The pasha remarks made me reflect on political language, belonging and how quickly assumptions about appearance can affect families.
Archived Project Mindset post, originally published in 2023. Dates and roles reflect the original publication.
Pasha remarks and their effect on everyday life
“Pasha.” I recently heard that word while dropping my son off at nursery. Unfortunately, I could not hear who it referred to or the context.
Nevertheless, I immediately thought of Mr Merz’s remarks about “little pashas”, linked below.
I suspect he chose his words deliberately. Even though some time has passed since those remarks, the wording has stayed with me.
Identifying problems directly is right and important. But when a politician of his standing uses such language, other terms might become socially acceptable again — as happened when people joked about “children instead of Indians”.
To me, the wording feels like a slap in the face to many migrants, especially those perceived as having a southern appearance, who want to contribute positively every day.
At nursery, my immediate thought was: will others now see my son as a pasha because of his appearance? Will they treat him differently?
I would like a more nuanced discussion in future.
See the contemporary FAZ report on the remarks.
More in the Project Mindset archive (German) and the Reza Mehman Podcast.
