This past weekend, a group of students from Köln (Cologne) visited us. We stayed in their city a month ago and the combined trips are part of a program to initiate a dialogue between these German students and us, the Americans. I wasn't able to participate in most of the weekend's activities, but on the final day I attended a lecture on anti-Americanism alongside these Köln University peers.
Our speaker was Ruth Hatlapa, who was introduced by one of our faculty and first spoke about a program she is currently involved with that combats anti-Semitism today in the Berlin neighborhood of Kreuzberg (where I live). She told us that today Jews are still attacked on the street or in the metro often with bystanders doing nothing to intervene. She spoke about Germany as a country of migrants--despite the fact that many Germans do NOT see their country this way--and described the obvious differences of a migrant to the holocaust versus a German. Apparently "Jew" is the most common curse word in the school system here, and accordingly, her program has been working with school children, especially of a migrant background, through education and activity based programming for seven years to help combat anti-Semitism.
At the conclusion of her brief talk about her current community work, she was met with
fierce defensiveness and outright disagreement from the German students among us. They claimed that they had never heard of anti-Semitism in Germany today and asked if it was then only a problem in Berlin. They had not seen this information in the newspapers or on the TV and quickly dissolved her argument by claiming that German's were also discriminated against because German cars were
burned in the streets. American students responded by calling everyone's attention to the fact that whether we are aware of these horrible acts of violence or hate, they do exist, as Hatlapa had just spent 20 minutes describing them to us. Some NYU students shared their own experiences such as being
accused of being Jewish and laughed at on the subway in Belrin, despite having a Catholic-Hispanic background. I myself brought up becoming a target as a homosexual in Berlin on one occasion. I think nothing of this because I know that people who target me (whether in Berlin, Alabama, or New York) are nothing more than ignorant, uneducated people who are unfortunate to not have people opening their eyes to the importance of recognizing anything outside of themselves. I also questioned the ability of some of these German students to do the same thing.
While this became a topic of debate, our speaker went on to give her presentation on anti-Americanism. This is her dissertation--a work still in progress--and as she is German herself, I did not particularly feel that there was any justifiable bias for or against America, only a recognition of a particular phenomenon and what effect it is having on world relations.
Hatlapa recognizes that America is not homogenous, but she defines "Anti-Americanism" as against what America "is" (as opposed to "criticism" which is against what America does). Because of the over exaggeration of criticisms, often times Europeans (particularly Germans in her study) associate American public acts with the American people. They see war as an expression of American imperialistic habits. Thus they see our country and her people as "Barbaric" and "inauthentic." We are the most dangerous nation against the promotion of world peace. Americanism is becoming "The European language" the speaking of which is more and more considered "progressive."
A large shift has occurred with the changing of leadership in America as well. George W. Bush had a 12% approval rating in Germany and when he appeared to speak in Berlin in 2002, he was met with 20,000 protestors. Obama's German approval rating is 92% and he was cheered on by over 200,000 supporters when he spoke in Berlin in 2008. Many European's associate Obama's positive traits--more secular politics and progressivity for example--as European and therefor see him more as a European than as an American. They see his America as declining and weaker and would sooner invite him into their dining room than most of "those Americans."
As we politely applauded Hatlapa's lecture--which was full of more information, figures, and humor--not surprisingly, the first comment came from a German student and went something like this:
"That's all very interesting, but I'm sorry I don't agree with you. I think that's all just wrong."
Immediately the tension returned to the room and a fierce dialogue commenced in which German students wanted to know which newspapers and online sources she used for her facts and American students provided examples of their own anti-American experiences during this or past trips to Europe.
We all know that America is not homogenous, but until many Europeans meet an educated American and have a real conversation with them, they are quick to point many of the fingers Hatlapa described; often, even after this crucial conversation, they will consider you "different from Americans." I know, I've had this conversation more than once with people from more than one country. But then, I'm guilty of being anti-American as well. I admit that. I often roll my eyes at our Wal-Mart culture, democracy obsession, and football mania. I cite repeatedly that there is New York and then there is America. And in some regards, this is absolutely true. But I can't disqualify my country and contribute to this Anti-Americanism that only lessens our chances of connecting to anyone different from ourselves.
I think it is disappointing and ignorant of the German students--who we got to be friends with over our two weekends together--to react so violently to what they apparently considered an attack, but what was really just a prompt for discussion and self assessment. I'm provoked by the ideas of anti-Americanism and the often tense dynamics of American-European relations, especially in young people, but instead of denying what is obviously in the air, I have taken this opportunity to examine the way I think, have more critical conversations with the people in this city, and--most importantly--to learn more.
