5sang14
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This week’s readings resonate deeply with me as a second-generation immigrant in Montreal. They reflect many conversations I’ve had with my parents, especially my father, about the reasons for choosing Montreal and our experiences here. Before coming to Canada, my dad travelled extensively—to France, the U.S., Mexico, Germany, and Italy —looking for a place where he could build a better future for his future family (#king). Ultimately, he chose Montreal because it seemed like a more open and accepting society, particularly for North Africans.
Mandin’s interviewees describe similar motivations: escaping the socio-economic precarity and systemic discrimination in Europe. Like my father, many viewed Montreal as a haven, especially when compared to places like France, where the colonial legacy casts a long shadow, or the U.S., with its history of slavery and segregation. For my dad, Montreal was the “least racist” choice, and he hoped it would offer his children and wife a life free from the discrimination and racism he suspected to endure elsewhere.
However, my family’s experiences show that this perception can be overly romanticized. For instance, shortly after arriving in Montreal, my dad was wrongfully (and illegally) detained by the police for 24 hours simply because he “fit the description” of an Arab man they were looking for. To this day, my family encounters racism—whether it’s my mom facing discrimination on the streets or my brother being profiled and followed by security guards. These moments remind me that while Montreal may be better than some places, it is far from free of racism, discrimination and Islamophobia.
Mandin’s interviewees also reflect this tension. They describe Montreal as a place of hope, offering a sense of "normalization" where they are not constantly reduced to their ethnic or religious identities. However, they also note that Quebec’s openness has limits. Debates like the “Charter of Values” and the growing Islamophobic rhetoric echo Europe’s struggles with religious and racial diversity. This convergence challenges the perception of Montreal as a refuge and acceptance.
Despite these contradictions, I think Montreal’s appeal for many North Africans lies in its distance—geographically and emotionally—from the colonial powers that shaped their histories. My mom, for example, could never consider living in France, a country she associates with the trauma of colonial violence and the loss of many family members. For many North Africans, choosing Montreal over France may feel like having a real chance of “making it”.
Baldwin’s depiction of French attitudes toward Algerians in Paris highlights the deep discrimination they faced, particularly from the police. He recounts their living conditions, marked by extreme poverty and social exclusion, and observes how they were labelled "lazy" for spending time in their affordable cafés, even though French students did the same without criticism. Baldwin also notes the menacing and brutal behaviour of the police, which he links to the French loss of colonial power, such as the fall of Dien Bien Phu. He recalls watching police brutally beat an elderly Arab peanut vendor while French bystanders remained indifferent—an image that underscores the systemic violence Algerians endured, despite France's claims of generosity and their insistence that Algerians were French too, since Algeria was considered a “French département”.
Baldwin himself, as a Black American, was treated differently. He describes being praised as “très évolué” (highly civilized), in contrast to the French perception of Arabs as uncivilized and untrustworthy. This distinction reveals the contradictions in French claims of non-racism, which Baldwin critiques as rooted in colonial superiority.
What I find especially interesting is how these dynamics shift in a city like Montreal. While police brutality might disproportionately affect Black communities here, workplace discrimination seems more common for Arabs and Muslims (at least in my opinion). This layered racialization reflects the complex legacies of both colonial legacy and systemic racism.
Thus, I find myself thinking, again and again, about how Montreal’s identity as a multicultural hub carries its own contradictions. Like Baldwin’s reflections on France, it is a place where historical, systemic racism and discrimination persist beneath the surface of inclusivity and generosity. Yet, Montreal’s history—its colonial foundations, the resilience of Indigenous communities, and the strength of its diverse and interconnected communities—creates a space where heartbreak and hope coexist. For me, this paradox defines Montreal and continues to shape my understanding of belonging and identity.
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(45zoo lol) To follow up on the issue of police brutality, a recent incident in Montreal Nord highlights the troubling rise in police aggression toward the Arab community. A social worker was arrested for no apparent reason while waiting for a friend to grab coffee. While the specifics of the arrest are still unclear, the incident underscores a disturbing trend of racial profiling and excessive force that has been increasingly directed at Arab individuals in recent years. This uptick in police brutality may be linked to a number of factors (I think), including the rising narrative around 'gang' violence or the growing population of Arab immigrants and their children. Regardless of the reasons, this pattern of discriminatory behaviour raises serious concerns about systemic racism within law enforcement.
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@camelia_bakouri PTDRRR