Venezuelan Diaspora in Berlin: Identity, Integration, and Immigration

By Lucas Gonzalez

Hey everyone! My name is Lucas Gonzalez and I am a junior at FSU getting ready for my first research project abroad. I wanted to start my first blog post by sharing what I'm working on and why it matters to me.

This summer, I'll be studying how Venezuelan immigrants in Berlin maintain their cultural identity while adapting to life in Germany. Venezuela is currently experiencing one of the largest mass exoduses in recent history, so questions of cultural preservation have become urgently important. Being Venezuelan myself, I've always been curious about how Venezuelans navigate between cultures across the world. It makes me wonder what traditions, values, and practices are sustained. What transforms? What gets left behind? Starting to look into all these questions has shown me how culture is not just a set of traditions and values but a living, evolving negotiation of identity.

I've started meeting with my mentor, who has been incredibly helpful. I took three of his classes during my freshman year, and honestly, they changed how I think about almost everything. While they were mostly on socio-political movements and theory, he has experience with ethnographies and has really opened my eyes to how exciting this project has the potential to become. His teaching style helped me analyze social issues in ways I never had before. I think most importantly, his guidance has taught me to recognize the world's profound complexity rather than seeking oversimplified answers.

Our first couple of meetings have already been fruitful. Starting a research project seemed a little daunting since I felt like I had to test for something, but he's helped me understand that ethnographic research isn't just about proving what you already think but rather about being open to what people actually experience. He has also helped me understand that usually with ethnographies the answers don't appear until the very end, and it helped me feel better and more confident going into the process.

The preparation for the project has been both challenging and exciting. I've been reading works by García Canclini on cultural hybridity and Glick Schiller's research on transnationalism. Recently published studies by Freitez on Venezuelan migration patterns have really helped shape my questions. Each book adds another layer to my understanding and has been giving me new perspectives on migration experiences. What also surprised me is how many Venezuelans in Berlin have been enthusiastic about wanting to share their stories. Their willingness to participate has been pretty encouraging, and I am grateful that I have the chance to document so many of their experiences.

I also want to take the time in my first blog post to talk about my future aspirations. As an Urban Planning and International Affairs major hoping to go to grad school, this project represents a significant step toward my future goals. I think it will help shape me into the person and professional I want to become. I find purpose in helping others, and this work aligns perfectly with that mission. It will form the foundation of my Honors thesis and help me understand migration beyond textbooks. I want to experience the differences between reading about integration policies and hearing from people actually living through them.

I am also excited to be sharing updates as my project progresses. If you have any questions or suggestions about my research, I'd love to hear them! 

I enjoy doing my readings and research on Landis so here is a photo of me this week.