Literature of Migration

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Turkish-Germans and Turks living in Germany together comprise Germany’s largest ethnic minority group. Beginning in the 1960s, so-called Gastarbeiter were recruited from Turkey to provide labor needed to fuel Germany’s postwar economic miracle. Turkish immigrants introduced ethnic, religious, and economic difference into a German society that had been radically homogenized as a result of Nazi genocide. Although it was originally assumed that the residence of Turkish migrants would only be temporary, many chose instead to bring their families to join them, and to relocate permanently to Germany. As this new group struggled to define its place in German society, competing models have been submitted for how this might best be accomplished. German reactions, meanwhile, have ranged from the exclusionary practices of reactionary xenophobia to progressive struggles in support of an integrated society welcoming of diversity. Using literature, film, and the press, we will examine important moments and key social debates in the history of this struggle. Primary course readings will be predominantly in German (approximately 70 pages per week). Class discussion will be conducted in German, and all written work will be submitted in German. Course Goals: • To learn the socio-economic history of the Turkish ethnic group in Germany, from the arrival of “guest workers” in the 1960s to the politically and culturally engaged (integrated?) Turkish-Germans of today, and to become acquainted with the public debates surrounding the terms of German—Turkish coexistence, especially in the past decade • To gain an understanding of the ways in which contrasting notions of cultural identity and relations shape historical narratives of migration, as well as literary histories • To analyze and interpret the self-representations and interventions by cultural Turkish German authors in a variety of genres and media (primarily literature, but also film, feuilleton articles) As a level V course, the course seeks to enhance students’ abilities in terms of Reading: class discussions will incorporate the close readings of the texts written in German, in order to develop a more fluent and nuanced reading knowledge. Writing: the course will refine your academic German, and practice academic writing in three shorter papers. They range from a paper about migration history, a précis of critical positions, to textual analysis/interpretation (literature or film). Graduate students may arrange for a paper format tailored to their individual interests/need. Speaking: The course will enhance your ability to use rhetorical tropes of argumentation and to participate in intellectual discussion.