From the French Trench
As mentioned by Rob (below), France’s recent flare-ups are not new. Being stationed, for the time being, in Lyon offers me an interesting perspective into how France works, or doesn’t. Officially, France and the French don’t see colour or race — no census data on race or religion is taken. A friend of mine who’s teaching English in a small town near Lyon was firmly told, in her orientation, that in France all are equal, and that this equality meant that any student wearing religious (ethnic) identifications must be forced (told) to remove them.
The other day we were in the Lyon metro when a group of 15-16 year old kids heard us speaking English and started to chat with us. They tried to guess where we were from, and when asked if they were “French” protested loudly saying: “No, we are not French, we’re Arab. He’s from Morocco, he’s from Tunisia, we’re from Algeria.” The group then proceeded to detail the troubles they have with police, how they are “dangerous,” how their heroes are SnoopDogg and 50cent, and how the metro that just passed us by didn’t stop because the driver saw a group of Arab kids.
We then observed that because France doesn’t see colour, there is little effort to target minorities in the media (ads, etc.). Further, French policies, and brick and mortar efforts at solutions, are coming increasingly under fire. Disavowal, in other words. At any rate, more missives from the front to come….
November 8th, 2005 at 8:14 am
Being french (and from Lyon) I agree with your statements but I would just say that the kids you met said “we’re not french but arabs” is representative of a phenomenon which should not be generalized.
Lots of persons who are descendents of arab immigrants still define themselves as being french (and they represent the majority by far).
Those who define themselves as arabs or algerian or tunisian would be mostly people from the banlieue, very young and who are furious against he state. Besides when those guys goes to visit their families in morocco, algeria or tunisia (they say they go to “le bled” = the village) they are definitely not perceived as being moroccan, algerian or so.
November 8th, 2005 at 8:45 am
I wonder if the french state is going to impose new anti-terror laws as means to secure internal order - after all, there might be an Al-Quaeda link (I’m sure the Pentagon could find one for them just in case).
November 10th, 2005 at 6:10 pm
thanks for your comments nicolas. your observations are well taken. as an outsider, however, the comments by this (isolated) group of youths were fascinating….