French Maghrébins and Muslim Americans: a comparative look
NEH presentationShannon Swann
The overall picture
Thriving?
Young Muslims in US 40% vs. Young Muslims in France 23%
Highly Educated
US Muslims 40% vs. French Maghrébins 6%
Respected
88% of US Muslims report feeling respected
40.8% Male and 36% Female Maghrébins experienced discrimination
•
Why is this so?
• Read 20+ scholarly articles
• Looked for common threads
• Reached some tentative conclusions
• Found many avenues for further research and/or study
Some major factors
• History
• Culture
• Geography
• Economics
• Social/Political reasons
Immigration timeline
US Muslims
• Long history
• Larger waves in early and late 20th century
• Variety of nationalities, ethnicities, and traditions
• (in addition to native-born American Muslim groups)
French Maghrébins
• Virtually no migration to France prior to 1950s
• Male workers came in large numbers in early 1960s from former colonies
• Countries of origin for vast majority are three North African countries: Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco
Settlement patterns: US
Settlement patterns: France
National Identity
• “USA is a country of immigrants”
Narrative focuses on the building of a nation from Pilgrims to modern times
Multicultural nature of country acknowledged
• “France is a great European nation”Narrative focused on achievements of the French
people from the Gauls to de Gaulle (and beyond)
Fear of “communautarisme” and insistence on “monocultural” nature of France
(France an immigrant country?)
Religion and the State
US: “freedom of religion”
(government takes a hands-off approach)
France: “la laïcité”
(the republic is officially secular)
Civil Rights and anti-discrimination laws
United States:
• Civil Rights Act 1964
• Affirmative Action
France:
• Hate speech laws
• Illegal to collect information on race/ethnicity
Public discourse
• Media
• Government officials
• Political parties
• Events
• http://www.rtl.fr/actu/societe-faits-divers/videos-le-clip-anti-jihad-choc-du-gouvernement-7776368684
Final thoughts
• Numbers, circumstances, and shorter timeframe make acceptance more difficult for French Maghrébins
• Muslims are an integral part of both American and French society
• I need to ensure that my curriculum reflects the diversity of French society
