Baldwin and Martin
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The experiences of James Baldwin as a Black American while living in Paris in 1948 provide a very specific insight about the relationship of French nationals towards the Algerian population. Baldwin describes the abuse of Algerians by the French police and a certain form of colonial despair, which itself is a form of denial, but also contempt. His encounters with Algerians suffering from a loss of home and colonial suppression starkly conflict with his own battles over racial individuality in America. Bolding’s criticism also includes how France’s former colonies influence the country’s relations with the Black and Arab people today causing them to suffer from a broken sense of superiority and of denial.
In France, migrants of African descent interviewed by Lawrence Martin suffer from the effects of colonialism in their psyche. As one of the interviewees Tsiory pleads, “it was a term that has always been necessary so that we don’t always have this idea of self-loathing,” way internal struggle affects which a person holds in their day-to-day life. This ‘colonial baggage’ has to be carried to the workplace or when socializing with others. Martin emphasizes that colonized people become used to “self-abasement” when faced with racism. Still, Martin’s interviewees have positive qualities such as resilience and unity, while "the feeling of never belonging anywhere" is much more difficult to deal with.
Across these texts we can see several themes emerge that all relate. In both France or Quebec, we can see the effects of colonialism which shape societal structures and individual identities, creating racial hierarchies in different communities.
We can also see migrants trying to navigate complex aspects of cultural, racial, and religious identities, usually finding themselves caught between assimilation or rejection from society. Despite systemic challenges, migrants embrace creative and community-based strategies to ensure maintain humanity and deal with exclusion.
These readings challenge us to consider how societies can reconcile with their colonial pasts while fostering inclusivity and equity for all residents, particularly those whose lives continue to be shaped by histories of displacement and marginalization.