Winter is strong in Germany, and I often complain about the cold and the lack of sun and light. In response, some people ask me, "If you are not happy with the cold, why did you come to Germany?"** Some ask this out of curiosity, while others additionally imply, "then go back to your country." The second reflects typical racist thinking. The first one, the "genuine" curiosity one, I think comes from (a specific type of) ignorance about why people immigrate, and anyone asking this question out of genuine curiosity should first realize that they are probably asking a very intimate question. This ignorance, however, is not always innocent. Very often it is sustained by a choice not to know, or not to ask further questions, even though the political and historical conditions that force people to migrate are neither hidden nor inaccessible. If they knew that most often it's not a choice, they would probably stop treating immigration as if it were Erasmus student exchange programs. When someone first asked me, I managed to say that it was because back then they were giving longer scholarships than France or any other Mediterranean, and therefore warmer,countries. But that's not the whole story; in addition to that, back then I thought that I would have a better chance of getting a post in Germany than in France (which I realised relatively quickly once I was here wasn't exactly the case, and I even got the feeling that it might be more competitive). And still this is not the full truth about why I moved to Germany. Because I need to answer first why I left where I come from — which I am actually looking forward to giving as an answer when I am addressed with that question: I moved to Germany because Germany sold weapons to the state where I come from. That government used these weapons and military equipment in its war against an ethnic minority. At the same time, Germany chose not to criticize my country's President because my country was holding refugees from the Middle East, preventing them from reaching Europe. The EU was afraid of having too many refugees (especially Muslim ones). Meanwhile, I, together with thousands of academics, signed a petition calling for an end to the war against this ethnic minority. **background overview:[https://bianet.org/english/human-rights/171379-we-will-not-be-a-party-to-this-crime]** Some of us lost our jobs right away; many of us later, through decree laws, lost their jobs, were forbidden to leave the country, with no real possibility of finding employment. In addition a mafia leader publicly said that he wanted to "bathe in our blood". **on threats and targeting:[https://bianet.org/english/politics/171523-mafia-leader-threatens-academics-for-peace]** Most of us had our names and photos published online as "traitor academics," accompanied by threats. Nearly all of us were put on trial. **on trials:[https://bianet.org/english/law/194377-academics-for-peace-on-trial]** Eventually, the Constitutional Court ruled that the petition constituted freedom of expression **on the Constitutional Court ruling:[https://bianet.org/english/law/220773-top-court-rules-rights-violation-in-academics-for-peace-cases]** One of us committed suicide. **report[https://bianet.org/english/human-rights/194755-academic-signatory-of-peace-petition-dies-by-suicide]** So the answer is that Germany is part of the reason why I moved here. Long story short, those who easily ask such questions ofbsomeone they do not know well should first understand that there are many tragedies, injustices, and traumatic experiences in this world. You might not see them, but not because they are far away. They are happening near you; we live together with you. Any deeper relationship you build with immigrants is likely to make this visible. You might not see it because **you choose not to see it**.

What happens when a majority group responds to systemic struggle with the word "too"? This post explores the idea of "derailing"—how universalizing experiences can inadvertently silence the specific realities of immigrants in Germany.

I wrote this series first of all to vent about it, but also to preserve a trace of what was said and how it was answered—to keep both the story and its afterlife visible.

I would ask them to keep in mind that many of us came here because of state violence or political pressure, and that we are often more skeptical (because of prior experiences with the state) and afraid (due to our fragile status as immigrants) in this country.

I said that it is not fair to ask an immigrant to write such complaints to BAMF. They asked why. I answered: because of the dependency relations we have with these institutions.

"after feedback from our editorial team, we can understand your concerns, but we do not share the same view that a text about personal plans in a textbook at B1/B2 level should also include the topic of the difficulties faced by migrants in Germany. "

#### I am still not sure how to tell this story, but I guess it makes sense to start with what I found problematic in the first place, which I believe I explained quite well in my letter to the publisher of the book. So, everything here is like the original email I sent them, except for the parts in bold. Subject: Concerns Regarding the Representation of Immigrants in **Your Book** Dear One of the Few and Biggest German Language Course Book, I am currently a student in a Berufssprachkurs B2, and I would like to address some problematic aspects of the textbook used in our course. I strongly believe that these textbooks, along with your German language classes, play a crucial role in our immigration experience. They are often among the first places where we encounter German culture outside of our usual social circles. This significantly influences our perceptions and impressions of this country. For this reason, I am writing this letter. To clarify my concerns, I will revisit the story of Hamid (**NameoftheBook** , p.**XX**) from the textbook. First, I want to emphasize that my critique does not stem from an idealized view of our home countries. I recognize the positive aspects of Germany—after all, I chose to immigrate here rather than elsewhere. However, this does not mean that the challenges faced by immigrants should be ignored or that Germany should be portrayed in an overly idealized manner **(The reason I include this paragraph here is worth considering as well; I think it may make me sound somewhat apologetic. What do you think?)**. ### Concerns Regarding the Story of Hamid The textbook presents the story of Hamid, who left his home country two years ago. While the country of origin is not explicitly mentioned, his name strongly suggests that he comes from a Muslim-majority country. The text states: > _Er ist nicht religiös, liebt Rap-Musik und sieht am liebsten amerikanische Fernsehserien und Filme. In Deutschland ist das kein Problem, in seiner Heimat konnte er aber nie offen darüber sprechen. Er ist nicht nur wegen des Krieges geflohen und hat seine Familie und viele gute Freunde zurückgelassen, sondern auch, weil er frei leben wollte. Dieses Ziel hat er in Deutschland eigentlich erreicht. Er muss keine Angst mehr haben und kann sein Leben leben._ This portrayal is problematic because it presents an overly simplistic contrast between Hamid’s home country and Germany. It implies that fleeing war alone should make one grateful and that Germany grants immigrants complete freedom, disregarding the structural challenges they continue to face. In reality, people like Hamid can still experience discrimination and violence in Germany. Simply having a non-German name and foreign origins can put someone at risk, as tragic events like the NSU attacks (NSU-Attentate) and the Hanau shootings (Hanau-Attacke) have shown. Moreover, _"sein Leben leben"_ also includes the right to secure housing. Unfortunately, studies show that people with foreign-sounding names face significant discrimination in the housing market, regardless of their income or employment status (see: Study on Discrimination in the Housing Market). Later, the text continues: > _Trotzdem steht ihm noch viel im Weg. Vor allem muss er zahlreiche bürokratische Hürden überwinden. „Alles dauert so lange, ich komme nur in ganz kleinen Schritten voran“, sagt er. Er will Ingenieur werden, aber er hat Schwierigkeiten, weil ihm immer noch einige Dokumente fehlen. An die Uni kann er aus diesem Grund noch nicht. Er besucht einen Gast-Kurs an der Universität in Konstanz am Bodensee. Zugleich bereitet er sich auf die Prüfungen vor, die er für die Zulassung zum Studium braucht, und arbeitet in einem Imbiss._ The story ends with Hamid reflecting on his dangerous journey: > _Im Rahmen meiner Möglichkeiten versuche ich einfach, das Beste aus meiner Situation zu machen, auch wenn es manchmal frustrierend ist“, sagt Hamid. „Denn eines mache ich mir immer wieder klar: Ich habe acht Versuche gebraucht, um nach Deutschland zu kommen, wir sind gekentert, ich bin fast ertrunken, es war alles sehr gefährlich, aber ich würde es sofort wieder tun, wenn ich müsste. Hier ist meine Zukunft.“_ ### Why This Narrative is Problematic From the perspective of an immigrant from a Muslim-majority country, this story sends a troubling message:_that simply escaping war should be enough reason to be grateful—so grateful that any difficulties or injustices in Germany should be overlooked. It reinforces the idea that Germany is the sole provider of freedom while failing to acknowledge the contributions that people like Hamid make to German society and the economy._ Some might argue that this is just a short story in a textbook, but narratives like these are deeply influential. They reflect and reinforce larger discourses that shape how German society perceives immigrants—particularly those with Turkish or Arabic names. I hope you take these concerns seriously and would appreciate hearing your thoughts on them. For reference, I have included the original text from the textbook at the end of this email. Mit freundlichen Grüßen, **Dr. Your-Well-Educated Kanak (Usually, I don’t believe adding my academic title to an email makes much sense, and I am often skeptical of people who do so. However, somehow, I get the feeling that in Germany it might help to be taken seriously, which is why I include my title. Now, I just remembered that I also have a story about****me, the Bürgeramt, and putting my PhD title on my German ID****).** #LanguageLearning #Integration #Representation #ImmigrationNarratives #GermanCourses #AntiDiscrimination #Textbook #Immigrant #### Follow * **The Blog:** `@index@educatedkanak.liberta.vip` * **Me:** @douuuu@mastodon.social * **The Blog:** index.educatedkanak.liberta.vip.ap.brid.gy * **RSS feed**

Do I have the energy to go through that process? Will it really change anything?

A short reflection on how a tiny word reveals much larger patterns — about privilege, ideology, and the but.

in case the reader and I feel careless, helpless or (politically) cynical, so that we have something to read as a reminder that despite all the misery in the world, we still have ways to resist!

"Es wurden Arbeiter gerufen, doch es kamen Menschen an (Workers were called, but people arrived)" (Lyrics by Harry Boeseke, Martin Burkert, Muhtar Cem Karaca)