Immigrant Crisis in Paris: Myth or Reality?
Charlie's Angels 2 CommentsIn my preparation for this trip and knowing that I will be visiting Paris, I read a lot about the so called “European refugee crisis” that many Western countries have been facing in recent years. I read some of the post of individuals that have been to Paris recently and this issue was definitely a topic of many discussions.
People talked about being shocked by the squalid migrant camps around the trendy Canal Saint-Martin area of Paris and a complete absence of “white European faces” (as racist as it sounds) around such famous tourist attractions as Eiffel Tower or Musee du Louvre.
Naturally, I was a little apprehensive as I didn’t know what to expect. To my relief, I found most of these statements to be blown way out of proportion. I found the City of Love to be wonderfully diverse with many ethnicities and cultures. However, the migrant crisis did not appear to be an issue at least in the few areas of Paris that I had a pleasure to explore.
People of various ethnic backgrounds seemed to coexist quite harmoniously, and, things appeared to be peaceful at least on the surface. Street cafes were full of smiley faces, children were running around laughing, and you could hear a mix of different languages spoken in public places.
I am sure that there are places where things are not quite as idealistic. Although the situation is seemingly improving, migrants are said to push pushed to the outskirts of Paris, where they live in less than ideal conditions. The government is working with the immigration authorities to provide assistance to refugees from war-torn or impoverished countries but many are still left to fend for themselves. It is certainly my hope that things will continue to improve for these individuals in the future as Paris is a wonderful place where everyone deserves to be happy. :)))
Katherine Cassada
Yulia – your comment here makes me think of Professor Miguel Diaz-Barriga’s comments about perceptions around the US southern border wall. The wall is real and it represents so many complex ideas, and a physical barrier. But it also is seen differently by different people. I am still considering his comments about how the media send out dramatic photos – that are real but perhaps not fully representative – and that those who live in southern Texas live their own lives every day and their lives simply aren’t that dramatic. It was a quick comment by Dr. Diaz-Barriga but what I think I heard is that these are regular people who want to be seen as such.
Andrew Schoeneman
I just typed a long comment but it didn’t save. Argh! In any event, great thoughts here…my main point is that you’re making some really important points about sensationalizing of reality that causes harm to our ability to understand our environment. But also, we can see in your experience the difference in how cities in the US are planned compared to Europe. In the US suburbs have historically been refuges for the wealthy, whereas in Europe they’ve been the home of the poor and recent immigrants. Now Richmond is becoming more like the European model. Thanks for sharing your experience, Yulia!