New Haven Independent

As part of a week-long educational excursion to the U.S., members of the government of the Danish town of Vejle (pronounced “veil”) spent Thursday in New Haven learning about the workings of the city. Apart from the intricacies of the budget approval system, the Danish group (including Deputy Mayor Arne Sigtenbjerggaard, pictured, at right) was most interested in New Haven’s youth council and in the resident ID card. Like many towns in Denmark, Vejle’s immigrant population has increased dramatically in recent years, and according to the city officials there have been difficulties assimilating the new arrivals, especially the youth.

Over sandwiches, fruit, and cookies the Danes received a primer on New Haven city government from Alders Clark and Alfreda Edwards, standing in for Mayor DeStefano, who has been on vacation this week with his wife. Also giving lessons were Charlie Pillsbury of Community Mediation and Ronald Huggins and Jamarr Daniels, members of the New Haven Youth Council.

When the conversation turned to immigration in New Haven, Pillsbury pulled his resident ID card out of his wallet and recounted the history of the city’s controversial program. Bitsie Clark followed up with a story of how she had held up Denmark as a role model when the city was under fire for the ID card.

“We were vilified, we got email from all over the country,” she said. “I used your country as an example: this is just what they did in Denmark when they all put on yellow arm bands. We should all have cards.”

Clark was referring to the apocryphal story of Germany’s World War II invasion of Denmark. When all Danish Jews were ordered by the Nazis to wear yellow stars, the story goes, the King of Denmark (not Jewish) put on a yellow star, inspiring his subjects to wear them too, so that the Germans wouldn’t be able to tell Jew from Gentile.

“I think the ID card is a good idea. It’s a real good idea,” said Anette Jensen (pictured), Vejle’s superintendent of schools, after the meeting. She said that there are almost 30 different countries represented in her town and that in one public school, immigrants comprise almost half of the student body. “Too many of our bilingual pupils are dropping out,” she had mentioned before the meeting. Youth gangs are forming, some with violent behavior. “We are not good at solving everything, that’s why we are here,” she said.

Palestinian-born Fouzi Abdelrazik (pictured listening to Alder Edwards), the youngest member of the Danish delegation, elaborated on the immigrant situation in Vejle as the group walked towards Yale to begin their tour of the campus. “It’s not like here. In Europe, the history is not based on immigration. The last few years have been difficult. There is a fear in Denmark of losing the Danish culture. But the thing is, we need the immigrants. We need the labor.”

Abdulrasik, 27, has been a city councilor in Vejle for three years. When asked about the problems that his town was facing, he laughed and said, “Our problems, for you guys, would be ridiculous. There is a bit of drugs and violence. But it’s completely different. I mean, no one has guns.”

Vejle is now home to refugees from Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Palestine, including Palestinian families that have lived in refugee camps for three generations. Abdulrazik said that for some, coming from traumatic circumstances, the adjustment is particularly difficult. “They’ve have suffered trauma. And the parents pass it to the children. They’ve never lived in normal society,” he said. The result is some violence, some drop-outs, and general difficulty assimilating.

The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts. For the Danes, bookmarks and New Haven calendars. For Alders Clark (pictured at the top of the story) and Edwards, classy Georg Jensen-designed silver salad servers.

“Wasn’t that fun? That was wonderful,” said Clark.