Immigrants In Turkish Berlin

According to 2016 statistics, nearly 7.5% of Berlin’s population is Turks and Arabs, equating to 103,532 people. Many of these people are now second generation immigrants; they were born in germany, and speak german. Interestingly though, many of these second generation immigrants still have a sense of being “in-between” as noted by Annika Marlen Hinze’s novel, Turkish Berlin: "[w]hile in the larger German society (as in the larger Turkish society in Turkey), Turkish immigrant women and their in-between-ness stand out visually, in the immigrant neighborhood, they fit in" (p. 95). Despite the fact that Turkish Immigrants have had an important influence over Berlin’s culture, many of them still feel misplaced.

Turkish immigrants began migrating
However, due to the new citizenship laws introduced to Germany in 2000, many Turks in Kreuzberg became affected by gentrification. A large portion of the Kreuzberg residence found themselves moving to Neukoelln for cheaper rent and job opportunities. Many Turks, especially Turkish women, retained positive view of Kreuzberg: “However, the majority of the intellectual and social leadership of the Turkish community is clustered in Kreuzberg. The Kreuzberg women therefore take on an additional responsibility because they represent the engines of community empowerment and representation, and they have an active part in shaping the Thirdspace. Their relative absence from the local context in Neukoelln makes it harder for the community there to forge a Thirdspace for itself.” (p. 86). This quote from the novel emphasizes the differences between Kreuzberg and
Turkish Berlin states that, “The Hertie Berlin Sudie, conducted in 2009, is one of the most extensive studies on urban life in Berlin (Hertie Stiftung 2009). The study’s findings indicate that the German majority and the immigrant population generally have good relationships with one another. In Berlin, 61 percent of native Germans and 77 percent of immigrants perceive their intercultural relationships as positive.” (p. 99-100). This is important since the positive association allows Turkish immigrants to be more free with their cultural beliefs. Page 139 also states, “A 2011 study on integration in Berlin, entitled “Wie Tolerant ist Berlin?” (How Tolerant is Berlin?) (Liljeberg and Krambeer 2011), presents a socio demographic analysis of Berlin’s immigrant population, as well as the perceptions of the ethnic Germans toward immigrants. Overall, the study finds that with regard to immigrants, Berlin is a rather tolerant city: 74 percent of Berliners without an immigrant background have generally positive perceptions of immigrants.” If this wasn’t the case, famous Turkish authors, athletes, politicians, artists and musicians may not have been able to rise out of