Report card, 1981
Ernail Kaya’s parents come from the Anatolian village of Tekke in Turkey. In 1970, his father Burhan Kaya goes to Vaihingen an der Enz near Stuttgart as a so-called ‘guest worker’ and brings his pregnant wife and two of his children three years later. After their arrival in Germany, the family moves in with Burhan’s brother who lives in Gladbeck. There, in 1973, son Ernail is born. Initially, Ernail Kaya’s parents intended to use the money earned to build a life of their own in Turkey. They spoke of staying in Germany for one to two years. Eventually, 35 years pass before the Kaya couple decides to return to Turkey. When Ernail Kaya starts school in 1980, he first joins a ‘foreign class’, where Turkish children are taught. Due to his ‘remarkably satisfactory performance’, as stated in his report card, he switches to a German class in the following school year. At first, he is incredibly sad, having just made friends. After completing his Abitur, Ernail Kaya undertook training in Hamburg. Today, he lives in Loxstedt and works in Bremerhaven.
