History of German Immigrants
One
frequently
ignored group in Germany is the children of migrant
parents. They deal with the same complications, caused by the
changing climate in Germany, as
native German children, but they have the additional stress of
perfecting the German language and being pressured by their parents to
succeed in German society.
This population came to Germany during the economic boom when West Germany needed extra workers in the 1950's. They moved to Germany from mainly Turkey and Yugoslavia to be "guest workers" on a temporary basis. When the economy slowed down in the 1970's, Germany expected them to return to their home country. Many of them, however, had settled in Germany and chose to stay. They began to raise families because they liked the standard of living, which was much higher in Germany than in their previous countries. As a result, today every one in nine preschool age children has a background other than German.
frequently
ignored group in Germany is the children of migrant
parents. They deal with the same complications, caused by the
changing climate in Germany, as
native German children, but they have the additional stress of
perfecting the German language and being pressured by their parents to
succeed in German society. This population came to Germany during the economic boom when West Germany needed extra workers in the 1950's. They moved to Germany from mainly Turkey and Yugoslavia to be "guest workers" on a temporary basis. When the economy slowed down in the 1970's, Germany expected them to return to their home country. Many of them, however, had settled in Germany and chose to stay. They began to raise families because they liked the standard of living, which was much higher in Germany than in their previous countries. As a result, today every one in nine preschool age children has a background other than German.
The Dilemma of Turkish Parents
Turks are the largest group of
immigrants in Germany. The education system is difficult for
their
children because it contradicts many of their traditional family
values. Turkish parents prioritize family life and want
their children to come ho
me after
school to help with housework. They also want to instill in their
children Turkish traditions to prevent them from forgetting their
background. This is difficult, however, because they must also
allow
societal influences into their children’s lives if they want them to
succeed. Turkish children need to play with native German
children to improve their language skills and advance in society.
They also need to conform to the education system if they want to
achieve within it.
me after
school to help with housework. They also want to instill in their
children Turkish traditions to prevent them from forgetting their
background. This is difficult, however, because they must also
allow
societal influences into their children’s lives if they want them to
succeed. Turkish children need to play with native German
children to improve their language skills and advance in society.
They also need to conform to the education system if they want to
achieve within it.
The Gender Difference
Problems with Advancement
Adapting
to German society is the most difficult for Turkish girls.
Turkish parents highly value the honor of their daughters
and will not allow any opportunities for inappropriate behavior that
would damage their daughters' reputations. The father or oldest
male member of the family determines the daughters’ social
contacts. This restricts the girls because they miss many fun
events like coed school trips and are unable to become friends with
boys. School, however, affects this situation because it allows
the daughters to meet native German girls and boys. They
then begin to change their ideals based on the beliefs of their peers.<
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Problems with Advancement
Thus
far, Turkish children have not been as successful in the education
system as native German children. They are underrepresented in
Gymnasium and Realschule and are overrepresented in Hauptschule.
This occurs because adults decide which track each child will follow
when he or she is only ten or eleven years old. Many immigrant
children have not mastered the German language by this age and are at
a large disadvantage when compared to native German children.
This reinforces the class system in Germany because most immigrants can
not advance to university level and are unable to move beyond their
expected class. A few states are now fixing this problem by
offering comprehensive high schools with minimal tracking that offer
equal opportunities for all students.
References
<>
Alamdar-Niemann, M., D. Bergs-Winkels, and H. Merkens. 1991. “Educational Conditions of Turkish Migrant Children in German Schools.” Anthropology and Education Quarterly 22:154-161
Christian Science Monitor. 2002. "Germany: Schools that divide." Retrieved November 12, 2004. http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/1022/p11s01-lecl.htm
Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. 2004. "Germany, Federal Republic of." Microsoft Corporations. Retrieved November 6, 2004. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761576917/Germany_Federal_Republic_of.html
Photos courtesy of the Associated Press via the Tulane Library
http://accuweather.ap.org/cgi-bin/aplaunch.pl
Alamdar-Niemann, M., D. Bergs-Winkels, and H. Merkens. 1991. “Educational Conditions of Turkish Migrant Children in German Schools.” Anthropology and Education Quarterly 22:154-161
Christian Science Monitor. 2002. "Germany: Schools that divide." Retrieved November 12, 2004. http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/1022/p11s01-lecl.htm
Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. 2004. "Germany, Federal Republic of." Microsoft Corporations. Retrieved November 6, 2004. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761576917/Germany_Federal_Republic_of.html
Photos courtesy of the Associated Press via the Tulane Library
http://accuweather.ap.org/cgi-bin/aplaunch.pl
The
purpose of this website is to inform viewers about the status of
children in Germany. This site was created by Julie Bernzweig,
Christina Carpenter, Sarah
Mayhall, and Lorena Quintana as part of a
collaborative web project for the first year writing seminar Children
& Society at Tulane University taught by Professor April
Brayfield.
Updated December 7, 2004
Updated December 7, 2004