Guest Workers in Germany

1204 Words3 Pages

Majority & Minority Relationships in “Turkish” Germany

The guest workers arrived from the eastern bloc, Vietnam, North Korea, Angola, Mozambique and Cuba. Their opportunities were limited by the Stasi, the Government of Eastern Germany. Guest workers were limited to their dormitories or an area that the Germans were prohibited to enter. They were faced with deportation, premature discontinuation of residence and were to obtain specialized work permits along with other sources of open discrimination in their workplaces. From the guest workers that remained in Eastern Germany, approximately 75 % were encouraged to leave due to the rising tide of xenophobia. The Vietnamese, one group in particular, could not return because of diplomatic reasons. During this time the Turkish people experienced many forms of prejudice. For a period of 8 to 15 years they were granted citizenship and were to remain for a definite length of time but return to their original country once they’d acquired precise skills that would strengthen the economy. German workers, once arrived, were required to perform occupations that were reserved for the unskilled which ultimately lead to Germany’s reigning in of third place for the richest country. Crime was excessive, unemployment was an extreme low, and of these downfalls only 18% were from Berlin while approximately 35%, the city of Turks. The housing and education were insufficient for the guest workers and though they played minor political roles, they generally kept to themselves and social class. Germany’s immigration program began in 1955 while it was suffering the toils of high redundancy. Guest workers at this time were of Italian, Spanish and Greek descent and in 1961 workers also disembarked ...

... middle of paper ...

...presses her conflicting self-identity stating that “there you are not a real Turk, and here you are not a complete German. We are somewhere in between.'' Though Inci grew up in and is emotionally attached to Germany, she is not accepted as a legitimate citizen despite having very little affiliation to Turkey, a place she knows only through vacation. Like her, many Turks feel unwelcome in both countries reinforcing individual self-identity crises. The combination of this identity confusion and the strong ethnocentrism of Germany lead to insecurity and lowered self-esteem in the Turkish community eventually becoming a cause of negative self-image. Ultimately, because Germany has repeatedly treated the immigrants as an inferior social class, they will have begun to view themselves as such, reinforcing the negativity associated with their image and identity in society.

Open Document