"I will never be entirely a Jew or a Muslim, never entirely a Palestinian or Israeli. Since you have accepted me, I am just happy to be a human being."

(Mornings in Jenin", S. Abulhawa)

When do we feel like strangers in our own country?

Maria Fellner - 03.01.2020 @ 19:16

Being a stranger in one's own country

by Fruzsina Leéb, Levente Tóth, DNG Budapest/Ungarn

Foto: http://sopron.network.hu/kepek/hires_koltoinkiroink/balazs_anna_vandor_cfestmenye_a_vandor_arnyeka

The quote was said by Susan Abulhawa, a Palestinian-American author. Her family is from Jerusalem, but she was born abroad and was unable to live in her home country because of the war, which is why, in our opinion, she thinks about it. We looked for similar examples of why people feel strange in their own country. We can observe almost the same situation among the Turks who live in Germany. They were "invited" by the state because of the amount of labor. The country was of course foreign to them, even though they were given rights. The reason for this, of course, was society, which could hardly accept this situation. But we thought of another layer, namely their children, grandchildren, i.e. the second or third generation. They were born in Germany, so it is easier for them to fit into society. However, there is strong pressure from their parents, which mostly relates to culture. With this culture, they very rarely fit in their age group. This difference is considered one reason why they can feel strange. We would also like to give an example from our country. When we heard the topic, the peace treaty of Trianon, with which the First World War ended, is our first. Among other things, this contract established the new borders of Hungary. Approximately a fifth of the Hungarian population found themselves outside the borders of Hungary as citizens of another country after the peace treaty. It is sad and terrible to think that people were trapped outside their own country and were unable to endure so many beatings. Some were killed, tortured, forced to work because of their descent, and their belongings were taken away. Hungarian youths were not allowed to use their mother tongue and had to join the army against their will. It is perfectly understandable that these people felt like strangers.

Fruzsina Leéb, Levente Tóth 22.03.2020 @ 13:50

Dear Fruzsina, dear Levente,

I really liked your article. I think it's so sad that people all throughout history were forced to leave their homes or were suddenly citizens of another country because the borders had been rearranged. Even in the times of globalisation, we are still very strongly connected to our home country, and the thought of losing it is a horrible one.

I thought about whether I have ever read a book that deals with "being a stranger in one's own country", but all I could think of was season 4 of a very good Norwegian TV show called "SKAM". This season follows a Muslim girl, Sana, whose parents are from Morocco but who was born in Norway. She feels like she isn't Moroccan enough, but she also doesn't feel like she's entirely Norwegian. Over the course of the season, she tries to find out how she is happiest. She wants to enjoy her life as a Norwegian schoolgirl, but she also wants to honour her heritage and her religion. "SKAM" is a very good show in general and it deals with many important topics. It's definitely worth watching.

Anja Leitner - 25.03.2020 @ 10:37

Hey Fruzsina and Levente!

You really picked a very difficult topic for an article and that made it even more interesting to read about your personal opinion in this matter. (I especially liked the link to your own home country.) It is really sad that there are people who never get the chance to really feel "at home", because this is such an important foundation for our life, knowing that there is a place you feel safe at. 

Furthermore, you talked about the different generations of immigrants. (It is quite funny that not long ago, we also discussed this topic in our English class.) You are right that it takes a long time to adapt to the new society you are living in.  I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for immigrants of the second generation to be forced to switch between two ethnicities. I mean, on the one hand, you really want to understand and live like your parents did in their home country, but on the other hand, you also want to feel at home in the country you are now. 

Anastasia Sobol - 28.10.2020 @ 16:18