| Kommentar |
Migration is currently one of the most controversial political issues in countries such as the US, Canada, and Germany. As many people flee their homelands due to war, persecution, or devastating living conditions more generally, powerful groups in North America as well as Europe are attempting to defend their privileges by fortifying borders and eviscerating the right to asylum.
Yet refugees are not merely victims. The process of migration itself testifies to their agency, but many recent arrivals also share their experiences with a larger audience through autobiographical as well as fictional texts. In doing so, they have to grapple with established literary discourses as well as entrenched notions of who constitutes a "worthy" newcomer. While contributing significantly to the vitality and vibrancy of literary production in the countries to which they have moved, their texts are not necessarily uncritical of the political, social, and cultural structures the encounter in their new environments, addressing racism in particular.
In the course, we will primarily discuss texts published in the US and Canada, such as Sharon Bala's The Boat People and Kao Kalia Yang's The Latehomecomer, but link them to refugees' cultural production in Berlin as well.
Credit for the course requires regular attendance, contributions to class discussions, and participation in organizing one session. Registration for the seminar will take place in the first session. You do not have to sign up on Agnes for this course. |
