Emotional history of migration - What does arriving mean for the generations of immigrants in the FRG?

 

In his stirring book, historian and German-Iranian dual national Sarhangi skillfully interweaves biographical, literary and historical-scientific perspectives to create a compendium of the emotions of migrants in Germany.

 

"From the balcony, I looked out onto a playground where children my age were running around and tussling amusedly. After a moment's hesitation, I asked them if I could play along. The answer was: "No, we don't play with foreign children." I don't remember how I felt at the time. In retrospect, it was clear: in future, I would look in the mirror and recognize a foreigner."

 

It is events like these that produce feelings of exclusion: Fear, shame, anger, despair, and at the same time reinforce longing and hope for belonging. Sarhangi analyzes the extent to which the diverse experiences of migration shape and form the feelings of migrants - even across generations. Drawing on his own experiences, oral history interviews from the Archive of Flight and autobiographical and literary publications, he develops an insightful and moving book, from which clear mandates for change emerge for a humane, socio-psychologically sound and sustainable migration policy in the Federal Republic of Germany.

 

The reading and discussion are part of the International Weeks against Racism and are sponsored by the Felicitas and Werner Egerland Foundation.

 

The reading is part of the joint reading series by Stigma e.V. and the Literaturbüro Westniedersachsen entitled "Seiten-Weise-Menschen". The reading series is dedicated to the literary processing of autobiographical experiences of stigmatization, their coming to terms with them and their emancipation in artistic expression on a wide variety of topics.

 

Tickets can be purchased from the Literaturbüro Westniedersachsen and alternatively directly from the Haus der Jugend during the usual opening hours.

 

 

Organizer: Stigma e.V. and Literaturbüro Westniedersachsen

 

Venue: House of Youth, Große Gildewart 6-9

 

Registration: Literaturbüro Westniedersachsen, Tel. 0541 2027908, Email: LitOs-info@osnabrueck.de

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