Trying to discuss racial inequality without mentioning race leads to some linguistic gymnastics. There were whites, there were the `vrai Francais,”' - the “real French.”įrance's Constitution says the French Republic and its values are considered universal, meaning that all citizens have the same rights regardless of origin, race or religion. She noted that the people who marched in the streets of Nanterre after Nahel's death were “not necessarily Arabs, not necessarily Blacks. While the subject of race remains taboo, Essaifi believes the events of the past week were a step toward speaking more openly about it. “They say we are all French … so for them, it's racist to do something like that,” said Iman Essaifi, a 25-year-old resident of Nanterre, the Paris suburb where the teen, Nahel, was killed. No one knows how many people of various races live in the country, as such data is not recorded. Some French consider it racist to even discuss skin color. The police have none of it, he said.įrance, especially white France, doesn't tend to frame discussion of discrimination and inequality in black-and-white terms. human rights office's use of the term “racism” in its criticism of French law enforcement. The Paris police chief, Laurent Nunez, said Sunday he was shocked by the U.N. One can't address race, much less racism, if it doesn't exist, according to French policy. With his killing captured on video, what could be seen as France's George Floyd moment has produced a very French national discussion that leaves out what many Americans would consider the essential point: color. Officially, race doesn't exist in France.īut the death of the French-born 17-year-old with North African roots, which sent rioters into the streets, has again exposed deep feelings about systemic racism that lies under the surface of the country's ideal of colorblind equality. NANTERRE, France (AP) - The race of the police officer who fatally shot a French teenager during a traffic stop last week hasn't been disclosed, and there's no reason why it would be.
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