PhD student, German
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After the official end of the worker’s migration in 1973, the term migrant literature came to replace the term guest worker literature. Migrant literature encompasses works by immigrants, as well as works by Germans of non-German heritage. Texts written by descendants of guest workers, for example, could also be placed within the category of migrant literature. Despite the fact that these authors often do not have German as a native language, they have chosen German as their literary language and write for a German-speaking audience. (Tvrdik, 4)
Though the term can technically be used to refer to all literature written by authors of non-German heritage, it still carries with it implied exclusions. For example, second, third, and fourth generations immigrants do indeed have a history of migration in their family and may still be influenced by non-German cultures and traditions. Many of these individuals, however, do speak German as a native language, hold German citizenship, consider themselves to be German, and would take great exception to being referred to as a migrant or minority writer.
The term migrant literature also implies that the subject matter will have to do with migration and/or the life and culture of “other” nations and peoples. Though the migration experience and the attending processes of integration and identity development continue to play a primary role in this literature, thematically, migrant literature can be very diverse.
Migration literature, by contrast, is a branch of literature that deals specifically with topics surrounding migration. As such, migration literature offers an opportunity for German authors to contribute to the genre (Rösch, 2006, 2). In this way, the designation migration literature serves to expand the field of migrant literature. In the case of migration literature, a great deal of focus is directed on the host or receiving society – in this case, German society. Thus, migration literature often places – at least in principle – less emphasis on the biography of the author. Contrary to the case of migrant literature, a text is classified as migration literature according to its thematic content and narrative perspective, not according to the biography of its author. Migration is not limited to the migration of workers, migration might also include internal migration, as from East Germany to West Germany or vice versa, and an author must not necessarily have migrated him or herself in order to write migration literature. Both terms – migrant literature and migration literature – have advantages and drawbacks. Each can be seen as both limiting and expanding its respective counterpart.
Despite these principles, the perception and reception of migrant and migration literatures continue to be shaped by traditional divisions, distinctions, and assumptions. That is, it is still regarded largely as autobiographical or documentary literature, and little attention is paid to its literary value (Rösch, 2004, 89). Migrant and migration literatures exist within a hierarchical discourse and will remain in this position as long as they are read first and foremost as part of the migration context. In contrast to exile literature, which classifies authors as contributing to the literature of their native country, authors of migrant and migration literature orient themselves primarily towards their host society and contribute to this nation’s literature, while at the same time maintaining their affiliation to their home country.
Due to this double perspective, these texts and authors often end up fulfilling the function of cultural intermediaries. Whether texts are intentionally tailored to the expectations of a specific audience or not, the subject matter and the personal heritage of the author also influence the manner in which they are read. While these texts may indeed be useful and informative cultural documents, being read first and foremost as such often directs attention away from the value of their literary or poetic statements.
Migrant
and migration literature can also
take a different approach to facilitating cultural understanding. As this
literature exists within a hierarchical discourse, it is influenced by the
effects of social and political power differentials. In light of this, it can
be extremely critical of the host society. These texts form a Randgruppenliteratur, a literature of peripheral or
marginal groups. Feridun Zaimoglu’s
books Abschaum, Kanak
Sprak, and Koppstoff
provide examples of texts that criticize dominant forces and perspectives. Zaimoglu criticizes power relations and the consequences of
these not only thematically, but also indirectly through his appropriation,
distortion, and augmentation of the German language.
Tvrdik, Milan. “Ota Filip im tschechischen und deutschen Kulturkontext.” Migrationsliteratur. Schreibweisen einer interkulturellen Moderne. Schenk, Klaus, Almut Todorov und Milan Tvrdik (Ed.). Tübingen: Francke, 2004.