The emergence and transformation of Chicano and TurkishGerman literature

NEWSMAGAZINE OF THE
GERMAN-AMERICAN
FULBRIGHT COMMISSION

THE
SUMMER 2003
NUMBER 2 •VOLUME

FUNNEL

39

The Literature
of Identity
The emergence and
transformation of
Chicano and TurkishGerman literature


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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 2 • 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 2 • SUMMER 2003

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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 2 • 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 do 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 –
do as the local children do. 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
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 2 • SUMMER 2003

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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 do not receive the Funnel but would
like to, please send them this web address.

THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER 2 • 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 for consideration.

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NEWS & EVENTS

B E R L I N

S E M I N A R

2 0 0 3

The Fulbright Experience –
Education for Leaders
March 23–28, 2003

1

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)

2

[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 2 • SUMMER 2003

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Photos: Lara Signorelli

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NEWS & EVENTS

[4] From left to right Scott Brunstetter,
Colleen Traughber, Gregory Mancini, and
Dr. Ulrich Schneckener discuss nation
building and post-conflict reconstruction.

9

4

[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

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6

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[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.

8

9

[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.

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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.

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NEWS & EVENTS

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Photos: Lara Signorelli

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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 2 • 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.


NEWS & EVENTS

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21

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Wednesday night a handful of Fulbrighters put on back-to-back artistic events.
First, public artist Richard Posner and students modeled several of the “Self-Containers” constructed as part of an art retreat he conducted last year. Each container was built from recyclable materials and
was meant to enhance a virtue or inhibit a
particular vice of its creator.
Following the presentation of the SelfContainer, director and Fulbrighter Daniel Brunet presented a reading of Blue
Sky, his translation of the German play
Blauer Himmel by Meike Hauch. In the

play a couple copes with their recollections

Photos: Lara Signorelli

A RT I S T I C E V E N T S

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[21] Yan Kvitko, currently studying at
the Conservatorium van Amsterdam,
concentrates on Liszt.
[22] Musician Matthew Swihart,
currently studying at the Musikhochschule
in Detmold, Germany, on trumpet.
[23] Fulbrighter Orlando Román,
currently in Spain, enchants the audience
with classical guitar.
[24] Erik Barness, Fulbrighter in Sweden,
shakes maracas to electro-acoustic music.

THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER 2 • SUMMER 2003


NEWS & EVENTS

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[25] Mezzo-soprano Allison Watson(left)

and soprano Anna Evans sing a scene
from the opera Anne Pedersdotter
by Fulbright scholar and librettist
Daniel Shore.
[26] Fulbright musicians take a bow.
[27] From left to right: Ines Horbert,
Erica Young, Catharina Rachold and
Reiner Rohr of the Fulbright Secretariat.

26

of the collapse of the World Trade Center
on September 11, 2001.
The final event of the evening was the
semi-production of an excerpt of the play,
Things Are Going to Change, I Can Feel It,
by Fulbright playwright Michael Smart.
The play was directed by Fulbrighter Lydia
Steier, who also acted alongside Fulbrighters Kelaine Vargas, Rebecca Sponseller,
and T.J. Korst. The play follows the story
of the President of the United States (and
flight attendant), played by Sponseller, as
she deals with the invasion of the United
States by the United Kingdom.
MUSIC GALA

27

The Berlin Seminar ended on a musical note with the annual Music Gala, this
time at the Maxim Gorki Theater, on

Thursday night. Organized by alumnus
Joseph Nykiel, who also provided piano
accompaniment, the Gala featured sixteen
Fulbright musicians from all over Europe
who thrilled the audience with excerpts
from several operas, Spanish guitar music,
a piece for maracas and much, much more.
T H A N K S TO A L L

Photos: Lara Signorelli

On Friday grantees and their families
returned to their host cities. The week was
exhausting but rewarding and the Fulbright Commission would like to thank
everyone who participated for their enthusiasm and energy.

THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER 2 • SUMMER 2003


NEWS & EVENTS

Feedback
Dear Fulbright Commission,
Before the Berlin Seminar began, I had no idea how much I would enjoy
the lectures, the research reports, the tours, the cultural events, and the casual
conversations at meals. I was so impressed with the caliber of individuals I met,
and felt very proud to be part of it all. Sincerely,

D R . L AU R A M C G E E

F U L B R I G H T J U N I O R R E S E A RC H E R I N B E R L I N , 2 0 0 2 – 0 3

Liebe Fulbright Commission,
ich wollte euch herzlich danken für das Fulbright Berlin Seminar 2003.
Die Woche in Berlin war wunderbar, und das Seminar was sehr informativ
und inspirierend. Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

MARIAH STEMBER

FREMDSPRACHENASSISTENTIN, KÖLN, 2002–03

Dear Fulbright Commission,
Thank you very much for the perfectly organized seminar in Berlin.
You have done a really great job! Both my wife and myself shall never forget
these five days, and I have also received a lot of inspiration for my work,
with lecturing to be started this Monday. Best wishes,

M I K H A I L D I M E N T B E RG

Dear Fulbright Commission,
The Seminar was great. Thanks for everything, and I’m looking forward
to the 50th in 2004.

M A RG A R E T S C H E F F E L I N

Dear Fulbright Commission,
I want to thank you most sincerely for the marvelous Berlin Seminar
last week. It was a perfect occasion to renew friendships formed last fall
with other Fulbrighters and to get to know still others. Also my wife and
I had a very enjoyable time exploring the musical and art scene in Berlin,

hearing the fine lectures you had arranged, taking a trip to Potsdam, etc., etc.
The Fulbright Music Gala was absolutely stunning, and we both found it
encouraging to witness such a display of talent, especially at a time that is
not the best for our country. We also managed, after the Music Gala, to get
most of the Fulbright philosophers together for drinks and conversation.
With thanks and best wishes,

JOHN SALLIS

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NEWS & EVENTS

Address at the Opening Ceremony
of the 2003 Berlin Seminar
by Angela Kappler

Sehr geehrte Mitglieder der Fulbright Kommission,
angesehene Gäste und Fulbrightgenossin,
Herzlich willkommen zum 49. jährlichen Fulbright-Berlin
Seminar. Es ist mir eine große Ehre, heute vor Ihnen zu stehen
und im Namen der diesjährigen Fulbrighter zu sprechen. Bitte
erlauben Sie mir, mich vorzustellen und mich bei den Deutschen
und Amerikanischen Mitgliedern der Kommission für ein unglaubliches Fulbright-Jahr zu bedanken.
To the members of the Board, honored and distinguished

guests, and fellow Fulbrighters,
Warm greetings to all of you, and welcome to the 49th annual Fulbright Berlin seminar. It is an absolute honor to stand
before you today. I would like to introduce myself to those of
you I do not already know, and I would like to thank the
German and American Board members on behalf of all Fulbrighters for this unbelievable Fulbright experience.
My name is Angela Kappler, and I grew up in both New
York State and New Jersey. When I was younger, I thought that
New York City, which is about 10 miles from where I live, was
the center of the world. In high school I developed a love of
journalism with the dream of studying at the Columbia School
of Journalism and one day heading The New Yorker magazine.
A little ambitious, maybe, but I chose a school which would
hopefully help me get there. Through my four years at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, I received an extraordinary
education.
Wellesley is a women’s college, and people often ask why
I chose to study at a single-sex institution. I can only answer
that Wellesley promises to produce ‘women who will make a
difference in the world.’ And I strongly believe in its motto,
‘Non Ministrari Sed Ministrare’ – that we are here not to be
served, but to serve others.
At Wellesley I majored in English, and, to my surprise,
German. While I grew up in an area of the United States in
which one is more likely to hear Spanish or+ Korean, much of
my decision to study German had to do with the fact that
my grandfather was born in Germany and immigrated to the

THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER 2 • SUMMER 2003

United States as a child. When he passed away right before I
began college, I wanted to learn more about the country and

the language from which he originated.
I absolutely loved my first German classes at Wellesley and
decided to apply for the Wellesley-in-Vienna study abroad program. During college I also served as editor-in-chief of a joint
Wellesley-M.I.T. publication, and I was able to combine my
interest in journalism and German by participating in two journalism internships while in Vienna. In the first, I worked as a
reporter for the Central European News Agency, and in the
second I learned journalistic marketing from a freelance business writer. These opportunities did not necessarily have the
effect I anticipated. In many ways they confirmed my love for
journalism, but on the other hand they made me realize the
many challenges that a career as a journalist presents.
Despite a sometimes rocky study abroad experience, during my semester at the University of Vienna I felt a transformation within me take place. I felt very strongly that every day
in Vienna provided me with the unique opportunity to open
my mind to a whole new realm of possibilities. For the first
time I learned what it meant to live so far away from home,
and about what eastern, not just western Europe, is like. When
I thought about what I would do after graduation, all I knew
was that I needed to continue to expand my understanding
of the world in the same way that it was expanded through a
liberal arts education and study abroad.
I chose to apply for a Fulbright grant because, much as I
believed in Wellesley’s motto, I believe in Senator Fulbright’s –
‘We must dare to think unthinkable thoughts.’ After Vienna,
I learned that nothing is impossible. If only we believe in change,
we are already more than halfway there to making it reality.
And like Senator Fulbright, I wanted to not only keep learning
more, but to begin to give back what I had learned. Everyday
that is sometimes challenging as an American abroad and as a
Fulbrighter, because of the current political environment, makes
me realize that I can give back by engaging in dialogue with my
community and to try and promote understanding between our

two similar, and yet so different, societies.


NEWS & EVENTS

This year as a Fulbrighter has afforded all of us amazing
opportunities. The Fulbright year has expanded my education
and professional goals in ways, which otherwise might have not
been possible. I applied to study Germanistik at the Johann
Wolfgang Goethe Universität in Frankfurt am Main, with the
hope of gaining fluency in German and working as a foreign
correspondent on German current events. I also hoped to
complete another internship, this time with the Frankfurter
Allgemeine Zeitung.
But before I even arrived in Germany, I realized that to
achieve my goals I would need to expand my education with
coursework in political science and economics. Because my
undergraduate degree was in English and German, I first
thought that such a change might be ‘unthinkable.’ But while
challenging, my classes at the University of Frankfurt have
greatly expanded my knowledge about world events, and have
increased my prospects as a graduate school applicant for law
or international relations.
The Fulbright experience has not only expanded my education in ways I previously thought unimaginable, but it has
also greatly enhanced my prospects as a journalist. In January
I participated in the Fulbright Hauptstadt Berlin Program with
several other Fulbright journalists and students. Through this
seminar, Fulbright provided us with access to Germany’s most
important political, economic, and media institutions. And
recently, I learned that through my application with the Fulbright internship program, I was accepted for a three month

position with Deutsche Welle, one of Germany’s largest news
broadcasters. I am sure that I speak for everyone in thanking
the Fulbright American Program Unit for all of the time and
effort they devoted to helping this year’s Fulbrighters find
internships.
On a personal note, my year as a Fulbrighter has a meaningful connection with my own past. While I never had the
opportunity to travel with my grandfather on one of his many
trips back to Germany, I had the honor of learning my previously unknown relatives in Durlach, a small town outside of
Karlsruhe. Although no one else in my family can speak Ger-

Photo: Lara Signorelli

Angela Kappler
speaking at the
Opening Ceremony.

man, I was able to reconnect with my grandfather’s family
because of my language ability. During my visit, one of my
relatives spoke to me, ‘Du sprichst besser Deutsch als dein Opa.’
(Your German is better than your grandfather’s.) Needless to
say, this was a great moment of personal victory, which I am
sure we have all experienced in the course of this year.
Since becoming a Fulbrighter, the world has changed, and
my own plans for the world have changed. Journalism and
New York City are no longer the only possibilities. Germany
is no longer ‘that country in Europe’ where my grandfather used
to vacation and about which I knew very little. I think that the
Fulbright experience is not only a realization of our dreams,
but also a redirecting of them.
To the members of the Board and both the American and

German governments, I would like to say thank you for this
opportunity. The theme of our conference this March is leadership, and you have provided us with the chance to become
not only leaders in our academic fields, but perhaps even more
importantly, in our own communities. Thank you for allowing us to try ourselves and to push past our boundaries, both
academic and personal.
Ein ganz herzlicher Dank gilt der deutschen und amerikanischen Regierung für die Möglichkeit, das Motto von Senator
Fulbright zu erleben. Ich danke Ihnen dafür, daß Sie uns
nach Deutschland gebracht haben, und für die Erlaubnis, über
Deutschland zu lernen und Deutschland uns kennenlernen
zu lassen.

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NEWS & EVENTS

16

Capital Days
German grantees participate in European Union and NATO seminar

by Susan Buzzelli

Photo: Colleen Traughber

NATO headquarters in Brussels.

War loomed, but the sun shone during

the annual Fulbright Commission Introduction to the European Union and NATO
in March. Nine American grantees based
in Germany joined a group of 35 American scholars and teaching assistants from
18 European countries on a tour of the E.U.
and NATO institutions based in Luxembourg, Brussels, and Mons.
“The seminar gave me a more concrete
grasp of what the European Union really
means,” said Kenneth Lukas, a Berlin-based
young scholar studying the E.U. The group
of German grantees also included three
other young researchers and five young professional journalists.
The event opened with a cocktail party in the elegant residence of U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg Peter Terpeluk, Jr.
Participants mingled with distinguished
guests, including Mr. Kurt H. Riechenberg, Chief of Staff to the Court of Justice
President, before listening to a speech by
the Ambassador about life as an American
in 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 of the E.U. and NATO into
eastern Europe, exchanges also addressed
the evolving transatlantic relationship and
the rumbles of war that erupted into reality by the time the seminar wound to a
close.

Presenters’ speeches and Powerpoint presentations enabled members of the group
who had never studied the E.U. and NATO
to orient themselves with the organizations’ structure, politics, and future plans.
Grantees already familiar with the fine
print of the E.U.’s treaties or the details of
NATO’s military capabilities asked specific questions related to their research projects. Elegant lunches with special guests
gave participants additional opportunities
to learn about the organizations from
SHAPE generals, U.S. diplomats, and E.U.
newsmakers.

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The American participants, who came
to Brussels from nearly every European
country, including Norway, Ireland, Bulgaria and Hungary, had the opportunity to
raise questions about their host countries.
At the European Commission, for example, Mr. Declan Costello, Directorate General for Economic and Monetary Affairs,
fielded questions from German grantees
about the impact of Germany’s sluggish
economic growth on other E.U. countries.
Participants spent time outside of briefing rooms swapping stories about the Fulbright experience in Europe. The group
had a chance to get to know one another
during bus rides, on a day to Brugge – the
Venice of the North – and over dinner in
Brussels’ world-famous restaurants.
Almost every evening was free, so grantees had an entire week to sample fare from
West Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Italy and,
of course, Belgium. Crisp French fries and
buttery waffles – both of which were invented in Belgium – were particular favorites. Participants also headed to Brussels’

cozy pubs to sample freshly brewed cherry
beer called Kriek.
Event leader Maggie Nicholson, Executive Director of the Belgium Fulbright
Commission, called her adopted home
“Europe’s best kept secret.” By the end of
their week in the capital of Europe, Fulbrighters had no choice but to agree that
the land of chocolate, beer, waffles, and
fries – not to mention the E.U. and NATO
– is indeed a gem.


NEWS & EVENTS

Second ‘Universities of the
Future’ Conference Held
in Dresden
Nearly 100 young German and American research associates and professors
met in Dresden on November 28 and 29,
2002, to critically evaluate the current state
of higher education in Germany and the
United States. The meeting was the second
in a series of three conferences on “Universities of the Future.”
This conference series is sponsored by
the American Embassy in Germany, the
German-American Fulbright Commission,
the German Academic Exchange Service,
the Association of German Universities and
Other Higher Education Institutions, and

Association of

Friends & Sponsors
Says Farewell to
Professor Döser

the Veranstaltungsforum der Verlagsgruppe
Georg von Holtzbrinck.
As the first conference in Bonn (June
2002) was designed as a gathering of senior experts on higher education policy and
higher education management, the meeting in Dresden provided an opportunity
for junior faculty to express their concerns
and work on progressive suggestions for the
future organization of higher learning, research, and education management.
The workshop resulted in several proposals for the reform of the German higher education system. They will be presented to a broader public during the final
conference, which is scheduled for June 4,
2003, in Berlin. – GS

The Association of Friends and
Sponsors of the German-American
Fulbright Program paid tribute to its
founding member and first chairman
Professor Wulf Döser on January 22,
2003. After six years of service, Professor Döser was succeeded by Georg
Bauer, a former board member of
DaimlerChrysler Services.
During a festive dinner in Frankfurt’s International Club, Georg Bauer
lauded Professor Döser’s achievements
in creating a viable support network
for the German-American Fulbright
Program.

Top: Junior faculty discuss the future
of higher education.
Bottom: Workshop participants brainstorm
about the strengths and weaknesses of the
education system.

In a lively presentation, Professor
Barbara Ischinger, a former Executive
Director of the German-America Fulbright Commission, reminisced about
the founding days of the Association.
Fulbright Commission Chairman
Dr. Richard Schmierer expressed the

Photos: Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH

gratitude of the Commission’s Board
for Professor Döser’s relentless efforts
to create and support new Fulbright
opportunities for highly talented German and American students.
During the dinner, Professor Döser received the Commission’s “Fulbright Award of Honor.” – GS

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NEWS & EVENTS

Fulbright Journalists Investigate the Capital
by Susan Buzzelli

Experienced and aspiring journalists
spent three days in Germany’s chilly capital in January for an insider’s look at the
political, economic, and government institutions that generate headlines in the
nation’s newspapers. The busy itinerary of
the first annual Hauptstadt Berlin Seminar
included lively discussion with high-pro-

time from his hectic schedule to describe
the evolution of Germany’s foreign policy.
Parliamentarian Hans-Ulrich Klose expressed optimism in the future of U.S.-German relations in the wake of Schroeder’s
controversial election campaign. As head
of the U.S.-German Parliament Group and
a former Fulbright scholar, Mr. Klose offered a particularly insightful perspective.
S U RV E Y I N G T H E P O L I T I C A L
LANDSCAPE

Dr. Engelen-Kefer discusses labor relations with
Fulbright Young Journalist Brendan January.

file figures, tours of sleek new government
buildings, and intimate dinners with distinguished guests. Participants, which included five young professional journalists,
five young scholars, and a recent Fulbright
alumnus, also sat in on an official federal
press conference.
The dynamic U.S.-German relationship, along with party politics and fiscal
policy, dominated lively question and answer sessions – conducted in German – with
an impressive list of Berlin’s newsmakers.
Despite a case of the flu, top Gerhard
Schroeder advisor Bernd Mützelburg took

Other speakers navigated participants
through Germany’s notoriously complex
political landscape. The PDS’s Petra Pau,
CDU’s Laurenz Meyer, and Robert von
Rimscha, Parliament editor at Der Tagesspiegel shed light on party jockeying and
delivered forecasts for the already hotly
contested 2006 Chancellor race.
The ailing German economy was the
topic of discussion during visits to the
Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag, the Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, where
Dr. Ursula Engelen-Kefer discussed labor
union strikes, and Deutsche Bank, where
expert Dr. Klaus Günter Deutsch fielded
questions about the state of the world’s
third-largest economy.
Other speakers introduced participants
to a range of issues making waves in Germany. Marianne Birthler, Federal Representative in charge of the records of the
State Security Services of the GDR explained why there is a culture clash between
eastern and western Germans. Dr. Bernhard May of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Auswärtige Politik described Germany’s

THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER 2 • SUMMER 2003

perspective on the war against terror. And
Irene Liebau of Deutsche Bahn revealed the
railways race against auto drivers.
Prominent media figures, including Susanne Gelhard of ZDF television, Dr. Stefan Elfenbein of the Berliner Zeitung, and
Thomas Schnell-Burian of the Deutscher
Journalisten Landesverband shared their experiences as German journalists at home

and abroad. Another speaker, former member of the parliament Volkmar Schultz,
helped the Fulbright Commission design
the program.
A visit to the heavily guarded U.S. embassy in Berlin, where representatives from
the press, economy, and political sections
spoke, provided participants with the U.S.
point of view on many of the issues addressed throughout the week. Mark Smith,
press attaché, Tom Engle of the economic
section, and P. Franz Seitz of the political

Photos: Lara Signorelli

18

Mr. Hans-H. Freiherr von Stackelberg,
Head of the North American Division,
speaking at the Bundespresseamt.


NEWS & EVENTS

Fulbright at 50 –
Focus on Saarbrücken
section discussed their objections to the
German media’s portrayal of the United
States and their pragmatic take on the
future of transatlantic relations.
Participants ended each evening by
chatting and networking with journalists
and politicians over meals at popular Berlin restaurants. Dinner guests included

Dr. Richard Schmierer, Chairman of the
Fulbright Commission.
A LASTING IMPRESSION

While the chance to sit down with
high-ranking officials was the seminar
highlight, entry into Berlin’s shiny buildings enhanced the experience. A tour of
the sleek metal and glass Office of the
Chancellor, a glimpse inside the recently
restored Reichstag, and the opportunity
to take in sweeping views over the city
from the Deutsche Bahn skyscraper had participants oohing and aahing. The closing
event, a production of Dr. Caligari by the
American playwright Robert Wilson at the
Deutsches Theater, added a cultural dimension – and an encouraging display of U.S.German ties.
The seminar sped by so quickly that
participants could hardly absorb everything they had experienced during their
whirlwind tour of Europe’s most dynamic
city. They have since realized that such a
comprehensive and intensive overview of
Berlin has given them the ability to understand the story behind the Frankfurter
Allgemeine headlines and the N24 interviews.

Throughout the anniversary year of
the German-American Fulbright Commission many events, held all over Germany, were dedicated to the Fulbright
Commission’s 50th birthday.
One of the last to wind up the year
took place at the German-American
Institute in Saarbrücken, near the westernmost border of Germany, on November 7, 2002. The morning session,
presented in cooperation with the International Office of the University of the

Saarland in Saarbrücken, focused on the

Fulbright Program itself as well as practical tips for students and scientists who
wish to apply in the future.
The afternoon session featured Fulbright professor Greg Fowler, who gave
a lecture on “How teaching is changing
in America.” His audience of German
teachers engaged him in a lively discussion after the presentation.
All participants felt that both sessions contributed 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 his keynote lecture
live via digital video transmission from
New York. He stressed that e- or distance-learning is not an alternative to
traditional modes of teaching and learning but rather an added opportunity. Its
advantages are ubiquitous access and the
multi-national composition of e-learning communities.
Yet there are still many uncertainties, as the presenters of the symposium
pointed out. What is the return on investment in e-learning programs?

How can the technology be best used
to present and convey learning material? And how does one prevent students from “walking” out of an e-learning class?
Most e-learning programs are at
their beginning, however, the symposium also featured existing programs,
such as the Virtual College of Bavaria

and CLICK ONLINE, the computerbased learning program of the University of Erfurt.
The symposium was organized by
the Bavarian American Academy in cooperation with the Bavarian American
Center at the Amerika Haus, Munich,
and the Consulate General of the United States in Munich in celebration of
the 50th anniversary of the GermanAmerican Fulbright Program. – GS

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T I T L E TO PI C

Creating the Chicano
The role of literature in developing
a Mexican-American identity
by Birte Künstler

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T I T L E TO PI C

“U

ltima told me the stories and legends of my ancestors.
… From her I learned the glory and the tragedy of the

history of my people, and I came to understand how
that history stirred in my blood.” Like Ultima speaking to the
young boy, Antonio Marez, in Bless Me, Ultima, Chicano literature has given a voice to hundreds of years of Mexican-American
history in the United States. History and literature are always closely related, but almost nowhere is this connection more visible than
in Chicano literature, the literature of people of Mexican descent
living in the United States.
The origin of the term Chicano is not clear, but it is commonly agreed that Chicano comes from a sloppy pronunciation of
“Mexicano” (Mexicano > Meshicano > Shicano > Chicano).
The term is often considered interchangeable with MexicanAmerican, but there is a small difference, being Chicano is being
Mexican-American with a political 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 Mexican-Americans became
subjected to discrimination, violation of their rights, and secondclass treatment.
Much of the literature of this period was still written in Spanish and included romances, folk tales, and memoirs. Another
popular genre was the Corrido, a narrative ballad that dealt with
a variety of topics including bandits, wars, unrequited love, natural disasters, or heroic crimes. Corridos are still alive today and
have picked up current issues, even creating a whole sub-genre
about illegal drug trafficking (Narco-Corridos).

An open border and the import of Mexican labor during

World War I expanded the Mexican-American community even
further and strengthened ties to Mexican culture and literary
heritage. This, however, changed drastically during the Depression and through World War II, when Mexican-Americans were
widely viewed as scapegoats for economic problems, further alienating them from U.S. society. Because of patriotic sentiments they
expressed for the U.S. during the war, Mexican-Americans were
also estranged from their Mexican homeland and soon became
“foreigners in both countries.”
Proof and climax of the derogatory attitude towards MexicanAmericans were the 1942 Zoot Suit Riots in Los Angeles when,
in the aftermath of a court case, a group of U.S. soldiers systematically beat up Mexican-Americans wearing Zoot Suits, a typical
baggy 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 experience, life in
the barrios (ghettos), and especially with social and political protest against exploitation. The literary production did not neglect
aesthetic aspects but put an emphasis on establishing the Chicano
economically, politically, and socially within society.
César Chávez’s fight against the exploitation of migrant farm
workers in California, for example, gave birth to the Teatro Campesino, a Chicano migrant theater, founded by Miguel Luis Valdez,
that performed from the back of a pick-up truck, which drove
from field to field. The actos (short, 15-minute plays) at first
drew from the conditions of the migrant workers, often including the laborers in their performances. Later, the topics became

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T I T L E TO PI C

RECOMMENDED READING

Pocho by Jose Antonio Villarreal
The novel focuses on Richard Rubio, the son of a Mexican
immigrant family in Depression-era California. Richard experiences the intense conflict between loyalty to the traditions of his family and new and confusing cultural, religious,
and sexual pressures.
politically broader and the audience more diverse. Luis Valdez’s
most prominent production was Zoot Suit, a drama that focuses
on the 1942 trial and subsequent riots in L.A.
Chicano poetry also flourished in the 1960s. The most striking characteristic of Chicano poetry is its closeness to oral tradition and therefore its open-mindedness towards the use of language. Many poems appeared in bilingual verse or “Spanglish.”
Chicano poets not only used linguistics to find their own style,
but they also tried to shift away from the poetic traditions of both
countries, creating poems of free verse without rhyme or meter.
In the center of Chicano poetry in the sixties stands Rudolfo
“Corky” Gonzalez’s poem “I am Joaquín,” which is seen as the first
manifesto of “Chicano-ness,” a self-construction about what it
means to be Chicano.
The most important medium of expression for Chicanos has
always been fiction.
Pocho by José Antonio Villareal (1959), often called the first
Chicano novel, started a 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 in the U.S.
context. A rejection of traditional Catholicism and a return to the
pagan practice of curanderismo, healing with herbs and magic,
appears in a multitude of works, such as in Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless

me, Ultima, where an elderly curandera guides a young boy into
adulthood by renewing the ties to this mythical legacy.
Chicano authors also took up the notion of Aztlán, the alleged
homeland and place of origin of native Mexican Indians in the
American Southwest.
Contemporary Chicano literature, in many aspects, still remains true to its origins in the 1960s but has also continued to
grow and develop thematically and aesthetically. Especially the
Chicana has established her own voice in the canon, giving accounts of what it means to be a woman in a minority dominated
by men. Sandra Cisneros, for example, compiles those experiences
in her electrifying collection of short stories, Woman Hollering

THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER 2 • SUMMER 2003

Zoot Suit from Zoot Suit and Other Plays by Luis Valdez
Luis Valdez’s play illustrates the notorious 1942 Sleepy
Lagoon case, where a group of 17 young Chicanos were convicted of manslaughter under most dubious circumstances.
Bless me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
The curandera Ultima, an elderly women, who heals with
herbs and magic, comes to live with Antonio Marez’s family in New Mexico. She introduces him to the magical secrets
of the pagan past and accompanies him during his adolescence.
The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle
The worlds of an upper-class yuppie couple and a Mexican
illegal immigrant couple collide when they are involved in
a tragic accident. Though never discovering it, from then
on the two families’ fates circle around each other but the
couples are never able to communicate because they don’t
share a common language.
Woman Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros
This collection of short stories portrays the vibrant life on
both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border. From the secrets of

a 11-year-old girl to a witch circling the skies above a village, the stories show some of the strengths, wisdom, and
hopes of Chicanas.

Creek, and 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 continuing emancipation of Chicanos in the United
States, it will be very interesting to follow the development of this
genre in the next few years.


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Redefining Germany
Turkish literature and integration

Photo: Jacque Liu

by Julie Dawson

T

urkish-German culture represents an undeniable aspect
of modern Germany. Encompassing a rich musical
tradition from folk and classical to jazz and hip-hop,
diverse religious belief systems, a turbulent recent history, and
a rich literary tradition, Turkish culture is anything but simply

döner kebabs and belly dances. As Margrit Fröhlich explains in
her essay, “Reinventions of Turkey: Emine Sevgi Özdamar’s Life
is a Caravanserai” even when that fact is recognized “the literature
and culture of minorities living in Germany still remain an exotic addition to German culture rather than a factor that challenges
its dominant status.” This article will briefly recount the history
of the Turkish-German minority and then introduce two female
authors of Turkish heritage that write in German.
In the early 1960s Germany contracted a labor agreement with
Turkey and the flow of Gastarbeiter – men and some women –
began soon afterwards. Originally, this agreement was meant to
be temporary and both the Turkish immigrant workers and the
German government that received them expected a transitory relationship. Both parties, however, quickly recognized that the deal
was mutually unprofitable. Factories were forced to constantly

train new employees every two or three years, while for the Turks,
the land with the proverbial “streets of gold” turned into a gray
reality: hard work, better pay than in Turkey, but also a more
expensive cost of living. “Next year we will return to Turkey,” many
said, “but not yet.”
Eventually the German government realized it had sewn the
seeds of something it had no interest in tending. In 1973 the contract with Turkey was cancelled. The workers already in Germany
were allowed to stay but no more were allowed to enter. Families
left behind in Turkey were allowed to follow their breadwinners
to Germany. The Familienzusammenführung, the second phase
of immigration, took place during the 1970s and actually resulted in an annual increase of Turks entering Germany rather than
a decrease.
Not long after this, Turkey experienced a military coup and
so began the third phase – refugees and intellectuals seeking asylum. The fourth phase, globalization, began in the 1990s and continues today. Due to enormous strides made in technology and
communication, Turkish people living in Germany can virtually
“live” in Turkey. Turkish magazines, newspapers, radio stations,

THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER 2 • SUMMER 2003

23


and television stations are readily accessible, enabling one to hear,
speak, read, and write only Turkish.
For the Turks who integrated themselves years earlier into the
German culture, these changes are not of great significance. For
the younger generations, however, these advances provide them
with a crutch and an excuse to remain “foreign” in a world that
has been their “home” for years. In some areas this has resulted
in a form of re-ghettoization of Turkish communities. Instead of
advancing up the societal ladder, they regress, often due to underdeveloped language skills and/or simply the lack of contact with
the surrounding society. Many parents and others within the Turkish community, however, are increasingly realizing the importance
of their children mastering the German language.
During the 1970s and 80s a handful of Turkish immigrant
women began to write about their experiences. The majority of
literature from this time period is considered Betroffenheitsliteratur. Written in both Turkish and German, it tends to emphasize

THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER 2 • SUMMER 2003

the victimization of Turkish women. Whether victims of abusive
husbands, family members, or German society, 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 poetry, winning numerous awards along the way (1989, 2001 Adelbert-vonChamisso-Preis, 1999–2000 Arbeitsstipendium der Robert Bosch
Stiftung, amongst others). Çirak’s parents were guest workers and
she came to Germany in 1963 when
she was three years old. She is what
some would consider a fully-assimilated Turkish Mitbürgerin. She is married to a German, speaks accent-free
German, and possesses a German
passport. Whether full assimilation
is viewed positively through the eyes
of the Turkish community is an enZehra Çirak
tirely different and complicated topic. Çirak grew up speaking two languages and insists that she never felt the pressure to choose between the cultures. “Ich bin ja mit
beiden aufgewachsen. Ich war nie zwischen den Kultur, ich habe
immer beides gelebt,” she says.
Çirak writes in German, often playing with the two languages.
Her writing is lyrical and rarely mentions the Turkish factor. She
prefers it this way and does not go out of her way to bring in her
Turkish roots. During an interview last year, she repeatedly spoke
of her distaste for being shoved into the “Turkish” drawer. If you
are looking for something particularly Turkish about this poetry,
you may not find it. At best you’ll find the assertion of an international identity. Here is an excerpt from “Kulturidentität” (Vogel
auf dem Rücken eines Elefanten).
Also würde ich am liebsten japanisch aufwachen auf
einem Bodenbett in Räumen mit transparenten Scheintüren.
Dann würde ich gerne englisch frühstücken, danach mit

Photo: Jürgen Walter

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Photo: Jacque Liu

24


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25

RECOMMENDED READING

Non-Fiction:
Turkish Culture in German Society Today
by David Horrocks and Eva Kolinsky
Sicher in Kreuzberg, Constructing Diasporas:
Turkish Hip-Hop Youth in Berlin
by Ayhan Kaya

Emine Sevgi Özdamar was born in 1946 in Malatya, Turkey.
A well-known and respected actress
and author, Özdamar first came to
Berlin in 1965 as a factory worker.
From 1967–70 she studied theater in
Istanbul and in 1976 returned to
Berlin to study in East Germany
under one of Brecht’s pupils. Her first
book, Mutterzunge was published in
1990 and for her novel Das Leben ist
Emine Sevgi Özdamar
eine Karawanserei, hat zwei Türen, aus
einer kam ich rein, aus der anderen ging ich raus, published in 1992,
she received the prestigious Ingeborg-Bachmann-Preis. As the first

non-native German speaker to receive this prize, the event was
wrought with controversy (for more information see Karen
Jankowsky. “‘German’ Literature Contested: The 1991 IngeborgBachmann Prize Debate, ‘Cultural Diversity,’ and Emine Sevgi
Özdamar.” In German Quarterly, summer 1997). Her other publications include a volume of short stories and essays, Der Hof im
Spiegel, several theater pieces, and two other novels, which together
with Das Leben ist eine Karawanserei constitute a semi-autobiographical trilogy.
The first book, Das Leben ist eine Karawanserei, details the life
of a young girl growing up during the 1950s and 60s in Turkey.
According to Margrit Fröhlich, by focusing on the girl’s childhood in Turkey and mentioning Germany only in the final chapter of the book, Özdamar “challenges the ethnocentric notion of
German culture as the central reference point compared to which

Fiction:
by Zehra Çirak:
• Flugfänger, 1987
• Vogel auf dem Rücken eines
Elefanten, 1991
• Fremde Flügel auf eigener
Schulter; 1994
• Leibesübungen, 2000
by Emine Sevgi Özdamar:
• Mutterzunge, 1990
• Das Leben ist eine Karawanserei/hat zwei Türen/aus
einer kam ich rein/aus der anderen ging ich raus, 1992
• Die Brücke vom goldenen Horn, 1998
• Der Hof im Spiegel, 2001
• Sterne fallen vom Himmel, 2003
by Renan Demirkan
• Schwarzer Tee mit drei Stück Zucker

all others appear as peripheral,” thus forcing the reader to “acknowledge a multidimensional history outside European culture and

prior to the appearance of Turkish minorities in German society.”
The mixing of fairytales and history and the questionable boundaries between reality and fiction seen through the young girl’s
eyes results in a strong magic-realistic quality in this book.
During the second book, Die Brücke vom goldenen Horn, the
young girl moves to Berlin as a guest-worker for a few years, then
returns to Turkey to study theater. The stories focus not only on the
personal life of the girl, but also on the turbulent political events
of the time. Just released in March of this year, Seltsame Sterne
Starren zur Erde, completes the trilogy, describing the experiences
of the girl living in West Berlin while studying theater in the East.
Both authors, though of Turkish descent, choose to write in German. They seek not to define the Turkish experience, but rather to
normalize it and thereby construct a new understanding of Germany.

THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 39 • NUMBER 2 • SUMMER 2003

Photo: Verlag Kiepenheuer & Witsch

Photo: Helga Kneidl

fremder Gleichgültigkeit chinesisch arbeiten, fleißig und
eifrig. Am liebsten möchte ich französisch essen und tierisch
satt römisch baden, gerne will ich bayrisch wandern und
afrikanisch tanzen. Am liebsten würde ich russische Geduld
besitzen und mein Geld nicht amerikanisch verdienen
müssen. Ach, wie möchte ich gerne einen Schweizer Pass,
ohne in den Verdacht zu geraten, Inhaben eines Nummernkontos zu sein. Am liebsten möchte ich indisch einschlafen als
Vogel auf dem Rücken eines Elefanten und türkisch träumen
vom Bosporus.