So Paris has been seeing riots for the past two weeks, and the unrest is spreading. The riots started when two Arabs, believing that police were following them, hid in an electric station and got electrocuted. But the real drive behind the conflict is the inequality between native French and the Arab/African minority groups.
Apparently the discrimination is far more overt than here in the States. Kids with Arab-sounding last names have far more difficulty getting jobs than those with French names. I am a bit dissapointed that people seem to be pointing fingers at France's "colorblind" policies as the culprit. France classifies people only as "nationals" and "foreigners" (not the best word in my opinion by the way), with no racial or ethnic classifications. While affirmitive action would seriously alleviate inequality, it can't be the only solution. Remember: "race" isn't the cure to racism. Admittedly, I would probably be naive if I thought that inequality could be ended without some kind of affirmitive action, but that doesn't change the fact that it is a quick fix to a larger problem. Ever wonder why affirmitive action hasn't lifted up the millions of African Americans still living in poverty?
Poverty begets poverty and hopelessness begets hopelessness. When you clump a bunch of poor minorities into poor neighborhoods, they're going to stay poor. Giving a few of them jobs just drains their communities of valuable members. And moving them into pretty suburbs will just make the whites to leave, (probably gentrifying the old ghettos in turn). What's necessary is a coordination of initiatives: education, neighborhood reform, anti-discrimination laws and, yes, affirmitive action - if it helps integrate whites and minorities in the workplace. Familiarity breeds friendship and people might just be more willing to live alongside eachother as a result. Luckily, Prime Minister Villepin is pursuing reforms to make some of this happen. That's more than can be said for our government following the New Orleans flood.
Let's hope the violence ends quickly, but that it's not forgotten either.
Apparently the discrimination is far more overt than here in the States. Kids with Arab-sounding last names have far more difficulty getting jobs than those with French names. I am a bit dissapointed that people seem to be pointing fingers at France's "colorblind" policies as the culprit. France classifies people only as "nationals" and "foreigners" (not the best word in my opinion by the way), with no racial or ethnic classifications. While affirmitive action would seriously alleviate inequality, it can't be the only solution. Remember: "race" isn't the cure to racism. Admittedly, I would probably be naive if I thought that inequality could be ended without some kind of affirmitive action, but that doesn't change the fact that it is a quick fix to a larger problem. Ever wonder why affirmitive action hasn't lifted up the millions of African Americans still living in poverty?
Poverty begets poverty and hopelessness begets hopelessness. When you clump a bunch of poor minorities into poor neighborhoods, they're going to stay poor. Giving a few of them jobs just drains their communities of valuable members. And moving them into pretty suburbs will just make the whites to leave, (probably gentrifying the old ghettos in turn). What's necessary is a coordination of initiatives: education, neighborhood reform, anti-discrimination laws and, yes, affirmitive action - if it helps integrate whites and minorities in the workplace. Familiarity breeds friendship and people might just be more willing to live alongside eachother as a result. Luckily, Prime Minister Villepin is pursuing reforms to make some of this happen. That's more than can be said for our government following the New Orleans flood.
Let's hope the violence ends quickly, but that it's not forgotten either.
posted by whitey at 8:27 PM
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