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French World Cup Victory: A Win For Diversity, Or a Slight Toward Immigrants?

Saffeya Ahmed | July 17, 2018

Topics: African studies, football, France, Immigration Rights, Islam, Muslims, race and racism, soccer, world cup

World Cup 2018 went out with a bang Sunday, as France took their second title home after an intense final against Croatia.

As an avid soccer player, the World Cup is the sporting tournament I look the most forward to. Every four years, I am completely absorbed in the games for a month, my eyes glued to the television rooting for my favorite teams. And this year, the winning team meant something a bit more special to me.

France’s national football team–nicknamed “Les Bleus” – made World Cup 2018 a victory in the name of diversity across the world. Of the 23-man squad, 19 players are immigrants or the sons of immigrants, 15 have roots in Africa, and seven are Muslim.

French Players and Their Origins

This year’s winners hold a special place in my heart. As a Muslim woman and the daughter of immigrants, seeing a squad of primarily immigrant, Muslim players take home the biggest title in the footballing world really hits home. I’ve seen players pray before the matches start and after scoring goals; it’s surreal to see them praying through every moment of their lives, as I do.

How I feel seeing Les Bleus win is similar to how I felt seeing Ibtihaj Muhammad compete in the U.S. Olympics, being the first Muslim-American woman to wear the hijab while competing as a member of the U.S. fencing team. In a way, I saw a part of myself in her. And in a way, I see a part of myself in the French squad who were victorious Sunday.

In a current global community where immigrants, Muslims, and people of color are demonized nearly daily, it’s refreshing to see us celebrated. It’s invigorating to see so many people tracing back the roots of a team whose identities are typically treated with hostility. 

But that’s not to say this diverse team is a hallmark of France’s outstanding dedication to welcoming immigrants and embracing diversity. Despite how revitalizing it might seem to see such a multicultural team take home a huge win, it’s quite hypocritical on France’s behalf to claim Les Bleus as their own, when the country itself has banned Muslim women from wearing the hijab and burqa in public and disproportionately segregated ethnic minorities in public housing complexes in French suburban areas. France has a short history of immigration, only accepting major waves of immigrants over the last 80 years, but the country has deep roots in colonialism and a fierce sense of nationalism, driving racist and xenophobic policies.

Kylian Mbappe, 19, of Cameroon and Algerian Descent

France’s approach to its jarring racism and discrimination is that of color-blindness, also known as, doing nothing. French law prohibits the national census from disaggregating data by race or ethnicity; everyone is simply, French. And while everyone in the country is “French,” citizens who find ancestral roots in France absorb themselves in French nationalism so much to the point that the immigrant persona is that of an “outsider” in their country. Racism in France runs differently than in the U.S. because they believe an absence of color is the best way address the issue. But a color-blind approach is equivalent to ignoring the issue completely, and ignoring an issue prevents a solution from surfacing.

Now Les Bleus have conquered the World Cup–bringing a title home to a country that has not fully accepted them as Frenchmen to begin with. It is self-righteous to see France praise the members of their football team who would otherwise be treated as second-class citizens, if it were not for their ability to conquer the world’s most-watched sporting event.

The French national team made a similar stride their last World Cup victory, back in 1998. Twenty years ago, France arrived at the Cup with just as diverse of a team – captained by the brilliant Zinedine Zidane: a Muslim, Arab, and Frenchman. After the 1998 final against Brazil, commentators cheered that the French flag should be changed from blue, red and white to “black, blanc, et beur,” or “black, white and Arab.” But France’s win at the Cup in 1998 remained just that–its diverse team had no impact on the country’s ongoing grapple with embracing the immigrant persona.

Twenty years later, the French squad has done it again, arriving to Russia 2018 with a multicultural squad with the ability to unite a fractured nation struggling to accept immigrants they view as “outsiders.

Paul Pogba, Son of Guinean Parents and Muslim, Prays on the pitch.

I am elated to see a team like Les Bleus be victorious. But what disappoints me is that immigrants, Muslims, and people of color shouldn’t have to accomplish phenomenal feats to be treated as human or gain the respect and compassion of their home countries. We should be treated as humans simply because we are human. But instead, there’s something to prove, and there has to be a reason why we deserve respect and compassion–as if being human isn’t enough. It takes human dignity and turns it into a competition.

It takes human dignity and turns it into a competition.

Yet amongst the stormy political climate currently engulfing our global community, I see a glimmer of hope and promise in the results of World Cup 2018. It has been a long-winded journey towards a more inclusive, accepting world, but Sunday’s game was a way to bring us all together, despite any differences.

That’s the beauty in sports. These competitions are more than just games. The World Cup is more than just a title. For a few weeks, people from thousands of different backgrounds with millions of different stories come together for one sole reason: to enjoy the sport of football together. The French squad who took the Cup home Sunday are proof that immigrants don’t drain a country’s resources, they enrich its culture. And that’s a lesson every country must learn.

An Open Letter from an African Writer, To the Chesterfield Restaurant Owner Who Ruined My Day

Sarafina Sackey | June 27, 2018

Topics: African studies, chesterfield, opinion, richmond

Dear Becky,

You’re the owner of Caddy’s Restaurant on Midlothian Turnpike. And you just posted this absurdly racist comment directed toward black Congresswoman Maxine Waters.  

“Maxine Waters, shut your your big fat lips, no one wants to hear your rasium [sic] remarks…Go back to Africa where you’re from.”

I’m actually from Africa, born and raised in Takoradi, Ghana, and I’m really disappointed you made such comment. You are a restaurant owner, therefore people look to you to represent your community. You may not know how impactful you are to others, but you are influencing your community through your actions and words. And this is what you teach them? (Also, maybe learn how to spell. “Rasium” is not a word.)

Enough with the racist comments and stereotypes about Africa. Every action has its own consequences and you, Becky, are responsible for yours. When the President started making racist comments about Africa (remember the “shit hole countries” remark?), people were upset, but people like you simply didn’t care, because unlike me, you didn’t have to. I think it’s time the world and America learns the truth about Africa.

In case you didn’t know, history shows that Homo erectus (one of the earliest species of humans) were the first of the hominins to emigrate from Africa. From 1.8 to 1.3 million years ago, this species spread through Africa, Asia, and Europe. One population of Homo erectus, also sometimes classified as a separate species Homo ergaster, remained in Africa and evolved into Homo sapiens–the human species as we know it today. Each and every one of us originated from Africa, the continent you despise so much. Before you come at someone with such a racist comment, do your research.

You technically don’t belong here, either. From the time settlers first stepped foot on these shores, America became a country of immigrants. And if you think Africa is a slum, you’re wrong. It is a beautiful continent, filled of rich countries with rich cultures and educated, loving individuals with principled morals and values.  

Hearing someone say this to another human is deplorable. America is not white. The immigrants, the people who created, built, and designed this country make it great. The food, culture, dance, music, and so much more were brought here by people like me. It was not born here. I see aspects of my own Ghanaian culture filtered through American, Virginian, and Richmond culture every day.

If you want to destroy your business by being racist, then good luck. Prior to your deleting these posts, your social media page revealed a history of offensive and controversial comments.

“I am not a racist, I believe every home should have a color TV,” you said in a post. What exactly are you suggesting? Do you really not think this is derogatory to people of color, therefore qualifying you thus?

Another of your posts said, “I’m proud to be white. I bet no one passes this on because they are scared of being called a racist.”

Last month, you shared a post voicing your agreement with TV star Roseanne Barr, after Barr’s racially-insensitive comments on Twitter. Haven’t you done enough harm already? In a response to someone’s criticism on Facebook, you said, “Sorry. If everybody else can speak what they think, I can too. It is a country that we have freedom of speech and I use quite often.” Just because we have freedom of speech doesn’t mean you have anything of value to say. There are and there always will be consequences to your words. Your one Facebook post just ruined the day of a young African girl.

Have you actually sat down to think about how you feel when someone hurts you? Yeah Becky, words really do hurt. They can make or break an individual.

Lots of love,

Sarafina 

An actual person from Africa.

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