Invisible Woman: Growing Up Black in Germany (New Directions in German-American Studies)

This was my first book regarding the topic of Afro-Germans and I absolutely love the story and life of the author. As a fellow German-African-american, I was moved. Highly recommend!

An excellent triumphant story of courage, resilliance and heart

The content and subject of this book was excellent; however, the "like new" condition was not as advertised. There was water damage to numerous pages, but it did not prevent my enjoyment of the content.

Sad but interesting.

This book was good but have read a book about the editor of ebony who was raised in Germany during the hitler regime that book was awesome

Invisible Woman is a heartbreaking, eye-opening story about how racism and the aftermath of World War II, where there were many children of black American soldiers who were left behind in Germany after the peace treaty was signed. In a country recovering from war and Nazi propaganda, it wasn’t the most ideal location for these children to grow up. Ika tells the story of her life and her struggle to be seen as a capable, intelligent black woman within a racist German society.In spite of the profound and difficult subject matter, this is a relatively fast read. Ika tells her story matter-of-factly, even when relating horrible tales of how she was treated in her orphanage and school (which made it even more horrible, honestly). The style of writing is simple enough to speed through, which makes it so easy to connect with Ika’s story itself since I didn’t have to grapple with fancy language or metaphors. I was completely immersed in her story and rooting for her the whole way.It’s a story of a search for identity and belonging; when everyone keeps telling Ika she is inferior (even though she knows she isn’t), she struggles with finding a place where she feels like she belongs. This includes trying to find a group to accept her within her country, while also searching for her American father’s family, so she can get to know the black side of her family. The most heart-warming part is when she is finally able to meet up with her American family; it’s beautiful how whole-heartedly her family welcomes her and makes her feel just as if she belonged. I was worried about how her father’s wife would treat her, but she was gracious and welcoming, which Ika was grateful for.I think this is an excellent and important read. It gives a fuller picture of what it means to be black in a society that privileges white people, and reading about Ika’s journey growing up and finding herself is an inspiration.

Having read "Destined to Wintess" and finding it one of the best books I have ever read on a subject I was especially interested in considering that being from Europe myself (the UK) We are still know practically nothing about about the history of black German people even though we know so much about the history of Black British, French, Portuguese etc.I bought this book because unlike Hans Ika was born post World War 2 and grew up in post war Germany, a child who was born from a Black American father and German mother.Unfortuantly, this book is seriously lacking. The story begins by Ika stating (P14) that she was sterilised (something that only took place during Nazi Germany she was born post war and makes no further mention of this actually being done) That Germany permits Blacks to be "Hunted and struck down" (P15) Harsh words indeed considering we are talking about again, post war Germany.The book begins with young Ika growing up amongst her mothers family in a small German town, how her mother married a German man and gave birth to a second child Ika younger sister, the book continues to her being sent to a bording school for 'problem children' where she was certainly abused and mistreated to her graduating, finding work and eventually finding her place in society and even her own father.The problem with the book is there appear to be too many gaps and contradicions to it. She suffers horribly by the nuns at the bording school there is no doubt about that and she is racially abused on numerous occasions but at no point does she mention any friends that she made over the years.She mentions that she achieved an overwealming majority vote to be elected head of the student body in intermediate school (how could this happen if as Ika would have us believe "All whites are racist, yet do not wish to admit to their own racism" How could she have been put forward? Who were all these people who voted for her? We had been told for almost half the book that every white German she had met (and it was not until she was in her late 30s she met a Black German) was a racist who either did not wish her to exist or did not wish her recognise her existance as a person. This just makes no sense for these self same people to give such an overwealming vote of confidence to her.She marries a white German yet seem to make no mention during the relationsip the tension she must have surely felt (considering her complete lack of trust of white people and the level of contempt she believed that they had for her)at the begining of the relationship. Rather, she believes it started to gradually fall through later on due to her husband becoming increasingly ashamed of his Black partner. Again the contradition of Ikas childhood to 'falling in love' and marrying this man just dont add up.Ika goes on to finally meet fellow Afro Germans but again, while being happy to share her experiences with them seems distant and at times condencending towards them. Again she met these same people through white friends but still, she seems steadfast in her near contempt and hatered for white people regarding all without question as racist (now suely an educated woman in her late 30s would have come to a more sensible conclusion that that!)While the meeting with her father is emotional much of the book rather than alowing the reader to feel sympathy or even share a common bond with her the reader becomes tired of her generalisations, her lack of understanding of others, her refusal to recognise that not everyone shares her history and that she is in fact using the same awful generalisations on others that bigots have used on her.There are some interesting books out there written by people who have shared some of the emotional trials that Ika has suffered but have come through them a lot more positive than Ika.I would recomend Cass by Cass Pennant and Destined to Witness. I would not however, recomend this book. Unfortunate as there is so little on Afro German history. I can only hope that more research is done on the subject and something of better quality and value is produced.