This is not my experience in France at all. I'm a white American male, and I was shocked when I worked in France for a month. When I ate lunch in the cafeteria the muslim employees grouped together and there was a whole 'who are you eating with' question that I found odd.
This was in 2004, and it is only 1 data point. But when talking to French friends of mine in tech who are African they share similar stories. One French friend of mine could not find a job in tech until he changed his name to a generic French one. He sent out over 20 job applications and didn't get an interview until he changed his name. After he changed his name he got an interview after the first attempt.
These are only anecdotes, and I can't offer any hard evidence, but I would not suggest that France is somehow 'post-racial'.
Well it doesn't mirror my experience at all, at school or at work, but yes I'm pretty sure it does happen.
I didn't say there wasn't racism in France, more that the concept of belonging to a definite community depending on your color is probably less present as in the States.
The job application problem is a terrible one, as getting a job is the best way to use the social ladder.
That's the thing I don't understand, I thought capitalism only cared about money, if an Afro-French cannot find a job, surely it would be be advantageous to hire him, at a slightly lower market price. Still not good, but better than nothing, and once the minorities are in, we can expect the inequalities and hiring problems going away or at least being reduced with time...
>, if an Afro-French cannot find a job, surely it would be be advantageous to hire him, at a slightly lower market price
In some countries doing that is illegal. If the authorities notice that you are paying people of different races different amounts of money, you can get fined. Therefore it's easier to just find excuses to not hire them in the first place.
This was in 2004, and it is only 1 data point. But when talking to French friends of mine in tech who are African they share similar stories. One French friend of mine could not find a job in tech until he changed his name to a generic French one. He sent out over 20 job applications and didn't get an interview until he changed his name. After he changed his name he got an interview after the first attempt.
These are only anecdotes, and I can't offer any hard evidence, but I would not suggest that France is somehow 'post-racial'.