Free eBooks Invisible Woman: Growing Up Black In Germany (New Directions In German-American Studies) Available To Downloads
Invisible Woman: Growing Up Black in Germany, republished in a new annotated edition, recounts Ika Hügel-Marshall’s experiences growing up as the daughter of a white German woman and an African-American man after World War II. As an «occupation baby», born in a small German town in 1947, Ika has a double stigma: Not only has she been born out of wedlock, but she is also Black. Although loved by her mother, Ika’s experiences with German society’s reaction to her skin color resonate with the insidiousness of racism, thus instilling in her a longing to meet her biological father. When she is seven, the state places her into a church-affiliated orphanage far away from where her mother, sister, and stepfather live. She is exposed to the scorn and cruelty of the nuns entrusted with her care. Despite the institutionalized racism, Ika overcomes these hurdles, and finally, when she is in her forties, she locates her father with the help of a good friend and discovers that she has a loving family in Chicago.
Series: New Directions in German-American Studies (Book 5)
Paperback: 163 pages
Publisher: Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publishers; New edition (May 29, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1433102781
ISBN-13: 978-1433102783
Product Dimensions: 0.2 x 6 x 8.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #910,662 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #332 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Regional & Cultural > European > German #748 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > Europe > Germany #772 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Literature > World Literature > European
I read this book in the original German edition and thus don't know how well the English edition conveys this example of a very 'German'post-war destiny. Ika was a 'Besatzungskind' a very subjective term describing an "occupation forces' child". Her story is just one of a whole babyboomer generation of both white,and mixed-race children of (mainly)U.S. soldiers - and what a sad story it is, particulary for those little 'Black Germans'. Ika's coerced removal from her mother and placement into a Christian (Lutheran)institution was a common occurance for 'illegitimate' children of any description. The mothers of Black children were seen as nothing more than whores who were not fit to raise the children they should have had in the first place. The racially motivated mental and physical abuse that Ika endured makes for painful reading - particularly since the abuse was carried out (as it often is) in the name of Christ and for her salvation. That Ika managed to grow up into the strong, well-balanced person she is today is a testimony to her strength of character and indomitable spirit. I was so happy for her that she did manage to find her father and come to grips with her struggle over identity. With the growth in recent years of Afro-German associations I hope that many more stories like Ika's will be published. They will give voice to that previously invisible 'Stolen Generation' who now, in middle-age are finally given a change to come to terms with their unique identity.The book ideally should be read along with Hans Massaquoi's "Born to Witness: growing up Black in Nazi Germany".The detailed social/historic context of his story paints a vivid backdrop to the arrival of the next generation of Black Germans like Ika.
Invisible Woman: Growing Up Black in Germany (New Directions in German-American Studies) German: Learn German with These 500 Phrases (German Language, Speak German, Learning German, Germany Language, Austria Language, Learning German, Speaking German) New Directions in American Political Parties (New Directions in American Politics) German Aesthetics: Fundamental Concepts from Baumgarten to Adorno (New Directions in German Studies) German Shepherd 101: How to Care for German Shepherd Puppies and Have a Healthy Happy Dog (German Shepherd Puppies, German Shepherd) Thomas Mann and Shakespeare: Something Rich and Strange (New Directions in German Studies) Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Northeast Gardening: Techniques for Growing Landscape & Garden Plants in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, ... Ontario (Black & Decker Complete Guide) Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Techniques for Growing Landscape & Garden Plants in Rhode Island, Delaware, Maryland, New ... New York (Black & Decker Complete Guide) The Invisible Library (The Invisible Library Novel) The Submerged State: How Invisible Government Policies Undermine American Democracy (Chicago Studies in American Politics) Exalted Terrestrial Directions 2 The West (Compass of Terrestrial Directions) (vol. 2) Growing Marijuana: Beginner's Guide for Big Buds - step by step (How to Grow Weed, Growing Marijuana Outdoors, Growing Marijuana Indoors, Marijuana Bible) Marijuana: Growing Marijuana, Beginner's Guide for Big Buds - Step by Step (How to Grow Weed, Growing Marijuana Outdoors, Growing Marijuana Indoors, Marijuana Bible) Cannabis:The Beginners Guide on How to Start Growing Marijuana Plants at Home (Cannabis, Cannabis Growing, Marijuana, Marijuana Growing, Marijuana Horticulture) Cannabis Success: The Easiest Guide on Growing Large Marijuana Plants at Home (Cannabis, Cannabis Growing, Marijuana, Marijuana Growing, Medical Marijuana, Medical Cannabis, Hydroponics) From Huronia to Wendakes: Adversity, Migration, and Resilience, 1650–1900 (New Directions in Native American Studies series) Learn German Step by Step: German Language Practical Guide for Beginners (Learn German, Learn Spanish, Learn French, Learn Italian) German Shepherd Training: How To Be Boss! (German Shepherd Training, Police Dogs, German Shepherd Dogs) Gateway to German Lieder: An Anthology of German Song and Interpretation (English and German Edition) German Short Stories For Beginners: 8 Unconventional Short Stories to Grow Your Vocabulary and Learn German the Fun Way! (German Edition)
