10. A Question of Inclusion: Intercultural Competence, Systematic Racism, and the North American German Classroom

Despite the stigma of the word “Rasse”, I find it important to bring this word back into usage because for me it signifies a refusal to acknowledge not only the presence of racial discrimination and stereotypes within German-speaking cultures, but also that race as a socio-political identity concept was born out of early German cultural studies. Banning the word “Rasse” due to discomfort with its association during the Nazi period shows a degree of privilege that is often only afforded to white, elitist persons. In other words, rather than confronting the reality of “Rasse” and racism, the word falls out of use allowing ignorance and censure when claims of racial discrimination are voiced. By ignoring the concept of race, racism and other race-based discriminations are perpetuated and preserved.

Edward T. Hall and Clifford Geertz are two central figures in the early discussion and development of intercultural communication and training. Geertz defined culture more in terms of symbols and history, denoting it “a web of symbols that people use to create meaning and order in their lives,” later clarifying this as “an historically transmitted pattern of meaning embodied in symbols, a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate, perpetuate and develop their knowledge about and attitudes towards life” (Sorrells, p. 4). While I take a bit of issue with his use of “men” in the above quotation, the definition is more solid and reflects the historical nature of culture and its complexity.

See diagrams, Can-Do Statements, 7.

In November 2018, the FBI released its report on hate crimes in the United States. Their report shows an increase in crimes against persons who are Black or African American, as well as Jewish religious background. In addition, 29 deaths of transgender individuals were noted, the highest number in a single year. Overall number of hate crimes rose from 6063 in 2016 to 7106 in 2017 for single bias hate crimes. See https://​ucr.​fbi.​gov/​hate-crime/​2017 for the full report and tabulated data.