Muslim Girls and the Other France: Race, Identity Politics, and Social Exclusion

by Trica Danielle Keaton

"[Keaton] provides the most in-depth analysis of the predicament of French Arabs and Africans living in the suburbs of Paris. . . . [O]ne can read the book through the lens of such great African American writers and activists as Richard Wright, James Baldwin, and Malcolm X. . . . [It] contains an implicit warning to you, France, not to repeat the American racism in your country." —from the foreword by Manthia Diawara Muslim girls growing up in the outer-cities of Paris are portrayed many ways in popular discourse—as oppressed, submissive, foreign, "kids from the projects," even as veil-wearing menaces to France’s national identity—but rarely are they perceived simply as what they say they French. Amid widespread perceptions of heightened urban violence attributed to Muslims and highly publicized struggles over whether Muslim students should be allowed to wear headscarves to school, Muslim girls often appear to be the quintessential "other." In this vivid, evocative study, Trica Danielle Keaton draws on ethnographic research in schools, housing projects, and other settings among Muslim teenagers of North and West African origin. She finds contradictions between the ideal of universalism and the lived reality of ethnic distinction and racialized discrimination. The author’s own experiences as an African American woman and non-Muslim are key parts of her analysis. Keaton makes a powerful statement about identity, race, and educational politics in contemporary France.

Genres: Nonfiction, School

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Michaela · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very American perspective on a complex situation in France. Nonetheless, she had some insightful arguments. I found myself siding with the government at times, and then at others, questioning where they get the right to determine a child's culture through education, which sometimes undermines family cultures. Ultimately, awareness for all the sides of an issue like this help you to develop better opinions, so any books I could get my hands on were welcome. I liked it, and am still asking questions about the implications of immigration, culture, and identity, which is always a good thing.

[Winson Law · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book presents an ethnography of Muslim girls who live in the outer cities of Paris. The author follows a handful of girls and extracts from their experience the ways in which they self-understand who they are. At the same time, Keaton envelopes their self-understandings in discussions about how the French school system (the dissemination of a so-called 'common culture,' French secularism, and French Republicanism) is oppressive to Muslim girls.

I learned a lot from this book about the experiences of immigrant communities in France. It's a bit dense at first with sociological terms but the insights and the stories that Keaton draws out are enlightening, troubling, and motivating.

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't learn anything new from the book, but that's probably because it's about 10 years old. Still, it was interesting to read personal accounts on life as a Muslim girl/immigrant/descendant of an immigrant in France.

[Wordwizard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for research background