"Why Did You Come to Germany?": On Complicity and Willful Ignorance
Winter is strong in Germany, and I often complain about the cold and the lack of sun and light.
In response, some people ask me, "If you are not happy with the cold, why did you come to Germany?"** Some ask this out of curiosity, while others additionally imply, "then go back to your country."
The second reflects typical racist thinking.
The first one, the "genuine" curiosity one, I think comes from (a specific type of) ignorance about why people immigrate, and anyone asking this question out of genuine curiosity should first realize that they are probably asking a very intimate question.
This ignorance, however, is not always innocent. Very often it is sustained by a choice not to know, or not to ask further questions, even though the political and historical conditions that force people to migrate are neither hidden nor inaccessible.
If they knew that most often it's not a choice, they would probably stop treating immigration as if it were Erasmus student exchange programs.
When someone first asked me, I managed to say that it was because back then they were giving longer scholarships than France or any other Mediterranean, and therefore warmer,countries. But that's not the whole story; in addition to that, back then I thought that I would have a better chance of getting a post in Germany than in France (which I realised relatively quickly once I was here wasn't exactly the case, and I even got the feeling that it might be more competitive).
And still this is not the full truth about why I moved to Germany. Because I need to answer first why I left where I come from — which I am actually looking forward to giving as an answer when I am addressed with that question:
I moved to Germany because Germany sold weapons to the state where I come from. That government used these weapons and military equipment in its war against an ethnic minority. At the same time, Germany chose not to criticize my country's President because my country was holding refugees from the Middle East, preventing them from reaching Europe. The EU was afraid of having too many refugees (especially Muslim ones). Meanwhile, I, together with thousands of academics, signed a petition calling for an end to the war against this ethnic minority. [background overview: https://bianet.org/english/human-rights/171379-we-will-not-be-a-party-to-this-crime]
Some of us lost our jobs right away; many of us later, through decree laws, lost their jobs, were forbidden to leave the country, with no real possibility of finding employment. In addition a mafia leader publicly said that he wanted to "bathe in our blood". [on threats and targeting: https://bianet.org/english/politics/171523-mafia-leader-threatens-academics-for-peace]
Most of us had our names and photos published online as "traitor academics," accompanied by threats. Nearly all of us were put on trial. [on trials: https://bianet.org/english/law/194377-academics-for-peace-on-trial]
Eventually, the Constitutional Court ruled that the petition constituted freedom of expression [on the Constitutional Court ruling: https://bianet.org/english/law/220773-top-court-rules-rights-violation-in-academics-for-peace-cases]
One of us committed suicide. [report https://bianet.org/english/human-rights/194755-academic-signatory-of-peace-petition-dies-by-suicide]
So the answer is that Germany is part of the reason why I moved here.
Long story short, those who easily ask such questions ofbsomeone they do not know well should first understand that there are many tragedies, injustices, and traumatic experiences in this world. You might not see them, but not because they are far away. They are happening near you; we live together with you. Any deeper relationship you build with immigrants is likely to make this visible.
You might not see it because you choose not to see it.