What's in a Word III
By Jaime Zamesnik
As our trip winds down, my thoughts turn inward. Have my expectations been met? Did I accomplish my goals? These same questions might also be on the minds of Munich's officials and citizens as they reflect on the goal of "integration" for the city's refugees.
Integration as a concept is proving difficult to operationalize. Our group held a "reflections" discussion where we delved into the question of what is meant by integration. The conversation quickly became invigorated. Some feel that integration looks more like assimilation, wherein the refugees will live not in "ghettos," but in and among the German neighborhoods. No one suggested that the refugees should give up their culture or religion, rather that they should meld their ethnicity with that of the native population. The main worry for those on this side of the divide was that the refugees would be isolated from German society if they chose to live in a community with other ethnic groups.
One day at the refugee camp I sat in on a meeting between one of the social workers, Mohammed, and a woman from Afghanistan. It should have been a happy moment as she was preparing to move in to a private apartment outside the camp. Because she does not read German Mohammed was helping her with the logistics of moving: where her new social service center was located, how much money she was getting from the state for rent and furnishings, etc. But the problem is not only that she does not read German, she does not read at all. Or write. She was also unsuccessful in her early German language classes and does not know the language. Mohammed worries that her isolation will exasperate her psychological issues, and make integration doubtful.
Mohammed wished that she would remain in the camp until she is better equipped to succeed, or perhaps that she were going to an area where there were others who spoke her native language. In our reflection session some felt that integration is still possible when new arrivals live in a community with others of their same ethnic group. It is natural to gravitate toward those who are more like us, we do it ourselves all the time. It's part of human nature to do so. It does not prevent us from understanding how to be part of the larger society, but we just break the greater whole into comfortable segments where we find our niche. This is especially true when in a new surrounding as I can attest to after 30 years of new homes while a navy spouse.
I wish the Afghani woman the best of luck, and pray that she can truly start a new life here in Munich. She deserves it, regardless of what that picture of success looks like. The wonderful social service "angels" of the Jesuit Refugee Service have done all they can to help her on her way.
As our trip winds down, my thoughts turn inward. Have my expectations been met? Did I accomplish my goals? These same questions might also be on the minds of Munich's officials and citizens as they reflect on the goal of "integration" for the city's refugees.
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| The Jesuit Refugee Service Team |
One day at the refugee camp I sat in on a meeting between one of the social workers, Mohammed, and a woman from Afghanistan. It should have been a happy moment as she was preparing to move in to a private apartment outside the camp. Because she does not read German Mohammed was helping her with the logistics of moving: where her new social service center was located, how much money she was getting from the state for rent and furnishings, etc. But the problem is not only that she does not read German, she does not read at all. Or write. She was also unsuccessful in her early German language classes and does not know the language. Mohammed worries that her isolation will exasperate her psychological issues, and make integration doubtful.
Mohammed wished that she would remain in the camp until she is better equipped to succeed, or perhaps that she were going to an area where there were others who spoke her native language. In our reflection session some felt that integration is still possible when new arrivals live in a community with others of their same ethnic group. It is natural to gravitate toward those who are more like us, we do it ourselves all the time. It's part of human nature to do so. It does not prevent us from understanding how to be part of the larger society, but we just break the greater whole into comfortable segments where we find our niche. This is especially true when in a new surrounding as I can attest to after 30 years of new homes while a navy spouse.
I wish the Afghani woman the best of luck, and pray that she can truly start a new life here in Munich. She deserves it, regardless of what that picture of success looks like. The wonderful social service "angels" of the Jesuit Refugee Service have done all they can to help her on her way.
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