"When does immigration start and when does it end?" The Migrant Women's Association (M

Today, we met with Suna Erdem, Çiğdem Artan, Özlem Baba and Aysun Çiftçi from Migrant Women's Union about . This union was founded in Frankfurt in 2005 and its official center is in Cologne. It has been operating in Berlin for about 10 years. Forming part of the Turkish people from many nations in Germany. They are seeking solutions by sharing their experiences that Turkish women face in working life and social life, and they help each other.

The building, that they use with some association, was given by the government . They also get some subvention from the state. As Özlem said: “At the beginning we had a small house. Since tree years we are using this building. That situation helped us a lot to get more member and make more workshops”. But if they reduce the budget that reserve for refugees and immigrants in 2018, they will have to move the place. So, they are negotiating with statesman.

The Migrant Women's Association (MWA) is also a member of the state-sponsored DaMigra, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Family Affairs. Around a hundred migrant women's organizations have joined together under a roof organization called DaMigra, working together. Immigrant women's organizations, which have come together for several years, have decided to gather under one roof in order to unite their work, to see more religious and ethnic differences as a wealth, and to work together in areas where they can cooperate. The organizations in the roof have come together on condition that they protect their autonomy.

MWA is working with many political associations, women's organizations, local governments, acting together on protests and marches. Every department is in communication through member meetings and congresses. Activities are organized by members at organizing meetings.

On March 8th, very intensive programs are held and they play an active role in women-centered activities. Aysun Çiçek came to Berlin as a worker at 1974. It was a hard working life and due to health problems, the retirement was separated. At the moment there are workshops on the idea of producing new products from convertible textile materials within the scope of the "creative hours for myself" project. The idea that has been put into the project together with the German youth association is just one of the examples of association studies in common.

Aysun Çiçek, told us, the class which they committed to participate, that they had lessons in Turkish. At the time of worker immigration, we can say that the immigrants have been teaching Turkish because they do not plan to stay permanently.Turks that can’t learned German have grouped themselves, was unable to participate in social life and have adopted a closed lifestyle. But later, they learned it at Turkish integration courses. Today, a similar system is still being used. Immigrant children of different ages are gathered in a "welcoming class" for German language training. However, most of these children have difficulty in learning languages ​​because parents do not speak German at home. German, made mandatory by the German government, is one of the conditions that must be fulfilled by those who want to become citizens.

Suna Erdem was forcibly married and sent to Germany at the age of 16 and became mother at the age of 18. She said to himself, "I was an imported child." I have a 28-year-old son and a 17-year-old twin. In German customs, she is working as a cleaning staff. When she said “cleaning staff", her family's reaction was not positive. She added that immigrants and cleaners are placed on the lowest steps in a hierarchical structure. But she underlined the fact that she loves the conditions of his work and that her employees due to his non distinctive behaviors. In Turkey, they are underestimating her too much for being cleaner. Suna Erdem 17 years that its own fight. She added that she can write in German but when it arrives in Germany, but she cried too much. Also she cried at her first business day when he can not speak. She is in MWA since 4 years.

Özlem Baba has graduated from social pedagogical vocational high school since 2001 and works in kindergarten. She has been working with Immigrant Women's Union for 6 years. She said: ”Even though I am at an immigrant women's association, I do not see myself as an immigrant. When does immigration start and when does it end? They talk about the issue and the issues they are exposed to because of immigration.” They're looking for a solution becuase the next generations after immigrates won’t call themselves “immigrant”. Maybe in this case, the association may change its structure and name.

The next generation won’t call themselves as a immigrant. Maybe in this case, the association may change its structure and name. This problem remains on the agenda of MWA.

Some of Turkish people classes between each other with their level of communication, their home addresses, knowledge of German. There are also some people that they don't accept that they are immigrant. There are groups of immigrants who did not learn any German at 1960’s. Immigration psychology is a heavy burden, expecting to belong somewhere. So, person must learn the native language in order to participate in social life.

Çiğdem Artan went to Frankfurt in 2012. He first comes to Berlin to do his doctorate in 2014 and becomes a member of MWA. Since she works as a musology she is responsible for the exhibitions of the IDP. In 2015, a one-day Pop-Art exhibition was held in Cologne for the 10th year. The exhibition project was funded by DaMigrant. They came to MWA as an invitation. The exhibition was an archive showing 12 years of the GDR. There were five episodes where there were bibliographies, dictionaries, photo archives, magazine covers, handcrafts and banners where political demands were expressed. The women who participated in the members and works in the GDC took an active role in the exhibition.

MWA conducts a project at Frankfurt's historic museum where they do workshops with women. A work where the stories of people living in the city are archived. So People write their own stories themselves in order to create their own history.

In the congresses held every year, future targets are given. For example, "Equal Pay for Equal Work" was done. Two years later these goals are discussed and the situation is analyzed for the next year.

The building, that they use with some association, was given by the government . They also get some subvention from the state. As Özlem said: “At the beginning we had a small house. Since tree years we are using this building. That situation helped us a lot to get more member and make more workshops”. But if they reduce the budget that reserve for refugees and immigrants in 2018, they will have to move the place. So, they are negotiating with statesman.

She claimed that: “Despite the raise of racism with immigrations in Europe at those days, we are not feeling uncomfortable in daily life. Also, associations and Germans helped refugees. They see them like a potential for the economy. The government, placed them into ‘heims’ (which means dorm in German)” and sports hall of schools. Most of the refugees stay at Templehof and as they don't have any permission to work at Germany, they are creating their economy system there. She added: “In contrast, the media is trying to manipulate people with news like ‘sexual harassment raised with refugees’ and that influenced Germans. But their approach is not that bad”. German mainstream media didn't make “sexual harassment” news about Oktoberfest because of the race of participants.

Mr. Erdoğan was the first prime minister who accepted all Germany immigrants as the citizens of country with “Mavi Kart”. This card helps immigrants to vote without getting citizenship. For Çiğdem Artan, this issue became an instrument to get more vote. DITIB (Turkish directorate of religious affairs association) who has a strong communication with AKP, they managed a protest for Palestine and protestors burned Israel’s flag. That would cost much better. They also sent a booklet of propaganda to Turkish immigrants who could vote in Germany. But these people had to had give their Turkish citizenship so there had a problem for them. Thus government bans the distribution of these kind of booklets during elections.

Özlem said : There is still 5000 teacher needed in schools. The children that come newly, need more care because they did not know the system of Germany. At home, as parents speak Turkish, children have to understand German and Turkish at the same time. Indeed, this situation causes the lack of information about the language and they cant learn both language properly. Thereby, children is being stigmatized by people as they are insufficient to learn a language.

There are also some kind of problem just for women such as being judged for not covering the head by Turkish people. These kind of conversations ends with stereotyping them into good Turkish - bad Turkish or good integrated - bad integrated.