Decolonizing 'integration': a post-colonial analysis of immigrant 'integration' in Canada & Germany

Migrant ‘host’ countries in the global north demand that newcomers ‘integrate’ into their societies by demonstrating language skills, economic participation, socialization, and adjusting to the norms and values of the destination country. However the question that remains unanswered is: who is the ‘host’ population, and who creates the norms and values that the newcomers are required to match up to? In the context of immigrant integration, this paper applies a postcolonial lens to understand the historical linkages in Canada (settler society) and Germany (ethic nation) that shape the everyday realities of immigrants in the present. The concept of immigrant ‘integration’ can be seen as a form of present-day colonialism that works to re-impose the idea of European hegemony over ‘other’ racialized groups, and distracts from the recognition and redress of Indigenous and immigrant rights. Key words: Canada, Germany, Integration, immigration, colonialism, racism, decolonization