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3/15/2006 - Knocking on France's Door by Kay Dilday

KAD INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS KAD FRANCE ICWA Kay Dilday Institute Fellow studying relationships French North African immigrants France North Africa letters Knocking France Door By K A Dilday March Since Institute Current World Affairs Crane Rogers Foundation provided fellowships enable outstanding young professionals outside United States write about international areas issues An operating foundation endowed Charles R Crane Institute supported contri butions minded individuals foundations PARIS France I first observe while physical nature gotten easier century almost other aspects cross border movement become difficult With exceptions legal migration South North East West begins country consulate Consulates trange things sovereign territory another country Entering French consulate therefore enter France Until seekers turned French consulate New York townhouse surrounded residences upper East Side stood first first served Since January appoint apply Nevertheless first Wednesday after New Year still huddled outside building gaggle plicants clutching sheaths paper marring genteel splendor block As I waited outside small crowd shared concerns Most appointments about change policy There Senegalese needed transit Africans transit through France break plenty He planning leave three hours through Paris Dakar He about necessity making appointment He pleaded guard avail I visited embassy three times I heard similar story Brazilians traveled New Jersey Indian woman Long Island None about policy The guard according rumors previous being fired brutal style final reduced people tears began telling people would effectively turning tables forcing replace their misfortune Even litany missed flights delayed journeys people Africa India Pakistan Sri Lanka I never heard anyone raise voice consular officials What I mostly heard pleading Three weeks after I completed application through And weeks after I crossed Atlantic stand another suppli cants outside Centre R ception trangers Hotel Police which serves people It located arrondissement outer Paris At there Paris early risers newest residents adopted habit sleeping I about minutes before official When blonde guard appears arrived woman small child stroller front bypass enter I guess tionality maybe Bosnian The guard first people She looks He turns No anything The silence answer itself returns place front Not charity Once inside moves quickly There manner people One particular catches He seems African accompanied white woman The reception where papers interview I think lawyers Is political refugee I intrigued another couple 20ish African woman dressed casually jeans braids another woman dressed black Her covered black scarf Her dress drags along floor She ously older panion I little I mother grandmother friend I Are Muslims That I think Is generation My interview proceeds quickly after dress rehearsal event The inter viewer scarcely scraped surface dossier which governmental demand revealing The French government requires evidence substantial health insurance coverage financial resources I needed proof I would approximately euros I global terms Westerner Yet evidence yearly I New York apartment Yet although I these papers New York birth certif icate lease sufficient which demande carte Now I entered country simply French government document whereabouts months before decide I allowed I given appointment months later actual interview carte As I woman I think glasses thrusts paper I where dress printed No asked question street Lyon Paris happens Paris It dramatic change Lyon where I spent winter Paris major world accus tomed absorbing newcomers I chilliness interest I identity choose moment I adept foreigner among other foreigners I Paris which I gotten quite using address It close I Just metro Barb I there twelve tells slightly frantic It minute where needs minutes metro You See It stops I showing But stops Four I finally dawns She I whether French But takes paper address again shows wrong sentence structure printed close other Arabic dissimilar French though could simply I there I It ticularly generous Her destination around corner apartment She Moroccan tells begin Metro How I expecting answer months maybe single digit years Twenty three years She insists taking circuitous route metro though I pretty station Place Clichy street another But worried I wants We twist around series streets insists saying I scared She scared appointment When finally arrive metro taken circle adding least eight minutes But street signs everything memory That I today We board metro which I convince though scared wants because street though minute metro I I again relaxes As remembers I before counts stops Ten minutes later I deposit spare before appointment receive profuse thanks She going center renewal carte What country closed Why lived France become citizen After years should right I remember naturalization France requires profi ciency French Immigration rules constantly being debated moment likely nervous companion difficult future Following burning riots interior minister presumptive presi dential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy announced plans change nature immigration To selective system immigration right privilege extended primarily educated class Families French residents automatical admitted years Among those caught rioting people families possessed I seeking carte sejour Mr Sarkozy publicly followed through threats deport measure unusual France Mr Sarkozy immigration proposals considered French parliament May lobby against beginning force I asked acquaintance Tahar Hani Algeria correspondent Algeria widely French language newspaper thought proposed changes Mr Hani claims France sistance vitality immigrants provide innovation stymieing country progress He claims proposals anyway since anything offer would France since dying country I Tahar Hani festival Maghrebian thors February It after horrific thing happened France vicious murder Paris A young Ilan Halim kidnapped ransom demanded delivered tortured He Jewish murdered mostly Muslims A young woman baited It shockingly medieval story French press There march memorial Mr Halimi place February It attracted tremendous crowd including Mr Sarkozy former prime minister Lionel Jospin I there I Le Maghreb livres showcase authors Paris The building almost centuries interior dates 1880s since shell after burned departing Communards The grand lecture revolution Ornate frescoes peasants other stock decorate ceiling depicted brimmed women fields overflowing bustiers Yet discus evoked France colonial subsequent responsibility The authors panelists almost exclusively North African Literary panels abounded I attended several forums temporary social political Mr Halimi never spoken As horrendous itself shows France houses violent vicious people cussion about Ilan Halimi brutal murder shows fissures levels French society I heard professional people North Afri descent about pened angrily claim North African killed would called racist gotten attention In young Muslim outside Lyon early March companions ethnically motivated Less horrific therefore jolting nonetheless received small fraction attention Mr Halimi murder I reports about people banlieues scoffing attention I heard Jews speak dicative growing Semitism recurrence cancer almost destroyed Europe century The ringleader murderers convict years France native Ivory Coast interviewed television before extradited He impassive casual It purely money Even clinical psychology sociopath He spoke calmly murder nothing chopping someone I doubt telling truth since evident dissolute portunist But I believe could count Semitism among young Muslims banlieues They decided Jews money rather because Jews money For followers their actions religious gloss probably greedy vicious thugs I understand issue promi unmentioned gathering Maghrebian intellectuals France Preju discussed undeniable brutal Halimi murder harmed profile Muslims France But I think discussed because concerned There course panels cused purely literary topics large cussion related social political issues North African immigrants France oppor tunity education discrimination workplace As I write France middle nationwide protests Here Paris Sorbonne French university occupied several students weekend The French police tered efficiently removed about protesters minutes reported injuries It markably climactic ending storied event Yesterday Tuesday students again marched clashed police What protesting CPE which stands contrat premi embauche first employment contract allows employers under without giving usual guaranty longevity ployment financial responsibility After weekend events other presumptive presidential candidate right French prime minister Dominique Villepin national airwaves defend CPE which scheduled effect early April Mr Villepin stressed benefit workers highly skilled He mention youth banlieues which coded young beurs blacks It seemed imply university students about those their educational advantage The CPE comes provisions would permit lease things allows I talking Mr Hani against It employers They reason Coming United States where always doesn awful It middle people families mortgages usually devastated sudden But would employer employee I asked That wouldn prudent Mr Hani doesn really answer C sprit Fran answer But discuss politics integration commerce tells French esprit country How French accustomed mixing range people prejudice French businesses stagnant uninteresting because refuse vibrant immigrant force The contradictions Mr Tahar rhetoric emblematic problem France Mr Hani going nationwide marches against CPE Saturday He affected proposed It important support young people The CPE nothing solve problem unemployment According everything He scoffs religious militancy being important young culture If people wouldn about those things They apartments cinema parties young people TRUSTEES Bryn Barnard Joseph Battat Mary Lynne Bird Steven Butler Sharon F Doorasamy Peter Geithner Gary Hartshorn Katherine Roth Kono Cheng Li Peter Bird Martin Dasa Obereigner Richard Z Robinson Carol Rose John Spencer Edmund Sutton HONORAR Y TRUSTEES David Elliot David Hapgood Pat M Holt Edwin S Munger Richard H Nolte Albert Ravenholt Phillips Talbot Institute Current World Affairs The Crane Rogers Foundation Four West Wheelock Street Hanover New Hampshire 03755 U S A About Author In application Institute Fellowship Kay wrote During Century nature immigration changed Now seems assimilation longer necessary successful immigration desired immigrants Because technological advances shifting mores West residents often their culture their hearts minds another allying West source income Immigration provide opportunity reinvention Increasingly though immigrants choosing emphasize their differences insulating themselves their expatriate community adhering ancestral traditions One problems writing about addressing situation North Africans Muslims France uniformity community Although North Africans immigrated Century receive citizenship their children their children French Thus there fierce debates about nature future North African community France They among people different religions varied affiliations histories Kay Dilday Waiting apply residence permits Paris Le Maghreb livres Hotel Ville March against CPE place Nation INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Institute Fellows chosen basis character previous experience promise They young professionals funded spend minimum years carrying designed programs study writing outside United States The Fellows required report their findings experiences field month They write subject formally informally The result unique reporting analysis periodic assessment interna tional events issues Current Fellows their Activities Richard D Connerney January INDIA A lecturer Philosophy Asian Religions Philosophy Rutgers Iona College University Hawaii Manoa Rick Connerney spending years Phillips Talbot Fellow studying writing about intertwining religion culture politics India described former U S Ambassador John Kenneth Galbraith functioning anarchy Rick B A M A religion Wheaton College University Hawaii respectively Kay Dilday October FRANCE MOROCCO An editor New York Times Op Ed years Kay holds M A Comparative International Politics Theory Graduate Center City University New York Bachelor degree English Literature Tufts University graduate Universiteit Amst erdam Netherlands Cours Civilisation Sorbonne She traveled written Haiti began jouralistic council reporter Somerville This Week Somerville MA Cristina Merrill June ROMANIA Born Bucharest Cristina moved Romania United States mother father Learning English retaining Romanian majored American History Harvard College there became captain women tennis She received Master degree Journalism New York University worked several U S publications Adweek New York Times spending years Romania watching emerge darkness Ceauscescu regime presumed light membership European Union NATO Nicholas Schmidle October PAKISTAN Nicholas freelance writer interested intersection culture religion politics Asia He spending years Pakistan writing issues ethnic sectarian national identity Previously reported Central Asia Iran published Washington Post Weekly Standard Foreign Policy Christian Science Monitor others Nick received M A International Affairs Regional Studies American University December He lives Rikki Andrew J Tabler February SYRIA LEBANON Andrew lived studied worked Middle East since Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Fellowship enabled begin Arabic language studies toward Master degree American University Cairo Following Master editorships Middle East Times Cairo Times before moving Turkey Lebanon Syria working Senior Editor Oxford Business Group correspondent Economist Intelligence Unit His ICWA fellowship bases Beirut Damascus where report Lebanese affairs Syrian reform Jill Winder July GERMANY With B A politics Whitman College Walla Walla WA Master degree Art Curating Bard College Annandale Hudson NY Jill ICWA Donors Fellow looking Germany through ideas viewpoints contemporary artists Before months intensive study German language Berlin Thomas J Watson Fellow looking communist practice cultural politics transition former Soviet Czech Republic Slovakia Poland Croatia Hungary Latvia Romania Slovenia Ukraine Author Dilday Kay Title ICWA Letters Europe Russia ISSN Imprint Institute Current World Affairs Hanover NH Material Type Serial Language English Frequency Monthly Other Regions South Asia East Asia The Americas Mideast North Africa Sub Saharan Africa ICWA Letters ISSN published Institute Current Worl Affairs Inc exempt operating foundation incorporated New York State offices located West Wheelock Street Hanover NH 03755 The letters provided charge members ICWA available libraries professional researchers subscription Phone Fax E Mail valley Web address Executive Director Peter Bird Martin Program Assistant Brent Jacobson Administrative Publications Manager Ellen Kozak Institute Current World Affairs The Crane Rogers Foundation The Information contained publication reprinted republished without express consent Institute Current World Affairs