PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

We might suspect that the German nation has arrived back where it once started. The guest worker regime is having a comeback. Once again, imm igrants contribute to the wealth of the German nation. The current perception of migration in the German media tends to the fact that there is a close link between economic product ivity and the integration into society. Be- ing a good migrant is characterized by being an eco nomically productive individual. This is represented in German media discourse with the labe l “the new guest workers”. Here, the question of whether immigrants are culturally integ rated or not is subsequent to economic considerations. Of course, not all immigrants are considered to be “new guest workers”. The perception of immigrants is highly differentiated, and can be distinguished into two groups. At the upper end, highly qualified migrants represent economic power and creativity. The low qualified are discussed in terms of their ability t o integrate or assimilate. The article examines the role of the nation by defining the movement of people across space. Observing how the nation defines good vs. bad movement enlarges our a bility to analyze regimes of mobility and migration. Thus, the empirical study presented here dissects the question ́what qualifies a good migrant today?` in the German discourse on i mmigration during the time of the (2008?) economic crisis. It will also reveal how li beral democratic states practices legitimate exclusion today. The new guest workers narrative al so demonstrates the boundary blurring of race and ethnicity and the shifting a new form o f inclusion and exclusion, which is called “identity liberalism”. By understanding this symbol ic boundary of the dualistic evaluation, we can expand our knowledge how the ability to move ac ross borders become a crucial criteria by which class is defined and class privileges upheld.