Page "Banlieue" Paragraph 19

In the summer of 1981, dramatic events involving young Franco-Maghrebis brought about many different reactions from the French public.

Within the Banlieues, events called rodeos would occur, where young " banlieusards " would steal cars and perform stunts as well as race them.

Then, before the police could catch them, they would abandon the cars and set them on fire.

During July and August 1981, around 250 cars were vandalized.

Shortly after this incident, grass-roots groups began to demonstrate in public in 1983 – 1984 to publicise the problems of the Beurs and immigrants in France.

In doing so, Arabs — specifically Algerians, Moroccans, Tunisians, and Berbers — in France began to develop a stronger identity unified by the problems that have been imposed on them economically and politically.

The banlieue became a unifying point for the marginalized immigrants of France, despite the fact that there are various identities that constitute these individual groups.

" We don't consider ourselves completely French ... Our parents were Arabs ... We were born in France ( and only visited Algeria a few times )... So what are we?

French?

Arab?

In the eyes of the French we are Arabs ... but when we visit Algeria some people call us immigrants and say we've rejected our culture.

We've even had stones thrown at us.

" Overall the displacement of identities that Franco Maghrebis feel becomes a unifying factor in French society and assimilation is particularly difficult because of their placement in the banlieue, and the French's refusal to assimilate due to the violence portrayed at events such as in the summer of 1981.