to ensure the proper documentation and diffusion of artisanal practices, and encourage artisans to keep teaching their craft to new generations.

© Courtesy: Eduardo Muñoz Lora

Since 2009, The Division uses the national Representative List of Immaterial Patrimony—inspired in a similar tool created by UNESCO—to give recognition and financial aid to communities that wish to protect their cultural heritage. “Each community has to present a plan to protect and improve their cultural expressions and a panel of experts help them implement it,” Henao says. 

“Entering the list means the community has to work harder for their traditions, which can be discouraging for some people who think of the list as a mean to get State funding.” 

Despite of these preservation mechanisms, the continuity of many crafts is still compromised since the activities do not have the necessary followers. Some ethnic groups just fail to recognize artisanship as part of their cultural heritage.

Henao remembers an Antioquian community that denied the cultural value of their hand-made baskets. Some scholars, based on sound archeologic findings, tried to include the community’s craft in the national Representative List of Immaterial Patrimony. “While visiting the community, we discovered it didn’t recognize baskets as an expression of their ancient culture,” Henao says. “They made baskets for utilitarian purposes. We couldn’t do anything to support the craft.”

Muñoz knows this kind of frustration well. “I try to teach my son the importance of Pasto tradition,” he says. “He helps me do some pieces, but this isn’t his passion. He studies design and he’d rather spend his hours in the computer… This world is not made for people who work for months to create something special and don’t receive the proper recognition or income for it.”

The private sector also attempts to make its contribution to the preservation of traditional crafts. The School of Arts and Crafts of Santo Domingo offers embroidery and carpentry courses in order to avoid the disappearance of these occupations.

© Courtesy: Eduardo Muñoz Lora

“Students don’t have enough resources to continue their education,” said Laura Mejía, the school’s director. “It is difficult to contribute to their crafts and business models in the long run.”

Colombia strives to assign a just value to artisanship, since its competitive advantage in the market lies in something intangible: the craft’s cultural background. For Moreno, “the challenge is to make the activity profitable so artisans can dedicate their lives to the conservation of their traditions.” Despite the government’s accomplishments, Muñoz’s anxiety remains. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to ensure the survival of my craft. We, the artisans, represent the cry of all cultures that are being slowly crushed by modernity.”