The word Immigration has so many different meanings for many different people. There are different reasons for that. Either you are confronted by it directly, you read and hear about it in the press or part of your family and friends and struggling with it.
It can be good, bad, stressful, tearing apart, happiness, love, fulfilment, fights, violence or trauma.
For me it has one very specific meaning: unnecessary distance.
Many of my friends and family are struggling with immigration, due to their countries political disagreement with other countries. Certain times based on religion, other times based on post-war-conflicts and/or just because of dominance issues.
I have been lucky enough to have a German passport which allows me to have incredible travel freedom. But that being said, most of my friends don’t. Meaning, I always have to leave someone behind, and it breaks my heart to do so.
Now being in America, having studied and working here, I don’t have much freedom to go back home due to my Visa situation. The feeling of being trapped in your own career choice is… well I guess one can imagine.
Growing up in Germany, we have had and still have a lot of immigrants from many south-eastern Countries, who had to struggle with ‘being put in a box’ all their lives. The ‘box’ of being an immigrant, an outsider, outcast, someone different that doesn’t belong here. Which for me has always been the cruelest and most heartbreaking thing to call someone.
It won’t go into my head why we can’t just live in harmony, acceptance and love?
Why can’t we treat others the way we want to be treated?
Why does there always have to be a something to tear us apart rather than bringing us together?
Why does one always put himself first rather than the next man?
Questions I don’t know the answer to. But questions I want you to ask yourself. Take heart! Victor, "Bertram"
