A Gentleman Travels: Ethnic Minorities

Berlin is like most major metropolitan cities in the United States. A large immigrant population makes up this distinct city. Prior to our trip I always thought that Germans were very nationalistic and ethnic minorities were not a large percentage of the population. I soon came to find out that this was wrong. Not only is it a large percentage of the population that are of immigrant descent but the nations represented in this great city are so similar to those of New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. Each minority has adopted the German language and some traditions and customs but most of them have also stayed true to their heritage and brought back a piece of their culture to add to this beautiful "salad bowl" known as Berlin.

The way I see how ethnic minorities are perceived in the various places I have visited is through the food. The way that native Germans have adopted donners, pizza, and asian noodles is surprising as I have always thought that Germans would be biased to their sausages and beer, but this ethnic food has become a way of life not only for immigrants but for native Germans that have roots there.

German companies are now noticing what a large market these immigrant communities are and are targeting them for the first time in history as potential customers. Minorities are not only being targeted for purchases but also for them to embrace a "more European" way of thinking. One of the ways they are doing this is by a campaign geared toward tolerance for couples no matter what their race or nationality, as some cultures do not embrace the certain lifestyle choices.