Racist French?

Je Suis · 03-23-2006, 10:40 PM

Mon Dieu!!!

Quote:

PARIS, France (Reuters) -- One third of French people say they are racist, a French human rights watchdog said on Tuesday, after a survey that showed an increase from last year in the number of people who acknowledged being racist.

Some 33 percent of 1,011 people surveyed face-to-face by pollsters CSA said they were "somewhat" or "a little" racist, up 8 percentage points from last year, according to an annual report by the National Consultative Commission for Human Rights.

The poll asked the question "When it comes to you personally, would you say you are ..." followed by a list of options: somewhat racist, a bit racist, not racist, not very racist, not racist at all and don't want to say.

The poll revealed deep economic and social anxiety, Joel Thoraval, the commission's president, said in a statement released to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

"Despite the efforts deployed to fight racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia there is still a long way to go," he said.

The report, presented to Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, was conducted from November 17-22, 2005, immediately after several weeks of rioting in poor suburbs around the country.

Thousands of cars were torched by youths who said they faced discrimination, police harassment and lack of access to jobs. Youth unemployment is as high as 50 percent in some poor urban areas.

France does not keep official statistics on the number of people belonging to ethnic groups, arguing that to do so would undermine social cohesion and go against its republican ideals.

France has Europe's largest Jewish and Muslim minorities with about 600,000 Jews and 5 million Muslims, mainly of north African origin.

Asked about their main fears for French society, 27 percent listed unemployment. Insecurity and poverty were cited by 16 and 11 percent respectively as their primary concern.

Right-wing politician Jean-Marie Le Pen stunned France when he came second in the first round of presidential elections in 2002 against President Jacques Chirac, espousing policies that included a tough line on foreigners.
The French League of Human Rights said in a press release that politicians trivialized racism and associated petty crime, economic crisis and housing shortages with an excessive number of foreigners.

The number of violent racist or xenophobic acts reported to the authorities fell to 88 in 2005 from 169 in 2004, partly because of a sharp drop in Corsica, which accounted for almost half of all such acts in 2004, the commission's report said.

But the number of threats reported fell at a slower rate, to 382 in 2005 from 461 in 2004, the commission said.

Separately, Europe's top human rights body, the Council of Europe, issued a region-wide call for vigilance against the spread of discrimination, hate speech and stereotyping across different forms of media.

03-23-2006, 10:43 PM

Don't forget. The Arab, Black, or Asian minority can be just as racist or even more so at times.

Je Suis · 03-25-2006, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malandro

Don't forget. The Arab, Black, or Asian minority can be just as racist or even more so at times.

Being a Francophile – I’m in no way passing judgment on the French – just a bit sad that Le Pen’s outlook has gained momentum over the years.

This whole thing about Europe being less racist than America is, in many ways, a fallacy.

It’s much easier for the majority to avoid stereotyping or bigotry when it is only a few minority families that settle in, and due to such sparse numbers are, are basically forced to totally assimilate.

Only in larger numbers, where the minority no longer have to totally assimilate, are they viewed as a threat, etc.

Think about where all the anti-Hispanic or anti-Mexican rhetoric is coming from – Southern California, Texas, Arizona, Florida, New York (Long Island) – not places like Vermont or Maine.

Europe, unlike the US, only lately has been experiencing huge numbers of foreign immigrants.

As for Arab, Black, Asian, etc. minorities being racist – sure there are those in those groups who are horrible racists (btw, when I was living in Paris, the only time I got racist crap, at least really overt crap, was from North Africans).

But the likelihood is that these minorities view/treat whites more favorably than other minorities (and even within certain Asian ethnicities – i.e. – Japanese person looks upon a white person more favorably than a Korean person, etc.).

Dupre · 03-25-2006, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malandro

Don't forget. The Arab, Black, or Asian minority can be just as racist or even more so at times.

That is absolutely true.

03-27-2006, 01:07 PM

Is this what's happening in Paris???

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006130897,00.html

03-28-2006, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Je Suis

Europe, unlike the US, only lately has been experiencing huge numbers of foreign immigrants.

True if you meant that the US is mainly a nation of immigrants. Otherwise, Europe due to its colonial history, saw many waves of immigrants. Furthermore to reconstruct Europe after the 2WW, lots of immigrants came and remained on the continent.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Je Suis

(btw, when I was living in Paris, the only time I got racist crap, at least really overt crap, was from North Africans).

But the likelihood is that these minorities view/treat whites more favorably than other minorities (and even within certain Asian ethnicities – i.e. – Japanese person looks upon a white person more favorably than a Korean person, etc.).

Totally agree with you.

03-28-2006, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by generasian

Is this what's happening in Paris???

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006130897,00.html

As you probably know, the information coming from the Sun (probably from any source) should not be taken as is.
I hate to say though that it is correct. BUT it does NOT give the right insight by being sensationally alarmist and by taking short cuts.

This one is more accurate, but it is in French.
http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,...-725561,0.html