Racism & Discrimination: America and France

NPR's Tell Me More posted this interview last October. In it, Michael Martin talks to Rob Kushen (executive director of the European Roma Rights Center) and Patrick Weil, a professor of history at the Sorbonne about their views on the expulsion of the Roma from France.
These people have been discriminated against since they first arrived in Western Europe centuries ago. The cycle of racism and discrimination that we have seen in this country with minorities continues there. Nicolas Sarkozy is taking an approach opposite to the "color blind theory" that many white Americans take; that is, he is abruptly taking a stance against a minority, something that many Americans would have a difficulty facing. The color-blind theory is one that ignores race completely, and with it, the issues that do challenge minority groups on a day-to-day basis; many white Americans believe that it is the best approach.
Nicolas Sarkozy may be taking a much-too-abrupt approach to the situation at hand, and Americans tend to ignore them completely. What we need to do is find a middle ground where everyone is accepted and race and ethnicity are not ignored, rather they are embraced and respected, not only in France and America, but the entire world. It wont be easy, but optimism would not hurt.
Race, a construction of society, will continue to be an issue and of relevance in Europe as it will in America due to its unfortunately deep-seeded roots. Hopefully the Roma will someday lose their stigma as a nomadic nuisance so that the world can see who they truly are: human.

Chasse aux Roms

             I took this photo in the Métro in Paris. The person who wrote this is comparing the expulsion of Roma to the fascism and Holocaust that took place during the 40s. I saw many more examples of this type of graffiti throughout Paris during my stay. People are speaking up and not afraid to protest, something that Sarkozy has been made to face in recent months. The European Union is not pleased with the way he has handled this issue (largely put "on hold" because of a shift of focus towards a new retirement age) and will continue to work with him until it is resolved in the best way possible. Stay tuned and have a wonderful week! 

Marine LePen Takes over NFP

NPR recently covered the takeover of Marine LePen of the National Front Party in France. Her father, Jean-Marie LePen founded the party, known for its extreme nationalist views, which lost strength after the 2007 election of French president Nicolas Sarkozy. It seems that Mme LePen has plans to modernize the party by denouncing outdated views on ideas such as homophobia and immigration.
 I will be following Mme LePen and the plans she has for her party; what does she plan to do with the current situation involving the Roma in France? Will her immigration views please the European Union which is upset with the way Sarkozy has handled the expulsion of Roma from France? I am excited to see how she plans to uproot old party foundations with newer ones without losing a large percentage of members.
Cheers!

Marine LePen and her father. Image courtesy of LIFE.com

What does it mean to be European?

The most European of all Europeans

This extract is one of the first with positive connotations that I've seen. The Romani people are truly lost, scattered and rejected. They are European in its most basic sense; they have no true home base. They travel, they live and they work wherever people accept, rather, tolerate them. They are still, after centuries, stuck in a nomadic cycle because of this rejection from modern society. They are, I learned, very talented and creative people who deserve much more respect and positive opportunities than they are currently receiving.

 Enjoy this clip of Django Reinhardt, the famous Romani to whom I devoted my semester abroad, and have a fantastic week!

Beginnings

Recently returned from abroad, I feel it is important to continue studying the culture of the Romani people living in France. Not only will I be posting informative updates on the current situation in France pertaining to the expulsion of Romani people, but also their lively culture. The media is saturated with information about President Sarkozy and his plans but they seem to overlook cultural aspects of the Romani people. They are a people with much more to offer than is often portrayed. 

When I first arrived in France to study Django Reinhardt and the Gypsy Jazz Movement, I was confronted with confusion. When people asked why I was there and what I was studying, more people than not ignored the word jazz and focused instead on gypsy. They couldn't grasp why I would want to study a people whose name is synonymous with words like theif, liar and cheater. It is because of this that I desire to keep this blog. I want to clear their name of negative associations and focus on their many talents. I will share news, videos, photographs and my own experiences. 

Read, enjoy, comment and question. I'm excited to read, respond and evolve with your participation.

Cheers,

Megan