The Storm Around France’s First Muslim Cabinet Minister, Rachida Dati

Actually...

The concept of race (if such a thing exists) IS tracked in France and more importantly the concept of racial immigration and profiling.

This is perfectly illustrated by the new mandatory registering of all children family in a rather controversial program that shifts responsibility of registering immigrant families from the town hall to the school system. Who uses this data collection? ‘Le ministere des affaire interieures’ that includes the police, immigration affairs and of course counter intelligence as well as a few spook nests. What is in this data base? Children civil information of course but also… Are the parents married? Do they speak French at home? What is their religion? Do they observe their religious beliefs? Are they employed? By whom? Have them been to prison or convicted?

Diverse communities, yeah, right. Tell that to the inhabitants who live in them. Tell that to the folks who are afraid for no reason of having blacks, Arabs, immigrants moving into their neighborhood. As in the US communities are forming then chased away as real estate development take an interest once the folks in that area are too weak economically to fight back (port area in Marseille, old town in Nice for example). Segregated neighborhoods exist in all major towns and all secondary towns in France. The difference is only that these are further divided; blacks in one side, Arabs in another, Asian in another, Eastern country immigrant in yet another and for good measure add a few Jewish areas.

This is further demonstrated by blatant racial profiling in the way all branches of the French government deals with its task. Equality, Fraternity but only if equality is within a race and Fraternity is left within the ‘real’ French…

Please do not use the French system and the US system to make false comparisons and plant ideas that are wrong in order to support a judgment that is just as wrong. France is not better than the US and the US is not better than France. For once, ‘Vive la difference’ is what should be used to improve both countries moods over racism.

For info and a bit of historical perspective… The French were the second largest nation involved in commercial slave trading between Africa and the US, ask embarrassing questions as to where and when many fortunes were made in towns like Nantes, Rochefort, Bordeaux….

By the way, I did not travel in France, I lived there. I know live in the US.

USA's challenges

I will return the exact critic toward the US.

You said France is a country "that needs to be challenged on integration and community cohesion". Well, do you travel accross the country? We have gettos everywhere, racially segmented cities, etc.. That's the model France needs to be inspired from? No kidding...

I think both countries have "best practices":

For the US:

- US was able to elect their first "black" president

- More diversity in the media

For France:

- The concept of "race" does not exist and it is indeed not tracked/used (like mentioning "Caucasian" in the US driver license!)

- More diverse/integrated cities (no "Black" neighbourood per se, etc...) Not perfect tough as some communities are forming in some regions.

Please let's not fall in the trap of the "US is the perfect society that inspires the world..." Let's be humble.

Best Regards to all,

Larry.

France's challenges

Rachida Dati has worked hard, and like Condoleezza Rice, come from behind to challenge expectations in a country that needs to be challenged on integration and community cohesion. France has a lot to learn from the US and and the US has much to appreciate in regard to how much further ahead it is, which helps make the US so dynamic. Thank you to US News for covering this issue, and keep up your coverage of France and world affairs in the new year.