Racism without Race: Colorblindness, Blackness, and Everyday Racism in Contemporary Germany

Introduction

• Context: Germany does not officially recognize racial categories.
• Issue: Despite the lack of official racial categories, everyday racism is prevalent.

Key Themes

Colorblindness and Racism

• Colorblindness: The refusal to acknowledge race, using citizenship and migration language instead.
• Impact: Maintains the notion of Germanness as white and Blackness as non-German.

Experiences of Black Germans

• Racialization: Black Germans often perceived as immigrants, reflecting a form of racialization despite the absence of official racial categories.
• Interviews: Conducted with Black Germans to explore their experiences and self-identifications.

Self-identification Challenges

• Identity Shaping: Absence of racial terms influences Black Germans' self-identification.
• Challenge to Absence: Self-identifications challenge the non-recognition of race.

Comparative Insights

• German Context: Offers unique insights into race discussions in a colorblind era.
• Broader Implications: Highlights issues of national identity and the language of race.

Terminology

• Black Germans: Refers to Germans with African or Black ancestry who identify with that heritage.

Notes on Linguistics

• Linguistic Patterns: Varieties of German associated with Turkish-Germans are racialized.
• Kanak Sprach: Term coined by Ferdinand Zaimoglu, indicating German variations spoken by Turkish immigrants, not commonly found among Black Germans.

Event Insights

• Bundestreffen: Highlighted varying opinions on race and racism, and motivations for attending, from curiosity to political commitment.

Conclusion

• Race in Germany: The study underscores the complexity of race and identity in Germany, especially in a supposedly colorblind society.

References

• Key texts include Lennox's "Remapping Black Germany" and Hine et al.'s "Black Europe and the African Diaspora".