Identity
Every now and then, I'm lucky enough to go hang out at my buddy Youssef's apartment in Agdal, which is the ritziest quarter in Rabat(ie: most Western, since the bourgeoisie here is completely Westernized). While I'm there, besides enjoying enjoying the seemingly futuristic un-potholed sidewalks as I check out all of he cafes and western stores - everything from Diesel to McDonalds represents - I always take some time to engage in some cultural anth by watching "Hit Music Black" on Youssef's pirated satellite. Hit Music Black is beamed out of France, so in addition to all of the damn Akon, 50 Cent, and Destiny's Child, there's a fair amount of what I've termed "really angry French music."
This music, largely hip-hop, including everything from Kool Shen to MC Solaar to Wallen (right sp?) has become a really interesting parallel to my experience here in Morocco. It's pretty common for Youssef or one of the other Moroccan AIESECers to point out that the next clip up is from a Moroccan living in Paris.
These songs deal with intense issues, with some complaining about the lack of employment, such as the laid-back but serious "donne-moi un SMIC" (give me a job, SMIC = french term for minimum wage), while others, such as the French native Kool Shen, with his North African rapper compadres literally rap about throwing over the French Government, with deliberately incisive and violent scenes in their video for "sortez dans les rues" portraying the overthrow of a police raiding force (there are literally areas of Paris where the police do not go because it's too dangerous).
A lot of these problems involving Moroccans and other North Africans extend from the lack of ability (or attempt) of European Governments' assimilation models. These immigrants are thrown into housing in the outskirts of cities such as Paris, given no jobs (or shit jobs), no opportunity, and are separated from their mother country, often splintering their own perceived national identity. For example, if you're a Moroccan who lives in Paris, you're not living in your "home" country, the French don't really want you there, so what recourse do you have? Often, it's anger. These people are no longer North African, not quite European, and are left with this black hole of personal identity.
These suburbs have given rise to this new, angry, economically deprived group of immigrants. Through my time here in Morocco, I've been lucky enough to meet 7 or 8 Moroccans here who were born and live in Paris, but are back in Rabat on summer vacation. The consensus has been pretty much unanimous - they're not too thrilled with their situation in France, resent the French assimilation model, but have trouble reconciling that with the tangible benefits of a European wage, especially when almost every Moroccan I've met her has some family in Europe.
Another case comes from somebody I've met here who I've become very close with, an ethnic Moroccan who was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. She speaks Dirija at home with her family, Danish with her friends, and speaks impeccable American English thanks to the massive influx of American media into Europe (she even gets every one of our stupid expressions - one recent text message from her said: "where you at?"). However, the question of national identity is a slightly more sticky one - she doesn't really term herself Danish, even though she was born and grew up in Copenhagen. Instead, she might classify herself as a Moroccan living in Denmark, but that's not wholly accurate - her accent makes it clear that she's not Moroccan when she speaks Dirija to people. In truth, searching for a national identity in a situation such as hers can be difficult - what do you define as home?
I'm bringing this all up because before coming to North Africa, I'd had a few less-than-savory experiences with North Africans in Paris, and had experienced the French viewpoint on them - which is alarmingly negative even among the educated and more liberal people that I've met. For example, when my buddy Andrew was beaten up after a soccer game in Paris, and I mentioned that to one of my French friends while I was over there at the same time, his first question was "were they Arabs?"
This all has been weighing on me because I intend to study in France Spring 2006, possibly in Paris. Even just keeping into account recent situations, such as Oprah Winfrey being blocked from the Hermes store in Paris because they were recently "having problems with North Africans," I've tried to fit together as many pieces of the puzzle as I can here. What I've emerged with has been nothing sort of labyrinthine and incomplete jigsaw puzzle, with many pieces still missing. One thing I do know is that when I'm in Paris next spring, I'll have to seek out some Moroccans just to say "salaam aleykoom", or even to toss in an "insh'allah." I consider myself incredibly lucky that I've been able to glean something out of this experience that will hopefully help me in the future - now here's hoping for more dialogue...
This music, largely hip-hop, including everything from Kool Shen to MC Solaar to Wallen (right sp?) has become a really interesting parallel to my experience here in Morocco. It's pretty common for Youssef or one of the other Moroccan AIESECers to point out that the next clip up is from a Moroccan living in Paris.
These songs deal with intense issues, with some complaining about the lack of employment, such as the laid-back but serious "donne-moi un SMIC" (give me a job, SMIC = french term for minimum wage), while others, such as the French native Kool Shen, with his North African rapper compadres literally rap about throwing over the French Government, with deliberately incisive and violent scenes in their video for "sortez dans les rues" portraying the overthrow of a police raiding force (there are literally areas of Paris where the police do not go because it's too dangerous).
A lot of these problems involving Moroccans and other North Africans extend from the lack of ability (or attempt) of European Governments' assimilation models. These immigrants are thrown into housing in the outskirts of cities such as Paris, given no jobs (or shit jobs), no opportunity, and are separated from their mother country, often splintering their own perceived national identity. For example, if you're a Moroccan who lives in Paris, you're not living in your "home" country, the French don't really want you there, so what recourse do you have? Often, it's anger. These people are no longer North African, not quite European, and are left with this black hole of personal identity.
These suburbs have given rise to this new, angry, economically deprived group of immigrants. Through my time here in Morocco, I've been lucky enough to meet 7 or 8 Moroccans here who were born and live in Paris, but are back in Rabat on summer vacation. The consensus has been pretty much unanimous - they're not too thrilled with their situation in France, resent the French assimilation model, but have trouble reconciling that with the tangible benefits of a European wage, especially when almost every Moroccan I've met her has some family in Europe.
Another case comes from somebody I've met here who I've become very close with, an ethnic Moroccan who was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. She speaks Dirija at home with her family, Danish with her friends, and speaks impeccable American English thanks to the massive influx of American media into Europe (she even gets every one of our stupid expressions - one recent text message from her said: "where you at?"). However, the question of national identity is a slightly more sticky one - she doesn't really term herself Danish, even though she was born and grew up in Copenhagen. Instead, she might classify herself as a Moroccan living in Denmark, but that's not wholly accurate - her accent makes it clear that she's not Moroccan when she speaks Dirija to people. In truth, searching for a national identity in a situation such as hers can be difficult - what do you define as home?
I'm bringing this all up because before coming to North Africa, I'd had a few less-than-savory experiences with North Africans in Paris, and had experienced the French viewpoint on them - which is alarmingly negative even among the educated and more liberal people that I've met. For example, when my buddy Andrew was beaten up after a soccer game in Paris, and I mentioned that to one of my French friends while I was over there at the same time, his first question was "were they Arabs?"
This all has been weighing on me because I intend to study in France Spring 2006, possibly in Paris. Even just keeping into account recent situations, such as Oprah Winfrey being blocked from the Hermes store in Paris because they were recently "having problems with North Africans," I've tried to fit together as many pieces of the puzzle as I can here. What I've emerged with has been nothing sort of labyrinthine and incomplete jigsaw puzzle, with many pieces still missing. One thing I do know is that when I'm in Paris next spring, I'll have to seek out some Moroccans just to say "salaam aleykoom", or even to toss in an "insh'allah." I consider myself incredibly lucky that I've been able to glean something out of this experience that will hopefully help me in the future - now here's hoping for more dialogue...
posted by Isaac at 11:10 AM
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