The emergence and transformation of Chicano and TurkishGerman literature

SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, I received a phone call from a German journalist. He wanted to followup on a story about German high school students in the United States who were allegedly mobbed by people in their American host communities. We forwarded the journalist’s email address and request to our German grantees in the United States. Within 36 hours, more than 30 grantees responded. None of them could confirm the claims made in this article. Rather, the Fulbright grantees reported intense and open discussions, mutual respect, and common concerns at their host universities and in their host communities. On an almost continual basis, journalists inquire about the opinion of American Fulbright grantees in Germany. It immediately becomes clear to every one of them that there is no such thing as an “American opinion” on world affairs, the war in Iraq, or transatlantic relations. Rather there were many different voices, expressed in many articulate ways. The Fulbright Program is not an abstract idea. It comes to life through its grantees. Their immersion into their host communities, their discussions and activities, and their leadership realize Senator Fulbright’s vision that “educational exchange can turn nations into people, contributing as no other form of communication can to the humanizing of international relations.

NEWSMAGAZINE OF THE GERMAN-AMERICAN FULBRIGHT COMMISSION THE SUMMER 2003 NUMBER •VOLUME FUNNEL 39 The Literature of Identity The emergence and transformation of Chicano and TurkishGerman literature TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S D E PA R T M E N T S Editor’s Picks, Publications, Goodbyes & Hello, Upcoming Events, Corrections, One Fulbright is Never Enough, Prizes & Awards 4–7 NEWS & EVENTS Berlin Seminar 2003 8–15 Capital Days, German grantees participate in European Union and NATO seminar 16 Second ‘Universities of the Future’ Conference Held in Dresden 17 Association of Friends & Sponsors Says Farewell to Professor Döser 17 Fulbright Journalists Investigate the Capital 18 Fulbright at 50 – Focus on Saarbrücken 19 E-learning – The School of the Future? 19 ON OUR WEBSITE A New Face for the Fulbright Commission The Fulbright Commission will re-launch its website in June You will find all of the previous features such as information for current and future grantees, news about Commission activities, and the alumni directory The Funnel will now also be available online and we hope to incorporate some “web-only” features in the future The new web site also displays many images from over 50 years of exchange between Germany and the United States Check back throughout the summer for more new features including an upgraded version of our alumni directory Berlin Seminar Pictures Online Pictures from the 2003 Berlin Seminar are now on our website We would like to thank Fulbright scholar and photojournalist Lara Signorelli for graciously agreeing to act as official photographer during the seminar [www.fulbright.de] THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 F E AT U R E S Title Topic How is literature related to identity? Fulbright grantees Julie Dawson, currently in Berlin, and Birte Künstler in San Diego, California, report Creating the Chicano by Birte Künstler 20–22 Redefining Germany by Julie Dawson 23–25 Alumni Profiles Illuminating the lasting impact of the Fulbright program Former Ambassador Michael H Armacost 26 Dr Martin Gillo, State Minister for Economy and Labor in Saxony 27 CityScape Two Fulbrighters profile their host cities and uncover some hidden travel destinations Over the Brücke and through the Woods Exploring Erfurt, Thuringia’s Capital City by Wendy Graham 28–30 Beyond Cheese German heritage and modern architecture in the Madison area by Benedikt Glatz 31–32 F RO M O U R F U L B R I G H T E R S The Coldness of December A poem from the travel journal of Richard Marranca 33 Learning the Mother Tongue A poem in seventeen parts by Ingrid Wendt 34–35 Year Two Reminiscences on the Fulbright class of ’54–’55 by Lowell Culver 36–39 Growing up Fulbright Three Fulbright grants, two daughers, and a pink tank by Richard Cross 40–43 Contributors 44 The German-American Fulbright Program 45 Funnel Reply Card 46 F RO M T H E D I R E C TO R Dear Partners, Supporters, Grantees, and Alumni of the Fulbright Program, I received a phone call from a German journalist He wanted to followup on a story about German high school students in the United States who were allegedly mobbed by people in their American host communities We forwarded the journalist’s email address and request to our German grantees in the United States Within 36 hours, more than 30 grantees responded None of them could confirm the claims made in this article Rather, the Fulbright grantees reported intense and open discussions, mutual respect, and common concerns at their host universities and in their host communities On an almost continual basis, journalists inquire about the opinion of American Fulbright grantees in Germany It immediately becomes clear to every one of them that there is no such thing as an “American opinion” on world affairs, the war in Iraq, or transatlantic relations Rather there were many different voices, expressed in many articulate ways The Fulbright Program is not an abstract idea It comes to life through its grantees Their immersion into their host communities, their discussions and activities, and their leadership realize Senator Fulbright’s vision that “educational exchange can turn nations into people, contributing as no other form of communication can to the humanizing of international relations.” During the past few weeks, the German-American Fulbright Commission has urged all its grantees to take advantage of as many sources of information as possible and to make up their minds about current issues as best as they can An open and honest exchange of information and personal opinions clearly contributes to a better understanding of all sides involved Three days after his initial contact, the German journalist send an email to the Fulbright Commission thanking us and all the grantees for their immediate and thoughtful reaction to his research request The journalist said that he was not able to confirm the mobbing of German students across the United States Rather, he had gotten a much better insight into the discussion that is going on in many places in the United States This might be a small achievement, but it shows what the Fulbright Program is all about Photo: David Aussenhofer S EV E R A L W E E K S AG O, Georg Schütte THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 D E PA R T M E N T S Editor’s Picks W E L C O M E to another edition of the Funnel! As you may have noticed, we have made some changes Not only is the layout different, but we have also introduced some new feature columns As before we will keep you abreast of the latest news from the Fulbright Commission and bring you articles and creative output from Fulbright grantees and alumni * W E H AV E A D D E D three new fea- tures: the Title Topic, Alumni Profiles, and CityScape In the Title Topic we will focus on the research of current grantees or take up another theme to which both German and American Fulbrighters can contribute In this issue’s Title Topic, The Literature of Identity, Fulbrighter Birte Künstler writes about the use of literature to define the Chicano community within the United States In contrast, Fulbrighter Julie Dawson writes about two TurkishGerman authors and their goal of redefining the conception of German literature to include their experiences * I N A L U M N I P R O F I L E S we catch up with our former Fulbrighters and find out what they are doing now In each issue we will pick one German and one American alumnus (or alumna), this issue we have Dr Martin Gillo, State Minister in Saxony, and Michael Armacost, former Ambassador to Japan and to the Phillip- Publications I N V E S T O R S B E WA R E ines Some of the names in the coming issues may be familiar, others may not, but what they all have in common is the experience of academic exchange * I N T H E I N T E R E S T of continual exchange and discovery we have decided to ask Fulbrighters to write about their host cities With this issue’s focus on Madison, Wisconsin, and Erfurt, Thuringia, we hope to introduce American and German readers alike to cities they may have never visited With the help of our tourist tips, perhaps on their next trip, they will * F I N A L LY, we continue to encourage contributions from current grantees and alumni Not only are we looking for articles, creative writing, and photography, but we would like to hear your opinion on this issue Write a letter (or email) and let us know what you think about our new look We look forward to hearing from you THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 *** Buy, sell, or hold and watch the jagged red line plummet into a bear market? In his recent book, Die Geldfalle: Wie Medien und Banken die Anleger zu Verlierern machen, Dr Thomas Schuster analyzes the change in form and content of stock market reports and how the reports affect the decision making of the average stockholder Dr Schuster, currently a teacher of journalism at the University of Leipzig, received a Fulbright American Studies Fellowship in 2000 to research at Columbia University in New York He has written for the Süddeutsche Zeitung and the Frankfurter Rundschau and contributes regularly to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Goodbyes & Hello The Secretariat in Berlin is happy to welcome back Claudia DahlmannAdams, who just returned from maternity leave after the birth of her son Justin in September 2002 * Nadja Wisniewski, who helped the Secretariat out immensely by filling in first for Lisa Hoppe and then for Claudia Dahlmann-Adams during their maternity leave, left the Secretariat at the end of April to take a position in the International Office at the University of Mannheim We wish her the best D E PA R T M E N T S Upcoming events E AT I N G O U T I N B E R L I N Often when students or scholars receive Fulbright grants they not travel alone to their host country Sometimes, they bring children with them Bettina Kaltenhäuser’s new book, Andere Länder, andere Kinder, Dein Auslandsumzug mit Ori, is aimed at eight- to 12-year-olds and addresses the difficulties of moving to another country The book helps prepare children for the cultural Dr Keith Allen, 1994 Fulbright Scholar and participant in the 1999 Fulbright German Studies Seminar, has recently published the book, Hungrige Metropole: Essen, Wohlfahrt und Kommerz in Berlin Hungrige Metropole deals primarily with the societal context of the noon meal in Berlin Dr Allen explores the philanthropic, communal, and commercial interests that influenced the move from eating at home to eating out The book is based on the dissertation he wrote for the Department of History at Carnegie Mellon University Photo: Verlag für akademische Schriften A DV E N T U R E S W I T H O R I differences – from food to language – they will encounter Co-authored by Ms Kaltenhäuser and Hilly van Swol, the book is also available in English, When abroad – as the local children Ori’s guide for young expats Ms Kaltenhäuser studied journalism, psychology, and American studies at the University of Mainz In 1998 she studied at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill on a Fulbright scholarship She currently freelances for the intercultural consulting firm CONSULTus E X P L O R I N G H E R I TA G E The Fulbright Alumni e.V would like to announce the following three events taking place this summer At publication date the official sign-up deadline for all events has passed, but if you are interested, please visit their website anyway for more information Some places may still be available • Workshop “Visionen”, June 13–15, Graal-Müritz (Baltic Sea, East of Rostock) • Fulbright Family Weekend, June 19–23, Königstein (Elbsandsteingebirge, Saxony) • Bright People und Ful(l) Sail, sailing trip, July 5–12, Baltic Sea Event Calendars for Alumni and Commission Events: • Fulbright Commission: www.ful bright.de/news/calendar/index.shtml • Fulbright Alumni e.V.: www.ful bright-alumni.de/national/events/ • Fulbright Association: www.ful bright.org T H RO U G H P O E T RY In 2002 Ingrid Wendt published a small book of poems, Blow the Candle Out An excerpt of one of these poems, “Learning the Mother Tongue,” is reprinted in this issue of the Funnel and deals with Dr Wendt’s struggle to learn German Both of her parents grew up in German-speaking families Currently, Dr Wendt conducts poetry workshops and residencies at schools and universities throughout the western United States She was a Fulbright Senior scholar in Frankfurt am Main in 1994 Please send announcements of recently published works by Fulbright alumni to funnel@fulbright.de for consideration Corrections Credit Where Credit Is Due In the Winter 2002 edition of the Funnel three pictures were incorrectly attributed to the U.S Department of State when they were actually taken by our own alumna Wiltrud Hammelstein The following pictures were incorrectly credited: Ambassador Ischinger speaking at the Woodrow Wilson Center (page 20), Secretary of State Colin Powell (page 24), and Powell with alumni Petra Steinmetz and Wiltrud Hammelstein (page 25) THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 D E PA R T M E N T S One Fulbright is Never Enough The following scholarships are available from the German-American Fulbright Commission for alumni and fresh faces alike German or U.S citizenship is required More information about all of the Fulbright programs listed above is available on the Commission website: www.fulbright.de Seminar for German Administrators in International Education This three-week seminar is aimed at representatives of Auslandsämter and Studentenwerke as well as others, who advise students and faculty on exchange and studyabroad programs The seminar focuses on higher education in the United States Participants start in Washington D.C before touring several universities throughout the country Application material for the Summer 2004 seminar will be available on the Commission website in October 2003 at an American university of their choosing Application material for the 2004 grant period will be available on the Commission website in October 2003 Fulbright American Studies Fellowship Young German professors (Habilitanden) specializing in American studies or literature can spend 6–12 months researching American Studies Summer Institutes A number of six-week summer institutes will be held in 2004 to introduce German secondary school teachers and university faculty to the United States and the American education system Application material will be available on the Commission website starting in November 2003 Scholar Rescue Fund The Institute for International Education and the Scholars at Risk Network administer the Scholar Rescue Fund, which “supports scholars who are threatened by violations of their fundamental human rights.” Scholars can apply for the the fund themselves or can be nominated by a colleague The Fund provides partial fellowships to support temporary positions at institutions in “safe locales.” For more information, see the website (scholarsatrisk uchicago.edu) Deadline for this year’s application cycle is September 1, 2003 Join the alumni association Alumni returning to their side of the Atlantic in June or staying on in their host country have the opportunity to become part of the Fulbright alumni network In Germany, the Fulbright Alumni e.V (www.fulbright-alumni.de) keeps former grantees in contact with each other through monthly Stammtische at their regional chapters and annual get-togethers such as the Winter Ball In the United States, The Fulbright Association (www.fulbright.org) brings together Fulbrighters from all national programs in regional chapters Membership in both organizations is open to all former Fulbrighters and gives you the opportunity to stay in contact, participate in alumni and educational events, and get involved in advocacy on the behalf of the Fulbright program Both alumni associations are independent of the German American Fulbright Commission in Berlin The Commission also keeps a directory of alumni of the German American Fulbright Program This also serves as our mailing list for the Funnel Should your address change, please let the Commission know by updating your information on our website (www.fulbright.de/alumni/directory/ updateinfo.shtml) If you know alumni who not receive the Funnel but would like to, please send them this web address THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 Study in the U.S.A German university students who have completed at least the fifth semester of study at a German university and who are interested in studying for a year in the U.S should apply for this scholarship An additional program is also available to combine study with an internship at an American company For more information and application materials see our website Application deadline is June 16, 2003, for the 2004–2005 academic year U.S Scholar Program Become one of the more that 50 American professors or professionals each year that enhances his or her academic experience by researching or lecturing in Germany Applications are currently being accepted; the deadline is August 1, 2003, for the 2004–2005 academic year Application for this program is handled by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars For more information see their website (www.cies.org) D E PA R T M E N T S Prizes & Awards German Studies Seminar The topic for the June 2004 German Studies Seminar is “Visual Culture in Germany – Film, Television, and the Internet.” The three-week seminar, held in Germany, is open to U.S scholars of German studies and related fields German language proficiency is not required Application to this program is conducted through CIES and application material is available on their website (www.cies.org) Application deadline is November 1, 2003 U.S Administrators in International Education Professionals in international academic advising affiliated with an accredited U.S institution are welcome to apply for this three-week seminar, which will introduce them to the German higher education system and equip them to better advise their students and faculty at home on exchange and study-abroad programs Application is handled through the Council for International Exchange of Scholars For more information see their website (www.cies org) Application deadline for the Spring 2004 seminar is November 1, 2003 Students Wanted Two of our biggest programs bring U.S students to Germany to either research and study at a university or assistant teach at a German high school Students interested in applying for these programs should first consult their university, as the initial application process is carried out there At-large applicants should contact the Institute of International Education See their website (www.iie.org) for more information Final deadline is October 21, 2003, for the 2004– 2005 academic year Individual universities may have earlier deadlines FULBRIGHT DISTINGUISHED CHAIR IN AMERICAN S T U D I E S AWA R D E D Congratulations to Dr Debra Minkoff for receiving the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in American Studies for the 2003–2004 academic year Minkoff is Associate Professor of Sociology and Chair of the Graduate Program Committee at the University of Washington in Seattle She received her Ph.D in sociology at Harvard University and her B.A in philosophy from Brandeis University Minkoff will be lecturing and researching at Humboldt University in Berlin GERMAN ORDER OF M E R I T B E S TOW E D O N AMERICAN SCHOLAR Dr John Steiner, professor emeritus of sociology and co-founder of the Holocaust Studies Center at Sonoma State University in California, was awarded the German Order of Merit (Verdienstkreuz) for his contributions as a researcher, scholar, and teacher Born in Prague, Steiner survived Theresienstadt, Dachau, and Auschwitz After the war, he came back to Germany numerous times, including Fulbright grants in 1974 and 1981, to interview former members of the SS and attempt to understand their motivation In an interview with the Jewish Bulletin of northern California Steiner discussed his work “I’m one of the few survivors of the Holocaust who has gone back to interact with Germans, and not only that but research and interview perpetrators in order to find out the reasons why they did what they did.” He added, “What we should have learned is not to behave like Nazis under any circumstances I tell my students they all have to develop a profile in courage, otherwise nothing will have changed.” DANCE PROFESSOR TO PERFORM IN PRAGUE Current Fulbright Senior Scholar Julia Ritter has been awarded a generous grant by the Trust for Mutual Understanding The funding will allow her company, the Julia Ritter Performance Group, to tour Prague, Czech Republic, in June 2003 Ritter is also an Assistant Professor at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and a Teaching Artist for the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and Young Audiences of New Jersey Ritter will also be participating in a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar in “Caribbean Theater and Cultural Performance” to be held at the University of Puerto Rico’s Piedras Campus in 2003 Announcements regarding awards received by alumni and current grantees should be sent to funnel@fulbright.de for consideration THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 NEWS & EVENTS B E R L I N S E M I N A R 0 The Fulbright Experience – Education for Leaders March 23–28, 2003 OPENING CEREMONY Although the Commission had the pleasure to begin welcoming guests to the 2003 Berlin Seminar on Saturday and Sunday, the official Opening Ceremony took place Monday at the Berliner Ensemble Dr Georg Schütte, Executive Director of the German-American Fulbright Commission, as well as Fulbright Commission Chairman Dr Richard Schmierer and Vice Chairwoman Dr Gabriele von Halem welcomed participants to Berlin Keynote speaker Dr Jürgen Kluge, Director and Office Manager for McKinsey & Company spoke on the “European Decade.” Angela Kappler, currently studying in Frankfurt am Main, spoke in representation of this year’s grantees (See page 14) [1] Dr Jürgen Kluge speaks at the Opening Ceremony [2] Fulbright Liaison Professors (left to right): Dr Rüdiger Zimmermann, Dr Stephan Gramley, and Dr Peter Freese converse at the reception following the Opening Ceremony [3] Alumnus Scott Brunstetter (right) and Dr Richard Schmierer at the reception following the Opening Ceremony THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 Photos: Lara Signorelli NEWS & EVENTS [4] From left to right Scott Brunstetter, Colleen Traughber, Gregory Mancini, and Dr Ulrich Schneckener discuss nation building and post-conflict reconstruction [5] Ilse-Brigitte Eitze-Schütz discusses the joys and challenges of the past year with exchange teachers during a workshop for teachers and teaching assistants [6] Lia Ossiander, currently researching in Rostock, explains how the pollutant PCB persists in Baltic Sea marine life PA N E L S & W O R K S H O P S [7] German alumna Wiltrud Hammelstein and American alumna Christal Morehouse answer questions about cultural sensitivity and working abroad [8] Fulbright scholar Andrew La Zella explains his research on Husserl and phenomenology during his research presentation [9] Fulbright scholar Cynthia Wang, studying medical law and ethics at Kings College in London, reports on her experience in the United Kingdom [10] Fulbright Young Journalist Sarah Lohmann comments on the roll of NATO in “out-of-area” conflicts [11] Iris Weiss answers questions at the panel on philosemitism in German society [12] Alexander Ochs from the Stiftung für Wissenschaft und Politik speaks during a panel on transatlantic cooperation in environmental policymaking [13] Dr Christoph Bertram lectures on Europe’s relationship to the U.S 10 11 12 13 Photos: Lara Signorelli Throughout the week, panels and workshops gave seminar participants the chance to learn with and from their fellow Fulbrighters On Monday the teachers and teaching assistants exchanged advice and lesson plans and a panel of alumni answered questions on working in Germany Twenty Fulbright scholars had the opportunity over the course of two days to present their current research Each person had only five minutes, but what there wasn’t time to explain during the presentations was discussed throughout the week in the many conversations, which they sparked Dr Christoph Bertram, Director of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, lectured to a packed audience on “Europe’s Dilemma: Living with Number One.” Afterwards he took questions from the audience Following Dr Bertram’s lecture, Fulbright grantees from other European commissions shared their research and living experiences They fielded questions from the audience on topics ranging from their research to reasons for choosing their respective countries, to the current sentiment towards Americans where they are living On Thursday, three panels presented the opportunity for everyone to discuss several current topics with experts from the field In the New Synagogue a panel led by alumna Toby Axelrod and current scholar Jonathan Goldberg discussed philosemitism and the politics of German reconstruction THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 NEWS & EVENTS 10 14 15 17 18 19 Photos: Lara Signorelli 16 At the same time two panels were held at the Park Inn Hotel Scholars Gregory Mancini, Colleen Traughber, and alumnus Scott Brunstetter, along with Dr Ulrich Schneckener from the Stiftung für Wissenschaft und Politik discussed the very contemporary topic of post-conflict nation building Down the hall, transatlantic cooperation in environmental policymaking was taken up by a panel of guests coordinated by Adelphi Research and including Richard Tarasofsky and Walter Kahlenborn of Adelphi Research, Helmut Weidner of the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin, and Alexander Ochs from the Stiftung für Wissenschaft und Politik THE FULBRIGHT A RT E X H I B I T I O N [14] Chatting visitors reflect in a window, showplace for a piece from Jacque Liu’s series, “Windows.” 20 [15] Visitors take in work by artist Jacque Liu from a new angle [16] Fulbright artist Jacque Liu (second from left) and guests at the Fulbright Art Exhibition [17] Fulbright Artist Marcus Ahlers with his installation piece: Erinnerungsstamm [18] Playwright Michael Smart gives a summary of his play [19] From left to right, Fulbrighters Rebecca Sponseller, Kelaine Vargas, and T J Korst dancing through a scene from “Things Are Going to Change” [20] Public artist Richard Posner (standing right) and two of his students model their self-containers The container in front keeps the occupant from falling asleep, while the two worn in back allow the wearers to shut out the world and reflect on themselves THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 On Wednesday night the Fulbright Art Exhibition “Weiderweg” opened at the Fulbright Commission office The exhibition, which ran for the duration of the Berlin Seminar, featured work by Marcus Ahlers and Jacque Liu Ahlers’ installation piece, Erinnerungsstamm attempts to transport a sliced log back to its natural environment through a combination of live grass and leaves projected onto a screen Pieces from Liu’s Berliner series had guests craning their necks to get the best view of the images produced with white powder on white paper 34 F RO M O U R F U L B R I G H T E R S From “Learning the Mother Tongue” A Poem in Seventeen Parts Taken from the book, Blow the Candle Out, by Ingrid Wendt It's wicked, I know, but sometimes I can't help feeling just the tiniest glee when my good German friend, whose English tongue has mastered the footwork of all Swan Lake ballet, stumbles over the English translation of wenn, saying “if ” when she really means “when,” and vice versa, while I, good German American, keep clumping along: learning the word Kopfsalat, for example (“head lettuce”), so proud of myself: first time in the land of all four grandparents, shopping for salad, asking the produce clerk “Haben Sie ein Kopf, bitte?” “Ja, natürlich,” she answers “Und Sie?” THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 F RO M O U R F U L B R I G H T E R S 15 And still, “Mach schnell!” (when I was too slow) Abgeschiedenheit, O you syllables rolling “Strewwelpeter!” (my hair was a mess) over the palate: thick milkshake: such work to “Dreh dich rum,” my mother would say in her Schwabian mother’s pull you through the straw, such dense reward tongue, never, of course, outside of the family, never Sehenswürdigkeit (sight worth seeing), O you rich translating: sporadic spices her tongue dished out without stew with your stock ingredients – garlic, carrots, celery, one of us questioning Look! onions, beans – look at your infinite mutations! In this textbook, the recipes: words with real Wiedersehen meanings attached “Make quick!” “Naughty Wiederaufnameverfahren child from Heinrich Hoffmann’s pen!” It’s not Kinderfreundsehenlichkeit after all, just (We can even make some of these up) and even family oddness, not the singular ones, the peppercorns, how sweet to the tongue: baby talk Look at nein, the mother says to her little one this middle-aged tongue abandon its teetering This gentle, this sound the moon fabulous, sturdy new foot! makes when it’s full – the lap, the pillow – not “No,” not “Nyet,” but nein, nein, nein THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 35 F RO M O U R F U L B R I G H T E R S Year Two Meeting Konrad Adenauer and experiencing the division of Berlin by Lowell Culver Fulbrighter Rosemarie Walz presents Chancellor Konrad Adenauer with a bouquet of yellow roses THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 Photo: Lowell Culver 36 F RO M O U R F U L B R I G H T E R S 37 James Sauvage (left), Rita Hess, and author Lowell Culver onboard the Gripsholm on the way to Germany Photo: Lowell Culver T he agreement on education exchange signed in July 1952, by German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and the U.S High Commissioner for Germany John J McCloy initiated a program, which over the 50 years of its existence has enabled some 30,000 Americans and Germans to study, teach and undertake research in each other’s countries Dr William Bader in the Winter 2002 issue of the Funnel commented on the first exchange in 1953 The following pages summarize the second exchange of American Fulbright grantees to Germany: 1954–55 The first group of Fulbrighters left New York City for Bremerhaven on the August 10, 1954, sailing of the Gripsholm I was in the second, larger group, which sailed on September The 19,100 ton liner, soon to become the MS Berlin, would be the first passenger ship to sail under the German flag after World War II On board the September sailing, in addition to our group, were German Fulbrighters returning home, wives of U.S servicemen stationed in Germany, and members of the German delegation to the World Council of Churches in Illinois During the sailing, Fulbrighters were treated to wonderful food, a music concert and tea time each day, dancing every night, movies, and hours in the sauna, as well as German language instruction, and information sessions about the Fulbright year in Germany We arrived in Bremerhaven on September 17 but were not allowed to disembark until the next morning A train met the boat at Columbus Pier and took the group to Bad Honnef Including renewal gran- tees, we were a group of almost 250 Americans Most were from eastern and Midwestern universities, with only six from southern institutions There were some fifty married Fulbrighters, several with very young children and babies In Bad Honnef we were each given the first of two 500 German Mark incidental allowance installments for books, paper, and transportation Bank accounts were opened for us in our host cities, and we began receiving a generous monthly stipend of 420 DM ($ 100) Given the average German worker salary of about 400 DM a month we were richly funded A three-week orientation program for Fulbright grantees was arranged by the U.S Educational Commission for the Federal Republic of Germany under the direction of Dr John Mead, who was assisted by the German Fulbright Program Director Karl Roeloffs The agenda consisted of lectures on German politics, education, religion, culture, the Amerika Haus program, and economics In the absence of High Commissioner James Conant, we were greeted by Dr Chester Easum, American Cultural Attaché There were also German language classes each day and weekend tours, one to the Bundeshaus in Bonn and one to Cochem, where the group was hosted by the mayor at the Hotel Germania overlooking the Mosel River The mayor called Mosel wine the best of all wines, “a true gift of the gods.” Fulbrighters took him at his word THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 F RO M O U R F U L B R I G H T E R S Photo: Lowell Culver 38 Fulbrighters say goodbye to the former capital with a carriage ride down the Kurfürstendamm on the last day of the Berlin Seminar THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 and it was rumored that they consumed some 250 liters of the “heavenly beverage” before returning to Bad Honnef A highlight of the three-week stay in Bad Honnef was a meeting with Chancellor Konrad Adenauer on September 26 in the Chancellor’s home village of Rhöndorf, a short distance from Bad Honnef Fulbrighter Rosemarie Walz greeted the Chancellor in the name of the group and presented him with a bouquet of yellow roses (his favorite flower) in a driving rain Dr Adenauer replied by emphasizing the importance of the student exchange for F RO M O U R F U L B R I G H T E R S bringing about good relations between the American and German peoples and hoped that the year-long study at German universities would help to further that goal In closing, he wished us a pleasant and profitable year of study in Germany The Chancellor then offered to pose for a group picture, but he insisted on standing between two female Fulbrighters Following the orientation program, grantees went their separate ways and each had a unique experience One tragedy during the year was the untimely death of Eric Oppenheimer, who was hoping to complete his study of the German Center Party while at the University of Frankfurt The two month period between winter and summer semesters enabled Fulbrighters to undertake an assortment of trips to places near and far Although only 300 DM could be taken out of the country, most grantees had American dollars to finance their travels Maurice Herie and I, students at the University of Hamburg, took advantage of the vacation to follow the footsteps of Homer’s Ulysses around the eastern Mediterranean That others had the same idea, was confirmed by the fact that we met some of our group in such far away places as Izmir, Turkey, and Cairo, Egypt Because both the German and American governments wanted grantees to gain a better understanding of the division of Germany and the conflict over Berlin, we were invited to a week-long meeting in West Berlin from April 26 to May 2, 1955 As in Bad Honnef, we were assigned to various hotels and obtained our meals, other than breakfasts, at the World University Service Studentenhaus The program arranged for us included lectures on the East-West split, films, theater visits, and tours of both the western and Soviet sectors of the city There was no wall then, but we were reminded that while travel to the Soviet Sector of Berlin was unrestricted, we could not enter the Soviet-occupied zone of Germany outside of Berlin One Fulbrighter, however, mistakenly boarded a train that went through Berlin without stopping, and he ended up in the hands of the East German police Fortunately, after several hours of interrogation, he was released I made the same mistake but was able to jump off the train onto a pile of gravel when the train slowed down at a sharp bend near Spandau Since we were in Berlin on May Day, a number of Fulbrighters took the opportunity to watch the Communist parade in the Soviet Sector We saw Communist leaders Grotewald and Pieck on the reviewing stand The difference between the western and eastern sectors of Berlin was quite noticeable Except for Stalin Allee, there was almost no reconstruction in East Berlin and many areas looked as if the war had ended just yesterday Returning to their host universities, grantees completed their second semester of study before sailing or flying back to the United States in August Historically, the 1954–55 group of American Fulbrighters was witness to one of the most important periods in German history On May 8, 1955, ten years after the German surrender in World War II, West Germany was integrated into a close alliance with the West as a member of NATO and a full and equal partner in the emerging “Western Europe.” The year in Germany had a lasting impact on me personally; I met my future wife during the Fulbright year The year in Germany also provided me with material for a novel on World War II, which I based on archival sources and numerous interviews with Germans who had witnessed the war In 1993 I had the opportunity to teach at the University of Oldenburg as a Fulbright exchange professor and I continue to organize a yearly exchange of high school students between the sister cities of Chicago and Hamburg, Germany Members of our group went on to become high ranking government officials, professors, musicians, chemists, and computer engineers, but they are now either retired or near retirement Whatever their status, all continue to carry strong affection for the country that hosted them And it should be remembered in these troubling times, that in the words of German Ambassador to the United States Wolfgang Ischinger, there are many more areas that bond Germans and Americans than divide them, and present difficulties will eventually be worked out THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 39 40 F RO M O U R F U L B R I G H T E R S Growing Up Fulbright One family’s continuing relationship with Germany by Richard Cross THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 one thing that Fulbrighters could agree on it’s that our time in Germany resulted in significant personal and professional growth Who would be ready to admit, though, that the experience had contributed to his or her “growing up?” Fulbrighters are already grown-ups They have to be in order to get the courses taught, the books and conference papers written That doesn’t mean, though, that they’re all-adult all the time I WA S a wet-behind-the-ears assistant professor at UCLA when I received my first grant Christa and I had been married for six months when we arrived in Würzburg in 1971 and our stay there promised to be the honeymoon we hadn’t yet taken I T M AT T E R E D that Christa was a native Frankfurterin and that we were on her home turf For one thing, I had a motive for getting my German up to speed that other Fulbrighters didn’t have: finding out what her relatives and friends were saying about me I was still at a point where going on a toot with colleagues my own age and devising ways of tugging our elders’ chains – the only-too-casual attire I sported was not wholly to my mother-in-law’s taste – seemed like rich ideas A F R I E N D S H I P we struck up with another German/American couple, colleagues in the Würzburg English department, made an enormous difference Ernst and Suzie Häublein were several years ahead of us on the international-marriage learning curve Two years earlier they had produced the enchanting Tina, a real party girl by the IF THERE’S ANY F RO M O U R F U L B R I G H T E R S time we got to know her; she would come crawling out of her nursery in the wee hours and plead: “Dance with me, Wicha’d.” Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was our song Still today when we see the Häubleins it takes us no more than five minutes to get tuned to the same wavelength B Y T H E T I M E I was awarded a second Fulbright, nearly two decades later, I had attained a ripeness not evident on the first go-round You could say that I was overripe, having recently concluded a five-year stint as department head at the University of Maryland If the earlier Fulbright had been a honeymoon, then this one – in the middle of the journey, as it were – was a time to recharge our batteries and contemplate the road ahead I T H A D B E E N just the two of us in Würzburg By the time we reached Göttingen in August 1990, we had borrowed a leaf – a couple of leaves – from the Häubleins’ book Our elder daughter, Catherine, was in her fourteenth year, and the younger, Anna, had just turned eleven The second Fulbright was to be a family affair And then, in 1997, I was lucky enough to land a third grant that enabled us to spend a year in Freiburg For our daughters these two sojourns in Germany were truly a decisive part of growing up C AT H E R I N E A N D A N N A came to Göttingen primed by five years in the Deutsche Schule Washington, which exists for the sake of embassy families, but accommodates a few outsiders like our children The girls had, however, spent little time on German soil Now they were seeing the abstractions in their history textbooks blooded The intra-German border had been breached a bare nine months earlier, and towns just to the west of it like Göttingen were crowded with Ossis hungrily procuring their first taste of consumer society That was an eye-opener for our girls, who had never had to wonder where the next banana was coming from N AT U R A L LY T H E F O U R of us were curious as to what lay on the other side of what was still, if only for a few more weeks, the border between two sovereign German states Our first foray eastward was to Quedlinburg, a lovely town in the Unterharz with an ancient basilica and scores of half-timbered houses – in appalling disrepair when we visited Evidently the GDR had devoted its best construction materials, and energies, to border fortifications AT T H E S P OT where we crossed the frontier the guards and their dogs had disappeared, there were children playing in the watchtowers, and ordinary citizens were unbolting pieces of the fence – a symbolic undoing of four decades I’ve talked about this and other of our experiences during the year of reunification in “Climbing the Brocken” (Modern Age, summer 1994), and there’s no need to rehearse them in detail here W H AT I ’ D L I K E to instead is focus on the impact the Fulbright experience had on our daughters By 1990 Catherine was already an avid newspaper reader, who had followed the previous year’s meltdown of the Eastern Bloc and the THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 41 42 F RO M O U R F U L B R I G H T E R S resultant seismic shift in the global balance of power with the same excitement we adults felt All this was lost on Anna, who was more interested in collecting ladybugs and stickers That began to alter in the course of the year in Germany, with history happening around her T H E AU TO N O M E N in Göttingen celebrated the day of unification by smashing windows at the Deutsche Bank They repeated this ritual during the Gulf War and it wasn’t easy for Anna having to make her way to school through a forest of placards denouncing the U.S as a terrorist state or being asked, by a teacher who should have known better, her opinion, as an 11-year-old, of American policy toward Iraq I F T H E G I R L S had some sobering experiences during the year (tours of Plötzensee prison and the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in connection with the Berlin Fulbright seminar) there were also such comic epiphanies as our visit to a Soviet victory memorial in Prague, a T-34 tank that had recently been painted flesh pink – twice in fact, first by local pop artists and then by deputies of the federal parliament Almost as good, from the girls’ standpoint, was the fact that the queen of Spain, with her retinue, was checking out the tank at the same time we were OBVIOUSLY there was a lot more to the year in Goettingen than a field course in contemporary history Catherine and Anna made friends they still see when they’re in Germany and who’ve stayed with us in Bethesda They also consolidated their THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 grasp of German firmly enough that we figured they’d hold on to it if we enrolled them in public schools back in the U.S It helped that they were able to speak the language during several summers in Vermont at the Middlebury German School where Christa was teaching The year in Germany may even have affected their sense of identity, Anna’s at least Back home the following fall she puzzled her way through the categories on an ethnicity questionnaire: in Göttingen they thought of me as an Ausländer, she reflected, but since I was bornhere in the U.S … I must be a Native American! And she checked the box That year the stats for Pyle Middle School registered but a single Native American; Anna had filled a critical niche W E W E R E N ’ T S U R E, when we contemplated spending the 1997–98 academic year in Germany, whether the girls’ command of the language was good enough to enable them to study at a German university They were fine speaking German, but they hadn’t had the kind of exposure to sophisticated texts or practice in composition that students get in the later years of Gymnasium And in fact, when the time came, writing papers for proseminars proved to be no slight thing, although they managed Catherine, who was pre-med, had arranged to spend her senior year working in an immunology lab in the Freiburg University Clinic and taking courses at the university M E A N W H I L E, I had worked out an exchange of teaching duties and houses with two German professors of English, both of whom taught in F RO M O U R F U L B R I G H T E R S Mannheim but, as fortune would have it, commuted from Freiburg Catherine lived on her own in the auspiciously named Collegium Sapientiae, where she formed friendships with several of her dorm-mates that look to be for the long haul Anna graduated from high school the June before our departure and there was no way she was going to be left behind in the States B OT H G I R L S went at their studies in Freiburg American style, taking courses in a range of areas they hadn’t had an opportunity to explore earlier Catherine had already satisfied most of the requirements for her major and been accepted to medical school at UCLA, so for her it was largely a matter of sampling subjects that piqued her curiosity She would have gone into medicine if she’d never set foot in Germany, but she’d have had a different perspective Would she, for example, have had the same degree of concern for global health issues? One of her Freiburg courses got her sufficiently interested in international public health that she’s had it in the back of her mind ever since to work, somewhere down the line, for the World Health Organization A N N A, on the other hand, had no clear sense of where she was headed She used the time in Freiburg to look into half a dozen disciplines, from political science to theology What really made a difference was the interest Uta Winkgens, the wife of my winter semester exchange partner, took in Anna once their family got back from Maryland Uta, who is a judge in the Freiburg division of the Baden-Württemberg Landesgericht, invited Anna to shadow her; not only did she allow Anna to sit in on hearings through the spring and early summer but she briefed her on the cases During that same period, Anna was enrolled in three law courses – courses of the sort she could never have taken as an 18-year-old back home, but that were open to her in Freiburg – including one on American legal institutions with Peter Murray, a Fulbrighter from Harvard F O R N O M E M B E R of our family has the Fulbright experience been more decisive than for Anna Since September 2001 she’s been a law student and a regular at the weekly Stammtisch Professor Murray conducts for students with German affinities A L L F O U R of us loved Freiburg, for its own sake and for the easy access it afforded to the Black Forest, to the wine villages of the Markgräflerland, to Alsace, and to Basel and its charming hinterland It was a wonderful year but also a bit triste, since we knew that it would be the last time, at least for a long while, that we’d all be living in the same town At the end of our stay, Catherine flew off to Los Angeles, returning to a world we’d left when she was six There are times when growing up means circling back Don’t be too surprised, you good people on Oranienburger Strasse, if a few years hence one, or both, of the younger Crosses should appear on your doorstep THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 43 44 C O N T R I BU TO R S CONTRIBUTORS S U S A N B U Z Z E L L I, a graduate or Boston University, has W E N DY G R A H A M is currently a Fulbright Teaching Assistant worked for such publications as the Washington Monthly and Yomi- at the Albert Schweitzer Gymnasium in Erfurt In her article, “Over uri Shimbun, Japan’s largest daily newspaper She is currently in Dres- the Brücke and through the Woods,” she takes the time to introduce den, as part of the Fulbright Young Journalist program, where she is us to her host city Graham is a graduate of Indiana University researching “Entrepreneurship in eastern Germany.” Buzzelli took part in the Hauptstadt Berlin Seminar in January and the NATO Seminar in March and reports on them in News & Events * R I C H A R D C RO S S, as he describes in his article, “Growing Up Fulbright,” has brought his family to Germany on three separate * R I C H A R D M A R R A N C A, author of the poem, “The Cold- ness of December,” is currently a Fulbright Junior Lecturer at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich In the United States he teaches at the Passaic Country Community College in Paterson, New Jersey Fulbright grants: Würzburg, 1971–72; Göttingen, 1990–91; and Mannheim, 1997–98 Each time he has focused on teaching an aspect of American literature He is currently a professor of English at The University of Maryland in College Park * J U L I E D AW S O N graduated from Northwestern University * J AC QU E L I U, a graduate of Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, explains “Living and working in Berlin, as a Fulbright scholar, has affected not only my work itself, but also how I work.” For the article “Redefining Germany” in this issue of the Funnel, Liu photographed scenes of travel and transition in Berlin in 2002 with a B.A in German and a B.M in Ethnomusicology For her senior German thesis she translated and wrote on the short stories of four Turkish-German woman authors She takes up this topic again in her contribution to this issue’s Title Topic: “Redefining Germany.” Currently Dawson lives in Berlin, where she is researching Turkish music in Germany and attempting to learn Turkish * PAU L B E N E D I K T G L AT Z studies Ame- * B I RT E K Ü N S T L E R is currently studying Chicano literature at San Diego State University in California Her article, “Constructing the Chicano,” part of our Title Topic this issue, draws from her studies When she finishes up her Fulbright year and returns to Germany Künstler will finish her M.A studies in Amerikanistik, Iberoromanistik and political science at the Friedrich-Alexander University in Erlangen rikanistik in Germany at The University of Bonn, this year, however, he is taking a closer look at his subject with a Fulbright grant to The University of Wisconsin in Madison For this issue of the Funnel he writes for our new feature, CityScape; he looks at the German heritage and architectural history of the city of Madison, Wisconsin * L A R A S I G N O R E L L I graduated with a degree in German, Russian, and Eastern European Studies after studying at the Uni- * I N G R I D W E N D T, a resident of Eugene, Oregon, was a senior Fulbright professor at the University of Frankfurt/Main during the academic year 1994–95 Her published works include three books of poems, two anthologies, and a teaching guide The excerpts from her long poem “Learning the Mother Tongue” are taken from her most recent book Blow the Candle Out (Pecan Grove Press, 2003) versity of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Bonn In 2001 she graduated from The University of Boston with a Masters in Journalism and an emphasis in photojournalism Currently a Fulbright Young Journalist at the University of Munich, Signorelli agreed to be the photographer for both the Hauptstadt Berlin Seminar in January and the Berlin Seminar in March The results of her effort are printed in News & Events * LOW E L L C U LV E R, who relates his experiences as a member of the Fulbright Class of ’53–’54 in the article, “Year Two,” is still very much active in transatlantic education In April, he taught a short course in public administration at the Fachhochschule Westküste in Heide, Schleswig-Holstein Culver is a retired professor of public and private management and serves on the Chicago-Hamburg Sister Cities Committee THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 GERMAN-AMERICAN FULBRIGHT COMMISSION The German-American Fulbright Program Das Deutsch-Amerikanische Fulbright-Programm The German-American Fulbright Program implements Senator J William Fulbright’s visionary concept: The promotion of mutual understanding between our two countries through academic and bicultural exchange The largest and most varied Fulbright program worldwide, the German-American Fulbright Program has sponsored over 30,000 Germans and Americans since its inception in 1952 Das deutsch-amerikanische Fulbright-Programm verwirklicht die visionäre Idee Senator Fulbrights: Die Förderung von gegenseitigem Verständnis zwischen den beiden Ländern durch akademischen und kulturellen Austausch Als größtes und vielfältigstes Fulbright-Programm weltweit hat das deutsch-amerikanische Fulbright-Programm seit seiner Entstehung im Jahr 1952 mehr als 30.000 Amerikaner und Deutsche gefördert The defining characteristic of the program is student exchange This core program is complemented by academic year programs for professors, teachers, teaching assistants, and journalists; summer internship programs for students; and seminars for experts in university administration and German and American Studies Das besondere Merkmal des deutsch-amerikanischen Fulbright-Programms ist der Studentenaustausch Dieses Kernprogramm wird ergänzt durch Jahresstipendien für Professoren, Lehrer und Fremdsprachenassistenten sowie durch Fortbildungsseminare für Hochschuladministratoren und Landeskundler The Fulbright Commission is a binational board consisting of the German Foreign Minister and the American Ambassador to Germany, who act as honorary chairmen, and five German and five American members, all of whom are appointed by the honorary chairmen Guidelines are provided by the J William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, whose members are appointed by the President of the United States The program is administered by the Secretariat located in Berlin, Germany; the Secretariat’s partner on the American side is the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the U.S Department of State Die binationale Fulbright-Kommission besteht aus je fünf deutschen und amerikanischen Mitgliedern, die von den Ehrenvorsitzenden, dem deutschen Außenminister und dem amerikanischen Botschafter in Deutschland, benannt werden Das J William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, dessen Mitglieder vom amerikanischen Präsidenten ernannt werden, erstellt die Richtlinien für das Fulbright-Programm Das deutsch-amerikanische Fulbright-Programm wird vom Sekretariat in Berlin verwaltet Der amerikanische Partner der Fulbright-Kommission ist das Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs im U.S Department of State THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 46 R E G I S T R AT I O N F O R M F U L B R I G H T A LU M N I D I R E C TO RY & F U N N E L R E P LY C A R D To be included in the Fulbright Alumni Directory and continue receiving the Funnel after your grant period is over, please fill out the following form The Alumni Directory can be viewed at www.fulbright.de, but only if you have a password To receive the password, you must be in the directory yourself E-mail us at: funnel@fulbright.de to gain access Thanks! Name and Title (please include maiden name) Position Home Address, Tel & E-mail: (not published in directory) Business Address, Tel., Fax & E-mail: Category of Grant: student special program P teaching assistant P teacher P P Year of Grant P junior/senior scholar P other Field of Study Host Institution (please include city) Home Institution (please include city) Please return to: Fulbright-Kommission, Oranienburger Straße 13–14, 10178 Berlin I hereby authorize the Commission to include the above information in its Alumni Directory I understand that this information may be distributed to a third party Date Signature: THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 IMPRINT The Funnel is published by the Commission for Educational Exchange between the United States of America and the Federal Republic of Germany Executive Director: Dr Georg Schütte Editor: Erica Young Copy Editor: David Beffert Contributions and letters to the editor may be sent to: The Funnel Fulbright-Kommission Oranienburger Straße 13–14 10178 Berlin Germany E-mail: funnel@fulbright.de Telephone: +49 (0)30 28 44 43-16 Fax: +49 (0)30 28 44 43-12 www.fulbright.de The Fulbright Commission does not take responsibility for opinions expressed in the Funnel by individual contributors, nor these in any way reflect official Fulbright Commission policy The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission Alle Rechte vorbehalten Nachdruck, auch auszugsweise, nur mit ausdrücklicher Genehmigung THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER • SUMMER 2003 47 Fulbright-Kommission Oranienburger Straße 13–14 10178 Berlin Germany E-mail: funnel@fulbright.de Telephone: +49 (0)30 28 44 43-16 Fax: +49 (0)30 28 44 43-12 www.fulbright.de [...]... Europe and the impending war in Iraq His speech set the tone for a week of visits to the five branches of the European Union – the Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors, the European Commission, the European Council, the European Parliament – and NATO While many of the question and answer sessions focused on the process and politics involved in running multi-national organizations, as well as the expansion... takes the reader into the Chicana world of the past and present Recently, Chicano literature has become more experimental and the vast range of literary production gives proof of the maturity of the genre Even non -Chicano authors like T.C Boyle (The Tortilla Curtain) dove into this genre, focusing especially on current issues such as illegal immigration and contemporary Chicano life in the U.S With the. .. many of the images and stories presented confirmed the stereotype of the helpless Turkish female oppressed by her environment and unable to take advantage of the freedom offered her These books, though a part of the development of the Turkish-German genre, when regarded alone can result in a misunderstanding of the diverseness of the Turkish immigrant experience Zehra Çirak has published four volumes of. .. attire that the soldiers associated with anti-Americanism Despite these events, it was not until the 1960s that the Chicano identity came into existence and we can talk of an actual Chicano literature The 1960s were marked by the tensions between Mexican-Americans and Americans and by the activism of Chicanos to change this situation The topics of the time dealt with finding an own identity, the immigrant... line of successful Chicano prose Early Chicano fiction mainly portrayed the physical experiences of Chicanos in the U.S.: the rural/urban dichotomy, migrant life, and the exploitation of labor Nevertheless, the stories increasingly incorporated mystic elements and thus created a closeness to the magic realism of Latin America Authors picked up and reinvented images of Mexican folklore and placed them... commitment Chicanos are conscious of their unique status in the United States and seek to give their group its own identity rather than to melt into mainstream society What makes the status of Chicanos so unique is the historical relationship between Mexico and the United States With the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American war in 1848, Mexico ceded almost one third of. .. its land to the United States The majority of Mexicans living in this area decided to stay on their land, as authorized by the treaty They were also allowed to retain their property, language, and traditions Despite the treaty’s provisions for the protection of the Mexican people and of those who chose to become American citizens, anti-Mexican sentiment grew in the region and soon both Mexicans and. .. to a better understanding of the Fulbright Program and what it can do for German universities – BK E-Learning – The School of The Future? The benefits of modern communication could be observed directly at the symposium, “E-Learning – The School of The Future?” at the Amerika Haus in Munich on November 18, 2002 Professor Elliot Masie, one of the world’s leading experts and promoters of elearning, delivered... made my way from the youth hostel to the Domplatz, or Cathedral Square I pulled up short as I rounded the last corner and gazed in wonder at the sight before me The cathedral is a majestic Gothic complex and the warm glow of the spotlights enveloped its triple, copper towers Set on a little hill, the Dom stands next to the St Severus Church and a cascade of steps flows out between them to the square below... cuisine and then top off your evening with a bitter from one of the Irish pubs (the Dubliner Irish Pub often has live music downstairs) If you’d like something fast, cheap, and typical of the area, then grab a Thüringer Rostbratwurst (Thuringian Sausage) for 1.50 € from the stand next to the Schlösserstraße bridge and watch the ducks as they swim in the Gera River If you want to experience a bit of nature,