Research project: The second generation Malayalees in Germany
According to the culture conflict theories second generation migrants are caught between the culture of their parents and that of the host society, and necessarily develop identity conflicts. This approach, which has long dominated the research on the descendants of migrants, is increasingly challenged by researchers who are mainly based in postcolonial studies. They develop Bhaba’s (1994) concept of hybridity further, emphasising the development of new identities without essentialising the old. In Germany Mecheril (1994, 1997, 2004) has developed the concept of „Andere Deutsche“ (Other Germans), which encompasses those who are described as second generation migrants. He defines all those as Germans, who were socialised in Germany and plan their lives there. “Andere Deutsche” are according to Mecheril others not because they are different but because they experience othering. Due to physiognomic and social attributes they are considered not to be descendants of “Germans” and thus in a definition of “German” based on blood they can not be “Germans” themselves. With the help of this analytical concept one can analyse the reactions of “Andere Deutsche” to othering and their processes of identity constructions. Battaglia (1995), Badawia (2003) and Terkessidis (2004) similarly to Mecheril challenge the culture conflict approach, focus on the experiences of the members of the second generation, analyse the issues raised by them rather than the fears of the host society. Badawia et al (2003) critically discuss the methods of qualitative research in this field, reflecting on the inescapable othering involved in analysing the othering experiences. This research project bases on these concepts and discussions, aiming to contribute a case study of a so far unstudied group.
Transnational South Asian migration is a much researched field, especially in those countries with large populations of South Asian migrants (see for example Jain 1993 or van der Veer 1995). The situation in Germany has so far been hardly analysed. Little academic work has been published, and this deals mostly with Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka. The material to be found are mainly unpublished masters thesises or reports by journalists. Systematic research on South Asians in Germany has started only in the last few years. A volume of ethnographic studies of South Asians in Germany is being edited at the moment, articles are being written, at least one research project is being funded. For comparative analysis the situation in Germany is interesting as it can help in understanding the role of the different migration histories and immigration regulations on the processes of identity constructions among South Asian migrants and their descendants. A group with a particular migration history in Germany are the Malayalees, the migrants from the South Indian state of Kerala. Catholic hospitals and homes for the elderly recruited young Christian nurses from Kerala, who later had arranged marriages in India and were joined by their husbands in Germany. The husbands were not immediately eligible for work permits and thus became the ones to bring up the children and establish an ethnic and religious infrastructure. This particular migration history challenged the gender roles in the families and encouraged the establishment of a Malayalee community. This opens a wide field of research, which has not been approached yet.
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