The new Germany

by Sujata Massey

With an Indian name and appearance, not many people know that I’m half-German. But it's an important part of my identity. My mother, who emigrated in 1960, comes from a small town, Datteln, in the Recklinghausen district within the Ruhr area. I visited Germany often as a child and still speak German, though I'm a poor conversationalist compared to the chatterbox I was in my teens. 

Naturally, I've been following the news that Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel announced that Germany would offer asylum to the Syrian and other refugees: up to 800,000 this year alone. Only after her announcement, did England, France, and Finland all chime in they would help. Now the US has agreed take a small number of Syrian refugees--perhaps 10,000--next year. It's no surprise Germany was the leader for this; they take more refugees than any other nation worldwide. And of course, Ms. Merkel is leader of the European Union, a group that was panicked about the Syrian exodus. 

Refugees arrive in Croatia/Jodi Hilton for the Washington Post

Some have faulted Germany for encouraging more refugees, not all of whom are Syrians escaping ISIS and the brutal civil war. ISIS apparently is encouraging its terrorists to take advantage of the opportunity to emigrate. When asked about the danger in accepting asylum seekers, Ms. Merkel responded: "Fear has never been a good advisor, neither in our personal lives nor in our society. Cultures and societies that are shaped by fear, will, without a doubt, not get a grip on the future."

Her words sent me back to the last century, and I wondered if she was thinking about the kind of fear that led ordinary Germans to fault to scapegoating German Jews for economic woes. A distrust of outsiders led too many nations, including the United States, to turn away many thousands of Jewish asylum seekers in the 1930s and '40s. Fear is the current buzzword for Hungary, the country threatening imprisonment of the refugees who only wish to pass through to more welcoming countries. For the refugees, figuring out a route that avoids hostile nations has become a kind of roulette.

The situation of Germany welcoming Syrians reminds me of my visits to Germany in the 1970s and 1980s, when the only other brown people besides ourselves were guest workers from Turkey who'd been invited by the German government to fill manufacturing jobs. Their presence built Germany's economic miracles, filled houses, and kept schools and businesses thriving.  Germany's population growth is even lower now than when I was a kid. The Syrians can save Germany--as well as other low birthrate European countries---by providing labor and building a healthy population for the future.  

Thousands of Germans have come forward with donations of food, clothing and housing for the Syrians. This smiling young man did not even have to put a translation on his sign.

photo by Jens Mejer/Associated Press

Last weekend I checked up with my mother, who has lived in the midwestern state of Minnesota for 44 years.  She was happy and proud of Germany's leadership on behalf of the Syrians. I was heartened to hear that her relatives were in the same mental place. My 74-year-old uncle, a lifelong resident of Datteln, makes it a habit to greet every non-German he sees in the streets. My 18-year-old teenaged second cousin is going to refugee camps to teach the German language to the new arrivals. These actions are not rare; they are the new normal in Germany. And I believe forthright behavior of  everyday Germans will surpass any violent actions coming from a minority of haters. 

Horneburg Side Street, Datteln/Stahlkocher

Mama Merkel poses for a selfie with an asylee to Germany/Reuters: Fabrizio Bensch

Immigration is not a fairy tale. I know this from my parents, who emigrated from their homelands twice over--not because of persecution, but because of a deep personal desire to lead lives true to themselves. Fortunately, they made it and now can't imagine leaving where they've built their homes.

Here's hoping the rest of the world will see the same opportunity as Germany does.

Sujata in Baltimore, Maryland - Wednesday