HfG doctoral student presents research on labor migration to Offenbach

"Romanian migrants make up 9.5 percent of the non-German population in Offenbach. This naturally has an impact on life in a city, both in the place of arrival and the place of origin," Duma-Coman opened her presentation, which was attended primarily by practitioners from the fields of integration, spatial planning and urban development. "In order to financially support their families back home, many of the Romanian employees here take on an enormous workload. 70-hour weeks are not uncommon," said Duma-Coman, explaining the reality of many Romanians who work here. Accordingly, their free time is spent with the people they already know - their work colleagues. Not good conditions for getting to grips with city life. In addition, information about what is happening in the city sometimes does not even reach these groups or is not accessible due to the language barrier. It should be mentioned here that there is of course not one homogeneous group in the Romanian community. Another part of the community is involved, for example, in the Romanian cultural association or the church, which also offer language and integration courses.

Many of the men interviewed by Duma-Coman work in construction, often young fathers. Women, on the other hand, were increasingly found in the care or catering sector. While the majority of their earnings go home to realize their dream of owning their own home, for example, they often live in cramped living conditions at work. If people then meet in public spaces for an after-work beer instead of in their cramped apartment, the image of drinking, loitering foreigners is quickly ascribed to them. In order to actively counteract these stereotypes, rational education and precise information about the situation of the respective people, in this case Romanian migrant workers, is indispensable.

Overall, the presentation highlighted the stories and experiences of many Romanians working in Offenbach and it became clear that work has a significant impact on housing, leisure activities and social contacts. The everyday life of the community shaped and changed the urban space. Anyone working to shape local coexistence must, as a basic prerequisite, deal with the living situation of the various resident population groups. This is the only way to provide real impetus for the development of urban spaces.

The "diversity to go" series regularly presents practical tips for thinking about and implementing the design of diversity. This also includes highlighting new perspectives on urban processes.