Hiba Kauser, 22, was dizzyingly busy in the last week of January this year. She studied every day she studied before the exam period. She had a part-time job to assist her teacher in elementary school for two days and a city council member for three days. The plenary session from the evening continued until midnight.
No matter how busy you are, time with her friends is important. She is away from study and politics, talking, laughing and getting energy. In 1999, her parents left Pakistan to escape religious persecution. Her mother was pregnant with Kauser, who was born in a refugee facility in the former East German region. In 2001, there was a terrorist attack on the United States, and her wind on foreigners was strong.
At the age of eight, her parents searched for a comfortable place to live and moved to Offenbach in central Japan. Even in Germany, where immigrants are increasing, this city near the big city of Frankfurt is particularly international. More than 60% of the residents have a population of 140,000 and a background of immigrants. People from more than 50 countries such as Turkey, Romania and Morocco live here, and various languages are spoken.
In Germany, the coexistence of immigrants and locals is an old and new theme. Kauser, who started her career at a young age in a small city, appealing for women's empowerment and giving a speech at a Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstration, was one of the awakened Gen Z generations.
She just she, she originally didn't want to be a politician. She was a centre-left, she was a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), but she said, "I want to change something. I want to go out on the streets and be with someone who fights discrimination and poverty." It just moved. When he entered the political arena, where he talked between political parties to decide something, he was forced to compromise and was afraid that he would undermine his own values.
However, before the city council election, people from the party and the community urged him to run. She stopped and thought. I think there is prejudice and discrimination against immigrants and refugees in the city. Although there are many immigrants, middle-aged and older white men stand out in the parliament. The truth is, someone who has a hard time and knows who is in a tight position should be a politician.
After hesitation, she decided to run. When I told her mother, she stared at me and asked, "Is that allowed?" Although he is 18 years of age or older, his mother couldn't believe that a 21-year-old woman would be elected to the city council. She said, "I was surprised at first, but of course her mother supported me and helped me." But her mother couldn't cast a vote for her child. Voting must be at least 18 years old and have German or EU member state nationality. Unlike German-born Kauser, his parents do not have German nationality. People with similar circumstances were flooding the city.
During the campaign, I also encountered overt discrimination. He was told by a middle-aged man that he was handing out his leaflet with his name and photo. He "doesn't vote for foreigners" "I'm German, not foreigner" "No. People like you aren't suitable for the city council."
As the polling date approached last March, Kauser called out in a video posted on Instagram. What you need to make a difference in politics. "Youth, women, BPOC (blacks and people of color)"
If you open the lid, you will win with 20,624 votes, which is the second highest. He realized that "people want a different politics." Congress has rejuvenated. Kauser is the youngest female member of the Diet, but a 19-year-old male member has also been born. 32 out of 71 women. But I'm not satisfied. She was more involved in launching a bipartisan women's group, as she tried to get women into politics. "We should still be able to increase the number of young people and women, and we need more immigrant spokespersons."
It's been a year since I became a city council. I am keenly aware that the finances of a small town are tight. The new Corona puts even more pressure on poor families, creating a vicious cycle for immigrants to work long hours without letting go of their jobs. What can you do as a young politician? Challenges stand up. But I'm not pessimistic. In the Bundestag election, which was held six months after the city election, of the 736 winners, those in their twenties accounted for 48, nearly four times the previous number. Demonstrations calling for climate change countermeasures continue in the Korona-ka, and younger generations are also on the streets. Inspired by Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg (19) and others. "Gen Z is aware of inequality, stands up and speaks out. Even if they grow up differently in different places, they start moving globally. I'm proud to be a part of it."
In recent years, Generation Z has suddenly attracted attention. Who are you in the first place and what are their characteristics?
We spoke in writing with Jason Dorsey, a generational research expert in the United States and director of Center for Generational Kinetics (Center for Intergenerational Dynamics Research, CGK).
The year of birth is about 1996-2012. Due to the influence of geographical factors, there will be some discrepancies.
In the book "Gen Z Marketing" by Dorsey et al., He pointed out that most of the people born after 1996 have no memory of the September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. The experience of the new Korona-ka will be the boundary with the next generation.
Then, what are the features? "From a younger age than any other generation, we've been accessing smartphones and tablets, relying on technology, and being the most globally connected generation," said Dorsey. Usually, there are differences between countries and regions, as well as between cities and regions within the same country, but "Gen Z is more similar than any other generation."
What impressed the rise of this generation? Did Malala Yousafzai (24) sue for women's right to learn without being afraid of shooting? Did Greta Thunberg (19) say "How dare you" at the UN Summit? Not only did all of them have a strong impact, but the public is paying attention to the heightened awareness of human rights and the environment of this generation.
According to Dorsey, "annual surveys show that their desire for social contribution is always stronger." Social contribution activities are aimed at achieving social justice, improving the environment, and protecting disadvantaged people.
Such Gen Z is sometimes described by the word "woke".
It is also translated as "highly conscious", but the nuance is different from the "highly conscious system" in Japan. Originally a past / past participle of wake, it began to be used in the context of standing up in the United States in protest of black discrimination. In recent years, the meaning of "actively conscious of discrimination, human rights, social justice, etc." has become established. On the other hand, conservatives have often used it to label opposition. In 2021, Merriam-Webster, a major US dictionary publisher, chose it as one of the "words of interest".
This is Dorsey's view. "It's probably because Gen Z is enthusiastic about more liberal politics, values and social activities." On the other hand, he notes, "It is not new for the new generation to have more liberal ideas than the previous generation, but it has always been in history."
By the way, the name Z is due to the fact that people born in 1965-76 in the United States were called "X generation" and 1977-95 was called "Y generation (also known as millennials)" (both ages are Mr. Dorsey). From their books).
Since the last "Z" in the Latin letter has been reached, the post-Z generation is called the "α generation" by assigning the first "α" in the Greek letter.