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| German row over whitewashing the n-word from children's books | German row over whitewashing the n-word from children's books |
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| A German man whose letter to a publishing house prompted it to expunge the racist sentiment from a classic children's book has spoken of his relief that about the decision, despite the angry backlash and hate mail it has generated. | A German man whose letter to a publishing house prompted it to expunge the racist sentiment from a classic children's book has spoken of his relief that about the decision, despite the angry backlash and hate mail it has generated. |
| Mekonnen Mesghena wrote to one of Germany's oldest children's publishers urging it to revise the text of Die Kleine Hexe (The Little Witch) after stumbling across a passage in which two children dress up as "neger", which can be translated from German as both "nigger" and "negro". "I am hugely relieved to have been told that all the words to do with the skin colour will be abolished," he said. | Mekonnen Mesghena wrote to one of Germany's oldest children's publishers urging it to revise the text of Die Kleine Hexe (The Little Witch) after stumbling across a passage in which two children dress up as "neger", which can be translated from German as both "nigger" and "negro". "I am hugely relieved to have been told that all the words to do with the skin colour will be abolished," he said. |
| Mesghena wrote to Thienemann Verlag after realising that he could not continue reading the book to his seven-year-old daughter, Timnit, one bedtime. "Suddenly it was full of racist language referring to little niggers and gypsies and basically a lot of labelling of people. I was not prepared. Normally if you come across a problematic word you can change it, but this was a whole chapter so I simply had to stop reading, much to the disappointment of my daughter," he said. | Mesghena wrote to Thienemann Verlag after realising that he could not continue reading the book to his seven-year-old daughter, Timnit, one bedtime. "Suddenly it was full of racist language referring to little niggers and gypsies and basically a lot of labelling of people. I was not prepared. Normally if you come across a problematic word you can change it, but this was a whole chapter so I simply had to stop reading, much to the disappointment of my daughter," he said. |
| But the decision has caused an outcry amongst many of the country's intellectuals, who have accused Thienemann of censorship and of unnecessarily meddling with a beloved classic. Both Thienemann and Mesghena have been inundated with angry correspondence, even hate mail. | But the decision has caused an outcry amongst many of the country's intellectuals, who have accused Thienemann of censorship and of unnecessarily meddling with a beloved classic. Both Thienemann and Mesghena have been inundated with angry correspondence, even hate mail. |
| Mesghena, a naturalised German who emigrated to Germany from Eritrea at 14, is the head of the migration and diversity department at the Heinrich Böll Foundation. He initially wrote to the publishers in November, who offered to review the text and subsequently agreed to change it after consulting with the author, Otfried Preussler, who is 90. "I told them what it means for a black girl to be confronted with that chapter and how exclusionary it is," Mesghena added. | Mesghena, a naturalised German who emigrated to Germany from Eritrea at 14, is the head of the migration and diversity department at the Heinrich Böll Foundation. He initially wrote to the publishers in November, who offered to review the text and subsequently agreed to change it after consulting with the author, Otfried Preussler, who is 90. "I told them what it means for a black girl to be confronted with that chapter and how exclusionary it is," Mesghena added. |
| Thienemann's director Klaus Willberg, said the decision was necessary to allow the publishing house to stay up to date with changes in language and politics." He added: "We will now be trawling through all our classics." | Thienemann's director Klaus Willberg, said the decision was necessary to allow the publishing house to stay up to date with changes in language and politics." He added: "We will now be trawling through all our classics." |
| The decision recalls the move by Hamburg publishing house Friedrich Oetinger in 2009 to publish an updated version of the children's classic Pippi Longstocking, removing references to "negroes" and "gypsies" and changing the name of Pippi's father from the "Negro King" to the "South Sea King". | The decision recalls the move by Hamburg publishing house Friedrich Oetinger in 2009 to publish an updated version of the children's classic Pippi Longstocking, removing references to "negroes" and "gypsies" and changing the name of Pippi's father from the "Negro King" to the "South Sea King". |
| But Germans are divided on the issue, with a survey by a Sunday tabloid suggesting that 50% are in favour and 48% against. The more educated Germans are, the more likely they are to be adverse to the revisions, according to the survey. | But Germans are divided on the issue, with a survey by a Sunday tabloid suggesting that 50% are in favour and 48% against. The more educated Germans are, the more likely they are to be adverse to the revisions, according to the survey. |
| In an essay in Die Zeit, the author Ulrich Greiner said the move was "nothing less than censorship or forgery ... a furore of political correctness is sweeping the country." Child psychologist Hartmut Kasten, in the same paper, blamed parents for "projecting their own fears" onto the texts, claiming that children did not become racist through literature. | In an essay in Die Zeit, the author Ulrich Greiner said the move was "nothing less than censorship or forgery ... a furore of political correctness is sweeping the country." Child psychologist Hartmut Kasten, in the same paper, blamed parents for "projecting their own fears" onto the texts, claiming that children did not become racist through literature. |
| But Mesghena said the depiction of black people as something exotic contributed to the fact that his daughter was treated as something "other". "In the playground from the age of two she has had to deal with being referred to as 'negerkuss' or negro kiss," he said, referring to an old-fashioned name for a marshmallow sweet which is covered in chocolate. "When I complain to the teachers they say: 'there's nothing we can do - it's what the parents teach them'," he said. | But Mesghena said the depiction of black people as something exotic contributed to the fact that his daughter was treated as something "other". "In the playground from the age of two she has had to deal with being referred to as 'negerkuss' or negro kiss," he said, referring to an old-fashioned name for a marshmallow sweet which is covered in chocolate. "When I complain to the teachers they say: 'there's nothing we can do - it's what the parents teach them'," he said. |
| Nine-year-old Ishema Kane, whose father is Senegalese, her mother German, has attracted considerable media attention with her angry reaction to the Der Ziet's coverage of the racism row. "I am milk-coffee brown," she wrote. "And I find it totally rubbish the idea that the word 'negro' should stay in children's books. You cannot possibly imagine what it feels like when I have to hear or read that word. It is really terrible." | Nine-year-old Ishema Kane, whose father is Senegalese, her mother German, has attracted considerable media attention with her angry reaction to the Der Ziet's coverage of the racism row. "I am milk-coffee brown," she wrote. "And I find it totally rubbish the idea that the word 'negro' should stay in children's books. You cannot possibly imagine what it feels like when I have to hear or read that word. It is really terrible." |
| Mesghena said Timnit was delighted that a new version of The Little Witch will appear in July. "She's really looking forward to being able to continue reading what is a really riveting story," he said. "And I'm looking forward to not having to edit it as I read". | Mesghena said Timnit was delighted that a new version of The Little Witch will appear in July. "She's really looking forward to being able to continue reading what is a really riveting story," he said. "And I'm looking forward to not having to edit it as I read". |
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