Ich hab mit den schönsten Mädchen getanzt

Dagoberto Gilb gehört zu den interessanten neueren südstaaten und süd-westlichen Autoren, welche ich über meinen Vater entdeckt. Gilb selber ist ein hispanic Texan, der heute in Austin wohnt. Er ist einer der eher selten working class Schriftsteller, war selber jahrelang als Schreiner tätig. Seine Geschichten sind dementsprechend durch dieses Milieu geprägt. Arme, hauptsächlich hispanische Arbeiter, welche am Existenzminimum leben, oft viel trinken und sich in ihren sozialen Kontakten desöfteren suboptimal verhalten.

Gilb schafft es diesen Leuten eine Stimme zu geben, sie in ihren Dilemma, in ihrem täglichen Leben und Schwierigkeiten darzustellen. Dies ist keine große Literatur - was auch immer das genau heißen mag - aber gute Lektüre, welche einem vor allem eine Welt öffnet, die sonst verschlossen scheint.

Austin reconsidered

My second stint in Austin is over. I was only there for two weeks this time around, but seeing how many people I knew there before showing up, it really was like going back to an old life once more. For better and for worse. Mais peu importe...

Steven Erlanger in Beyond Paradise and Power has a great quote on Germans in particular and Europeans in general who 'seem to live in a postwar, postconflict geopolitical fantasyland, where the greatest threat to existence, it seems, is the mixing of green glass with brown.' Maybe, but my argument would in fact be that sociologically and culturally speaking it is Americans who live in a consumer fantasyland where the the greatest threat to fast, mind-numbing, and - contradictorily in way, I know - safe fun is reality. Actually, let me rephrase that, it's not Americans in general of course, but rather it's economic middle class. While those at the bottom might strive for this utopian consumer culture, they are far removed from ever attaining it. I've talked about the mind-numbing aspect of this and coupled with Hartmut Rosa's theories that makes for a worrying development (as far as I am concerned and may normatively state that here). Yet, this time around, let's focus on the utopian character of American life.

This plays out in a number of ways. Living downtown Austin, I had the privilege of shopping daily in a gigantic, expensive supermarket boasting numerous food counters, a myriad of regular and rare healthy groceries and a classy outdoor seating area. It's a little island of safety, organic food and well-meaning people. The food is healthy and far less meat-heavy than the regular American diet, employees are genuinely nice, and the whole place is reeking of healthy and content individuals imagining themselves to save the world while they are busy shopping, sipping a buffalo grass milk shake. If you sit outside, you will be exposed to ever-present loudspeakers blasting muzak, a fake stream beneath fake, metal palms that are shielding the seating area. It's one of the best examples of the pretense of an ideal, problem-less, capitalist world I have ever seen. Hands down. Note, that one of the biggest aspects of this fantasyland is its exclusion of the outside world though. Thus, there are no poor people to distract you from your food, the music outside coupled with the lights and the fake stream allow you to enjoy the evening breeze without really being exposed to nature. It's the the sophisticated hippie's equivalent of riding a 4x4 in the wild and savage nature.

These attempts at de-naturizing outside areas are in fact the most fascinating and interesting part of middle-class Austin existence (that I noticed this time around in any case). My apartment building had a big patio to be used by all inhabitants of the building. It consisted of a fake waterfall, leading to a pool, ever-present (and always running) fans, lights and muzak impossible to turn off (trust me, I tried), and two couch areas centered around two big flat-screen TVs constantly blaring (except when I turned them off). What's the point? Well, you can meet with your friends watch TV, hang out and drink beers. Sounds like fun? Of course, but that's kind of the point. It's another example of how fun is to a large extent defined by cutting yourself from the outside world aka reality.

Now, the ironic thing for me is that I love being in the US of course. Yet, what I adore about it, is not the clean-cut world of the interchangeable department stores and food chains (that bore me to death). Nor the bars, playing their music too loud, offering cheap crappy bear and a chance at a busty blonde who is as unique in her going-out version (because ironically she could be interesting during the day) as the aforementioned food chains, these don't even bore me to some extent I abhor them. No what I like about the US in general and Austin in particular are the run-down, dirty places. The unsigned, badly paid musicians who rock a joint somewhere far away from 6th Street. The Hispanic only bars where communication in English becomes difficult. The basketball courts dominated by economically disadvantaged African-Americans who play ball all day, drink beer, smoke weed, have their wives and kids with them and talk shit to anyone currently playing especially if he is white. The conversations on American literature and the dirty undercurrent of American politics and history (Texas fought for slavery twice!). The fast-running banter between friends used to mocking one another in a way that would at best be considered impolite in most of Europe....

In one sentence: I will never understand this desire to exclude oneself from the outside world and immerse oneself into this clean, safe, interchangeable consumer fantasyland that makes up everyday life for most middle-class Americans and is a dream for much of the rest of the population.

Immigration and Integration the American Way

Maybe the biggest criticism of Europe that people here in Austin tend to stress is related to the Europeans supposed anti-immigration measures, the lack of integration possible in Europe, even worse, their basically racist policies versus immigrants. While this kind of universal and all-encompassing frontal attack - which is really what it is more often than just criticism - obviously and inherently is misleading and faulty, I have to admit that there is some truth to it. The recent proposals by the French government effectively wanting to create a second class of - recently naturalized - citizens, Merkel's reaction to proposals from Brüderle to increase even qualified immigration into Germany only, the Swiss referendum against minarets, Geert Wilder's astounding success in the national Dutch elections, this list could go on yet suffices to paint a bleak picture of European efforts (or rather lack thereof) at integrating its immigration populations.

I don't want to concentrate on European shortcomings here though, but would instead like to make a few observations on the situation in the USA, which, by the same people who criticize Europe, is usually seen as far less gloomy. Yet, recent developments here make far less evident if there is a more positive American attitude towards accepting people of all colors and races. The recent - since struck down in a federal court - Arizona law criminalizing illegal immigration and allowing for - arguably demanding it actually - racial profiling by the police caused quite a furor of course, resistance against an Islamic centre near the World Trade Center site in downtown Manhattan is a similar case which shows America's distrust versus the other - whether Hispanics or Muslims. Yet, the argument still stands that the United States successfully integrated wave after wave of immigration during the 18th and 19th centuries, well into the 20th century actually. The Italians, the Irish, the Germans, East European Jews, they all worked their way up the ladder and became an accepted part of American society.

Aside from the political polemic and a glorification of the American past - ignoring the immigrants' problems and difficulties for one - there are two main issues I have with this overly positive perception of the United States' integrationist capabilities.

One, integration in the United States never was - in any significant manner in any case - a two-way street, but instead a question of recent immigrants assimilating to mainstream - white, Anglo-Saxon - American culture. If you look at the immigration history into the United States you will notice two things. On the one hand the amazing amount of people from various backgrounds that have come to this country over the last 200 years and on the other hand how little the groups that arrived later on (post-Civil War basically) impacted American society in any but the most superficial manner. Obviously, everyone eats pizza now, Bagels have become ubiquitous, as has Tex-Mex, yet the most significant determinant of American society and culture remains a Protestant, puritan, Anglo-Saxon influence which was minuscule as far as sheer numbers are concerned in comparison to today's United States. The Catholic immigration of the Irish, Italians and today Latinos did not change that. Eastern European immigrants' attempts at worker organization and unions were violently put down and socialist ideas never really took hold in the US. Manifest Destiny, the imagery of the frontier, the ragged individual fighting against over-regulation and government interference remain popular and important points of reference even though in all reality, they have neither quantitatively (most immigrants having come far later) nor qualitatively much to do with today's United States. The melting pot is, maybe was even in Crèvecœur's day and age, a myth. Integration into the United States means acceptance of its founding myths, its capitalist system and puritan mindset, it means assimilation not the forging of a new society consisting of the differing attributes the manifold immigrants brought with them. Case in point, the never-ceasing flow of young, educated and hip (I live in Austin after all) Americans who pride themselves on their mixed (or even of exclusively one distinct other nationality) parenthood without speaking the native language of their parents or having anything but a superficial conception and understanding of their - parents' - country of origin. This kind of self-effacing integration never ceases to amaze me.

Two, living - even temporarily - in the United States today, one cannot help but notice the astoundingly developed parallelism of the three main American societies - the, still, dominating white Anglo-Saxon one, the black or Afro-American one, and the Hispanic or Latino society. The supermarket I shop in is almost exclusively Hispanic, the basketball court I frequent on Sundays is run by Afro-Americans, I am (pretty much) the only white guy playing there. They all identify as American of course, even pride themselves on their country and its achievements, but they do not mix. The hipster coffee shop I write this in probably has one black customer a day, I have yet to see a Hispanic in here who wasn't working in the kitchen. It is possible to cross over, but then you become a white Hispanic or a white black guy. You, to some extent, lose adherence to the group people would assume you naturally belong to. This especially because these groups are not just separated physically but, most importantly, culturally. There are black radio stations, Hispanic ones and the white, indie-rock or underground hipster stations. Hispanics of course converse in Spanish or at least bilingually, switching from one language to another, employing English words within a Spanish sentence or vice versa, but the Afro-American society also has its own jargon including references and adopted words and expressions which white Americans or Hispanics will not unequivocally understand.

So what's the point that I am trying to make? Quite honestly, I don't know if I even have one. This is not an attempt at showing that integration capacities in the US are lower than in Europe. Far from it. I'm not even sure I believe that. Rather, I guess I want to show how integration, assimilation and the influx of immigrants into the US are topics far more complicated and far less successful than too many people pretend or believe them to be.

Life in Austin

Another year, another country. No, not really. But at least another US state. Texas. Austin to be precise. I work far too much to have gained a proper perspective on this place and I've also barely spent two weeks here, still a few first impressions are in order.

Texas evokes a certain kind of imagery of course: Conservatism, the death penalty, George W Bush, endless landscapes, cowboys, cattle. All of that undoubtedly is valid to a degree, I won't get into that here, but it also applies very little to the city of Austin. The place (house and area) I live in is in fact dominated by tattooed hippies - in its modern, inflationary meaning - all of whom seemingly play in a band while paying their bills through crappy day jobs. Life is dominated by concerts and cheap Lone Star beers. The atmosphere is great, too many outdoor bars to count, friendly communicative people (they are American after all). That's the personal side of the story.

On the other side you have the supermarket around the corner from my place (Fiesta) which few non-hispanic (not to say Mexican) customers seem to frequent. A harsh racial divide with my arrival in a black, family-run barbecue place surprising far too many people. My colleagues and friends here are white, disparaging comments about especially hispanics common. This is nothing new of course, but I had semi-forgotten it and economic differences perpetuate the racial separation in a manner here which is far less prominent than in most East coast cities. And keep in mind that the people I know and meet are the open-minded ones often boasting astonishing international experiences.

Finally, and this of course is a common theme of mine, aintellecetualism - even antiintellectualism - is a cultural trait far too popular in the US for my taste. Male and female roles are of stereotypical nature it is almost comical which is all the more shocking considering I know how reflected and intelligent people can be when prodded. This is not limited to gender issues evidently. One also sees it in the preponderance of fecal, sexual, racial and other pointless jokes; the obsession with asinine drinking games and in general the need to always do something. Quiet reflection is not popular. The TV has to be turned on, music blaring, a game to be played here, a video to be taken and viewed there. It's all about getting the most out of a short-lived moment of activity and anyone not up to said game, quip, joke, or simply looking to disengage himself from a group movement is not fun or at least weird.

I realize that most of this post is of a rather damning nature. Let me put a bit of a disclaimer on this thus. Austin is a great town, from what I've seen so far, Texas is a very interesting state that I hope to see more of, but, as one of my new friends put it, deconstruction, criticism, is the order of the day - I cannot for the life of it remember which philosopher he attributed this to. Was it Nietzsche? Accordingly - or not, seeing as I had been doing that for a long time and before he ever quoted this to me - I rarely praise and often attack.