„Die Enkel der Osmanen“ – Ausgrenzung, Diskriminierung und Illegalisierung von „Tagelöhnern“ im Münchner Bahnhofsviertel

In the Munich train station district there is a “day laborer market” that is much resented by residents and tradespeople. The predominantly Bulgarian “day laborers” face various experiences of exclusion and discrimination, partly due to their affiliation to an ethnic minority. A closer look shows that their ethnicity is more complex and multi-layered than one might guess at first. This article focuses on the role of ethnicity of “day laborers” in order to illustrate, by means of ethnographic field talks and interviews, the negotiation processes of belonging in the multi-ethnic train station district. After describing the “day laborers” in the train station district, the socio-cultural situation of ethnic minorities in Bulgaria is addressed. The “day laborers” affiliation is ambiguous and results, thus, in both advantages and disadvantages in dealing with residents and tradespeople of the train station district. Finally, the illegalization of the “day laborer” market and its effects on their position are discussed.