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3/1/2007 - Stuck in Dreux by Kay Dilday

ICWA KAD FRANCE Kay Dilday Institute Fellow studying relationships French North African immigrants France North Africa letters Since Institute Current World Affairs Crane Rogers Foundation provided termfellowships enable outstandingyoung professionals outsidethe United States write about international areas issues An operating foundation endowedby Charles R Crane theInstitute supported contri butions minded individuals foundations TRUSTEES Bryn Barnard Carole Beaulieu Mary Lynne Bird Steven Butler Virginia R Foote Peter Geithner Gary Hartshorn Pramila Jayapal Robert A Levinson Cheng Li David Z Robinson John Spencer Susan Sterner Edmund Sutton Boris Weintraub HONORARY TRUSTEES David Elliot David Hapgood Pat M Holt Edwin S Munger Richard H Nolte Albert Ravenholt Phillips Talbot Stuck Dreux By K A Dilday March PARIS I Leila Laouati confer about Employment Issues Young Graduates Immigrant Origin She stood floor opened audience breakneck delivery recounted story I internship UNESCO When someone position woman French delegation France ready represented someone Leila welcoming friendly It light brownish color which variant French butter describe Maghrebin immigrants France derived Her slightly kinky Leila parents Algerian heritage physical imprint their daughter I after conference asked I could later about experiences I Paris I Dreux You heard It famous because first elect National Front Mayor The Nati Front immigrant political party founded Jean Marie Le Pen veteran France colonial Indochina Algeria Only seeks diplomacy makes Leila story failure employment unique among people ethnic background All across France young people employed The burden falls disproportionately youth whose parents immigrant origin And trapped small cities where disappeared transition their former identity factory towns Dreux these cities Sixty miles Paris Dreux seems Paris The indeed train leaves every Dreux Mont parnasse Station Paris Unable afford stagecoach Victor Hugo three Paris Dreux visit woman loved Skip century Dreux maintained strong resistance World War II Vichy government installed Nazis During period Jean Moulin famed Resistance department prefect department France regional divisions He supported Dreux collaborating mayor Maurice Violette until imprisoned Moulin killed Violette survived again became mayor Dreux After World War II Violette welcomed American Air Force which opened Dreux bringing community Americans In closed Dreux American High School graduated class But trickle Dreux getting influx foreigners Americans leaving Maghrebins arriving A large group Harkis Algerians fought French Algerian War after ended Between 1950s 1970s population Dreux doubled It small medium sized diverse population Like France early century Dreux immigrants primarily Italy Spain Portugal In century Moroccans Tunisians followed Algerians Dreux North African workers during France economic glorieuses Dreux relatively tranquil known primarily factories which Philips plants centerpiece This changed elected first mayor coalition party RPR decade immigrant party National Front In close election Jean Hieaux RPR constructed Jacques Chirac mayor Paris several center right parties Jean Pierre Stirbois National Front flashy outspo Eure Loire region defeated socialist candidates Most Socialist candi dates incumbents It change Dreux which instantly became France The Front slogan One million unempl One million immigrants French first Dreux transition binger immigrant rightward drift continued Western Europe 1990s 2000s By Leila family They nearly decade history Dreux Her father arrived taking there Algeria He stopped southern France where harvested fruit slept outside other North African seasonal workers night When season ended followed another Belgium There Mr Laouati heard Philips Dutch electronics company factories Dreux hiring He arrived Dreux alone He could neither write trained particular field But there plenty skill Philips hired boxes perform other brute tasks Some years later those Philips plants closing During years factory disappeared Dreux accordi report Les Echos French financial newspaper The unemploy Dreux around percent little higher national average among people finished basic level education unemployment percent These second generation immigrants children factories unskilled laborers trained their parents vacated victims dearth By contrast second generation immigrants Leila Laouati trained white collar employment attributable changing economy prejudices French society Leila studied international institutions Sor bonne prestigious French university Her degree should qualified intellectually skilled diplomacy change social class But after years searching chosen field Leila pieces toget since working Mau Violette professional named Dreux mayor The school minutes housing complex where Lycees French equivalent American schools Students enter after completing middle school called college about French children required attend school until which point youth North African origin leave Stu dents continuing their education after college attend either general professional technical Gen typical liberal schools students follow three tracks science humanities social sciences preparing eventually enter university another higher education Professional technical train people various sometimes white collar usually Leila family lived Dreux technical likes which built France house workers imported North Africa during economic She second child after father married cousin Algeria Everyone Leila lived buildings which unofficial social communitarianism emigrants particular region There Turkish building filled Maghrebins Saharan African building Instead going technical professional KAD schools where complexes children Leila enough attend general school center school filled largely Fran souche standing French children Fran coise Gaspard socialist mayor Dreux recalls debate about Godeau School regarded general lycee Dreux If Dreux district properly adhered large housing project mostly Turks would zoned Godeau In about mayor Gaspard writes periodically mayor tried enforce proper zoning parents headmaster describes staunch communist protested The master recruit francais souche children other districts school capacity there would children projects Maurice Violette relatively professional built 1990s To there I walked cession housing projects Then school appeared salmon colored building plaza protected barbed fence The cheery color little dispel sense reform school I buzzed faceless guard I covered hidden gazebo Accord Leila fence there because Maurice Violette across Les Bates series housing complexes coveted homes these known being station juana trade between Morocco Europe rather desirable place At professional Maurice Violette dents prepare useful factory truck driving machine operating sales Students quite forced particular profession quite allowed choose freely When student leaves college teachers suggest those professional technical study ticular subject The French educational system arcane teachers children known success navigating method which administra choose paths students mysterious There standardized elements college students accrue points based variety factors including grades teacher recommendations their geographi location Based these regional administrator assigns specific school going professi recommends profession often something specific plumbing charcuterie The largest educational divide between general fessional technical Since 1980s prepare students baccalaureate coveted school degree unless students enter general school likelihood going academic higher education small This earliest level which state systematically begins applying establishing there level ciety beyond which certain people never Leila graduated entered Sorbonne plans study Arabic A advisor Westerners spoke Arabic would demand United Nations dream employ On first Arabic class professor asked students Algerian heritage raise their hands When fought France Algerian Algerians going class The students huddled together after class formed After France republic where French people equal regardless origin They weren going racism The students delegation lodge complaint university would speak professor The class professor summoned I master The university president slave This class I I Leila Arabic class never She switched majors graduated degree international institu tions Since Leila looking takes internships A series internships stages French common route university graduates Leila never managed internship employment Leila managed piece together modest living which Maurice Violette Since worked school calls pedagogic assistant She counsels students about their professional opportunities Leila wants abroad represent France diplomatic service profit organization But instead living childhood walking minutes students complex where Despite efforts fallen pattern residents understanding INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Les Bates housing complex Dreux station traffic Morocco Europe Dreux No leaves The transition Dreux coincides economic downturn The relentless recent years In 1990s unemployment levels tween percent French government classi areas higher average unemploy level economic activity ZUS Zone Urbaine Sensible Employers these zones exempt paying percent social costs workers Within ZUS quarters employ statistics classified ZRUs Zone Rydna misation Employers receive exemptions locating there Dreux classified ZUS ZRU But these measures stemmed crisis young people training disappeared Jobs disappearing since trentes glorieuses The socialist government mindful changed educational system lengthen training period those professional toward degree profes sional baccalaureate Not appear equalize system cheaper safer young people school rather unemployed streets Yet professional baccalaureate secretarial sales adequate preparation studying other limited discipline In 1990s French universities medical programs applicants those sorts qualifications letters telling percent students their degree failed medical school during first might consider another program Inside fortress Maurice Violette school relatively perhaps education assis tants women their early Maghrebin origin As recount their duties I realize actually security guards They students assign rooms Three Mohammed Mohammed Mustapha moment They Dreux moving toddlers Moroc The Dreux remember their childhood harmonious Everyone along Dreux CNN because there never burnings mosques churches But everything changed after September I I heard other African origin asked their identification papers every Some I asked several times They resigned angry joked about Maybe better I shaved beard Mustapha rubbing clean shaven laughed naturedly I diligently began write I joking Communitarianism habit allying politically KAD socially certain ethnic group French republicans But systemic communitarianism critics republican ideal point apparent Dreux The school around people They school people They never anyone different elder Mohammed tells They optimis anything change There system Dreux Leila knows leaves logistics teacher Lyc Maurice Violette echoed sentiment education assistants But A Small City France about Dreux Francoise Gaspard former mayor native Dreux writes lycee classmates still lived And lived there wrote cause decided enter politics Over three decades Dreux longer vibrant factory abandoned those choice At Maurice Violette Leila counsels students about career opportunities Students lycee might enter workforce might graduate perhaps years training after obtaining professional baccalau reate BAC It inspire I BAC Sorbonne highest doctoral university degree I still Leila One other teachers asked students there racism France I wouldn because Leilia intro duced quite cordially teachers lounge I They criticize students things about think never succeed The students I talked girls years inarticulate teenagers All three studying sales They expressed amorphous impression racism Yes there racism France pressed little As girls harassed police disturbances people their They seemed ordinary teenagers What I noticed difference between students educa assistants Ten years looking decent older resigned It weary rather angry resignation They fortunate because though their choices limited Paris calls promise better logistics difficult I buses train Mustapha And train costs about round which daily commute The small apartment Paris would reduce their because Dreux still Like Leila people I Dreux believed France color blind religion blind place described textbooks students reading state judges because their appearance rather their fellows citizens The education assistants claimed different ethnic ligious communities Dreux their lationship police different matter In dition constantly being asked prove their right country during prayer local mosques police watch trained For Leila unlike people attempted leave Dreux rejection ciety frequent After years trying discouraged remains determined still believes France Leila would women rights perhaps promote French language When stood story interview French delegation UNESCO conference where everyone seemed visibly shocked But another audience member remarked minutes later there French people color major positions French diplomatic services A later I Leila Dreux heard stories I saying But against Don recourse She shrugged If anything people always Well maybe anything wrong maybe enough Le spunk taken train I taking journey stand story conference hopes someone would After story representative organization sponsoring event Association Facilitate Insertion Young Graduates Work World Association faciliter insertion professionnelle jeunes ranged counseling session She looking Leila counselor criticized parts fight tears because frustrated She determined Leila daunted almost insurmountable systemic obstacles taken enter diplomatic service crucial Leila register black woman behind Look people passed Do names yours Chastened Leila What think Leila situation Nadia asked lunch Does strange I explained while prejudice exists United States employer would those things lawsuit least person higher educational level would counterat legally It could company state money I explained No would discriminate explicitly Leila Nadia nodded knowingly Like INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS people color I France seemed aware power minority communities United States Leila unmarried At turned numerous distant relatives Algeria parents tried convince marry They think I nearly But dutiful Muslim She always wears skirt Halal She Japanese during interns would marry Muslim parents would approve But Leila thinks marriage accompli comes overseas husband child parents accept choice When I Dreux Leila waited I would train would Paris As stood there I asked What identity Do Muslim French She rocked heels looked I being Muslim identity everyone keeps telling I French I I This sense dislocation being caught between cultures fully accepted either echoed often reporting Muslims Europe seems trite repeat plaint quotidian struggle There people Leila caught between future forced societal structures remain perpetua limbo De spite efforts moment identity Al gerian Europe available As I write France about choose presi candidates begun speak might reify abstract concept French identity S Royal socialist party didate recently people should French their windows national holidays citizens should learn Marseillaise battle France national anthem Nicolas Sarkozy centre right candidate president announced would appoint minister integration national identity elected president In defending To French ethnicity collection values Fair enough acknowledge France oldest families first second generation immigrants France convinci KAD INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Current Fellows Kay Dilday FRANCE MOROCCO October December Kay studying relationships French North African grants France North Africa A former editor The New York Times Op Ed Kay holds master degree comparative interna tional politics theory Graduate Center City University New York bachelor degree English literature Tufts Univer graduate Universiteit Amsterdam Netherlands Cours Civilisation Sorbonne Suzy Hansen TURKEY April A John O Crane Memorial Fellow Suzy writing about politics religion Turkey A former editor New York Observer appeared Salon New York Times Book Review Nation other publications She graduated University Pennsylvania Derek Mitchell IN DIA September As Phillips Talbot Fellow Derek explore impact global trade economic growth Indians living poverty He served volunteer Swaraj Peeth institute New Delhi cated nonviolent conflict resolution Mahatma Gandhi thought Previously Fulbright scholar India Gandhi Peace Foun dation He coordinated foreign policy research George Washington University Institute Communitarian Policy Studies worked political organizer New Hampshire Derek graduated degree religion Columbia University Nicholas Schmidle PAKISTAN February Nick freelance writer interested intersection culture religion politics Asia He Pakistan ICWA fellow examining ethnic sectarian national identity Previously reported Central Asia Iran His published Washing Post Weekly Standar Foreign Policy Christian Science Monitor elsewhere He holds master degree International Affairs American University Raphael Soifer BRAZIL April An actor director playwright musician theatre educator Raphi Soi Donors Fellow studying participant observer tionship between social change communities throughout Brazil He worked performer director United States Brazil taught performance prisoners underprivileged youth through People Palace Projects Rio Janeiro Community Works San Francisco He holds bachelor degree Theatre Studies Anthropology Yale University Institute Fellows chosen basis character previ experience promise They young professionals funded spend minimum years carrying designed programs study writing outside United States The Fellows quired report their finding experiences field month They write subject formally informally The result unique reporting analysis periodic assessment international events issues ICWALetters ISSN published Institute Cur World Affairs Inc exempt operating foundation corporated New York State offices located Street NW Suite Washington DC The letters provided charge members ICWAand available libraries professional researchers scription Phone Fax orgWeb Executive Director Steven Butler Bookkeeper Program Assistant Jim Guy Publications Manager Ellen Kozak Institute Current World Affairs The Crane Rogers Foun dation The Information contained publication reprinted republished without express written consent Institute Current World Affairs