This feature length documentary, , explores the relationship to culture and identity of children of immigrants from different ethnic backgrounds in the United States and Germany. A comparative piece set in two locations, Berlin and New York, this film focuses on how three young people from two countries experience and respond to what gets termed “assimilation” in the USA, and “integration” in Germany. By showing 2nd-generation young people in two different countries, we gain a greater understanding of how social and political conditions impact our cultures and identities in ways that are often taken for granted as natural.

follows three young people in each country as they encounter decisions which bring their identities to the forefront: such as deciding whether to take German citizenship, experiencing discrimination applying for jobs, struggling with their parents around an inter-cultural relationship. While the protagonists of the film come from extremely diverse backgrounds, all articulate positions that subvert easy categorization. The stories of the main characters are supplemented with interviews of an even more diverse group of young immigrants, who demonstrate the varied perspectives of children of immigrants as they reflect on their experiences.

Global migration has increasingly become a reality impacting nearly every society in the world as both sending and receiving countries are affected economically, politically, and culturally. In this time of increasing mobility, people all over the world struggle with questions of identity in unprecedented ways. Simultaneously, the rhetoric around culture and difference has been taken to new extremes by the supposed “clash of civilizations” between the “Islamic World” and the “West”. In the debate around immigrants, the conversation remains locked in the unspoken obsession with the role and nature of culture in individual, and national identity.

Both the United States and Germany have received massive waves of immigration in the last half century, but have had dramatically different immigration histories and policies, which deeply influenced the evolution of society as a whole as well as immigrant communities. Today, both countries are faced with large segments of the young population born to immigrant parents. While politicians may argue about how many newcomers should be allowed to enter the country, a more revealing question about the reality of immigration societies lies in what is happening with today’s 2nd-generation. Today’s children of immigrants can be seen as major players in the direction of how ethnicity, culture, and national identity are being formed and transformed.

is based on the idea that children of immigrants are uniquely positioned to provide expert understanding of one of the major questions of our times: how do we live together in today’s globalized and increasingly multicultural society? The film gives a sensitive insight into the complex and rich reality of these young people, and thus offers the audience the opportunity to look beyond stereotypical representations and seek a better understanding of their own realities as well.

Shot on HD MiniDV, the final piece will be comprised of: verite footage of the three main characters from each country as they go through specific situations that raise the questions of assimilation and integration; interview footage of twenty 2nd generation young people from different backgrounds in each country responding to the same set of questions about culture and identity; archival materials regarding immigration politics which create historical context and create an ironic backdrop for the narratives of today’s’ young people, including 1950’s American propaganda films that celebrate the US as an immigrant nation, a 1970’s children’s animation illustrating the “Great American Melting Pot”, and footage of the early Guest workers being welcomed to Germany; footage establishing New York and Berlin as cosmopolitan, immigration cities full of vibrant neighborhoods, subcultures, and parallel realities will locate the characters in a specific environment. Finally, considerations will be made to include footage from important events that may arise during the film-making process, such as a continuation of 2006 protests to legalize undocumented immigrants in the US. A17 minute piece has been edited and is available on DVD as a sample of the material in New York.