Integration and Political Representation in a Multicultural City: The Case of Frankfurt am Main

Cities have long been the destination of those on the move. Migra tion and especially immigration always raise issues of inclusion and exclusion, of rights and obligations, and of the meaning of member ship and citizenship. The particular form and content of these debates vary, just as host countries, national and local governments, and immigrant populations vary. Over the past few decades, patterns of immigration have begun to shift away from classical immigration countries (the United States, Canada, Australia) toward the democ racies of the European Union. "In this troubled world, Western Europe has in fact, become a fragile island of prosperity, peace, democracy, culture, science, welfare and civil rights," according to urban sociologist, Manuel Castells. "However, the selfish reflex of trying to preserve this heaven by erecting walls against the rest of the world may undermine the very fundamentals of European cul ture and democratic civilization, since the exclusion of the other is not separable from the suppression of civil liberties and a mobiliza tion against alien cultures.'" The issues raised by immigration are most often played out at local levels—in the cities and municipalities. Throughout European states, the question of how to implement functional policies and practices for ethnic, social, and cultural integration has become much more urgent as European states and cities increasingly confront the economic and social restructuring that accompanies processes of globalization, such as the growth of the service sector.2 Yet, as many