Students in classes 8b and 8e shared their experiences of growing up in multicultural families. What's it like to be bilingual? What's it like having family from different countries? What's in like to be German in a classroom of immigrants? What's your family like?Even with major cultural and language differences, students get along really well and have friends with different backgrounds. But it can be strange...
"In Turkey, I’m German, and in Germany I’m Turkish," wrote one student.
"Before I went to my current school, I went to another one. There were not many immigrants there, which caused me to seem different in the eyes of other students. It is different at the school I go to now. Everyone cares about me, no matter where I come from," wrote another.
"My family never told me that a Russian word isn’t German, and when I was 12, they told me. I was shocked! "
The cultural experiences are varied and unique.
"A special aspect of my culture is that you are born into it...you can’t get into it, and you can’t get out of it. So, I had a lot of luck!" said one eighth grade.
Students who only identify as German also have much to say about their cultural background.
"At home, I’m fully German, and I am proud of it. I like Germany, because we can live here in peace," said one student.
"A lot of my friends are immigrants, and that is pretty cool, because I can learn from their cultures. I like my friend’s Kurdish rice, for example – it’s very delicious."
Many bilingual students said it feels normal to grow up in two cultures and that they feel welcome at RS-Heepen.
"I’m treated pretty much like everyone else here in Germany. There isn’t too much different about Germany and my home, except that cities are bigger."
"It’s pretty normal to grow up with two cultures. I think it’s really good to grow up in two cultures, because you learn more. I think it’s nice to be bilingual, because it’s a good feeling that you know you can speak more than one language."
"To speak two different languages is really beautiful, because you see two different sides or when you are with people, you don’t like, you can gossip in your other languages."
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