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Beurettes un Fantasme Français
316 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 1, 2021
Enjoyable thematic journey through significant aspects of the second / third / fourth generation identity and experiences of French women of North African origin. It's based on research among a manageable sample of volunteers - self-selecting and none 'radical', but gives a good spectrum of views and experiences.
The matter in the title - 'Beurette' - kicks off the discussion, being widely and increasingly disliked, given its strong associations with a stereotype of an over-made-up, drinking, shagging, materialistic orange Kardashian-like nightmare..and for good reason - especially given its prime position in online porn searches and male fantasies. (The closest parallel in the UK was the appearance of the now diminished term 'Asian Babe' - which also belonged to the world of grot ). They propose instead the much less jarring but no less Arabic-inflected and authentic 'rebeue'...which seems like a good idea.
Along the way, the writers explore attitudes to diet, coupling, drinking, religion and the headscarf. What makes their account more universal is how the question of fitting in and 'where are you from' is something that a much wider audience will be able to relate to - and it's one of endless internal conflict: on the one hand, wanting to fit in and not be quizzed about your funny name; on the other, feeling one should be able to stand out and owes it to one's heritage to do so.
What's particularly refreshing is that it remains quite a long distance from sectarian, Anglo-Saxon campus identarianism: these women are very explicit on the point that their Magreb identity isn't what should mark them out; they're uncomfortable with making it their exclusive being, while conscious that, yes, it's what has made them different and has required that they double their efforts. Moreover, one of the contributors makes they precise point that she's turned off by the idea of monolithically referring to 'white people' (babtou? Toubab?) as a catch-all for the majority group - as that is racialised and the very thing she has sought to avoid.
The only 'B-mol' for me probably came from one of the contributions of the sociologists, who passingly refers to Rachida Dati as something equivalent to 'whitewashing' as conforming to some sort of racist agenda. We hear very similar things in the UK from the left about the Indian-origin Priti Patel. My response is that this is a wonderful example of latent far left racism: the idea being that Johnny Asian is an Uncle Tom if he doesn't support your politics, while oddly if he was on your side he'd be a champion of the good. I cannot stand that patronising, tribalistic nonsense.
Meanwhile, another observation that I've not read in print before but absolutely agree with: the use of the crass word 'Islamophobia' to describe racism against Muslims (when we ought to talk of anti-Muslim racism). The problem with the term 'Islamophobia' is that it allows racists to argue that they're criticising 'Islam' not the person, while it also allows conservative Islam to argue that criticism of, say, anti-LGBT protests outside schools is racist. Islamophobia is a word that belongs alongside the many morally dishonest terms that have come from the left, to rank alongside other such weasel terms as 'gentrification' (the insinuation that if you move into a poorer area you're a privileged member of the upper class). 'defund the police' (if it doesn't mean 'put less money into policing', it sure as hell scans like that) and 'white priviliege' ('Racially-based Social Advantage', sure - 'priviliege'? Piss off, you privately-educated Oxbridge twat).
So, all told: fine work and a great eye-opener on everyday existence. I found the exploration of the question of 'the veil' especially interesting. As the writers argue, there's a ton of identity symbols and defiant self-assertiveness in wearing one for many women. It is not uniformly a symbol of oppression - and in the Maghreb it was more of a grandma tradition that a uniform.
Worth a look.
The matter in the title - 'Beurette' - kicks off the discussion, being widely and increasingly disliked, given its strong associations with a stereotype of an over-made-up, drinking, shagging, materialistic orange Kardashian-like nightmare..and for good reason - especially given its prime position in online porn searches and male fantasies. (The closest parallel in the UK was the appearance of the now diminished term 'Asian Babe' - which also belonged to the world of grot ). They propose instead the much less jarring but no less Arabic-inflected and authentic 'rebeue'...which seems like a good idea.
Along the way, the writers explore attitudes to diet, coupling, drinking, religion and the headscarf. What makes their account more universal is how the question of fitting in and 'where are you from' is something that a much wider audience will be able to relate to - and it's one of endless internal conflict: on the one hand, wanting to fit in and not be quizzed about your funny name; on the other, feeling one should be able to stand out and owes it to one's heritage to do so.
What's particularly refreshing is that it remains quite a long distance from sectarian, Anglo-Saxon campus identarianism: these women are very explicit on the point that their Magreb identity isn't what should mark them out; they're uncomfortable with making it their exclusive being, while conscious that, yes, it's what has made them different and has required that they double their efforts. Moreover, one of the contributors makes they precise point that she's turned off by the idea of monolithically referring to 'white people' (babtou? Toubab?) as a catch-all for the majority group - as that is racialised and the very thing she has sought to avoid.
The only 'B-mol' for me probably came from one of the contributions of the sociologists, who passingly refers to Rachida Dati as something equivalent to 'whitewashing' as conforming to some sort of racist agenda. We hear very similar things in the UK from the left about the Indian-origin Priti Patel. My response is that this is a wonderful example of latent far left racism: the idea being that Johnny Asian is an Uncle Tom if he doesn't support your politics, while oddly if he was on your side he'd be a champion of the good. I cannot stand that patronising, tribalistic nonsense.
Meanwhile, another observation that I've not read in print before but absolutely agree with: the use of the crass word 'Islamophobia' to describe racism against Muslims (when we ought to talk of anti-Muslim racism). The problem with the term 'Islamophobia' is that it allows racists to argue that they're criticising 'Islam' not the person, while it also allows conservative Islam to argue that criticism of, say, anti-LGBT protests outside schools is racist. Islamophobia is a word that belongs alongside the many morally dishonest terms that have come from the left, to rank alongside other such weasel terms as 'gentrification' (the insinuation that if you move into a poorer area you're a privileged member of the upper class). 'defund the police' (if it doesn't mean 'put less money into policing', it sure as hell scans like that) and 'white priviliege' ('Racially-based Social Advantage', sure - 'priviliege'? Piss off, you privately-educated Oxbridge twat).
So, all told: fine work and a great eye-opener on everyday existence. I found the exploration of the question of 'the veil' especially interesting. As the writers argue, there's a ton of identity symbols and defiant self-assertiveness in wearing one for many women. It is not uniformly a symbol of oppression - and in the Maghreb it was more of a grandma tradition that a uniform.
Worth a look.
September 21, 2021
Une lecture très interessante sur la deuxième, troisième voir quatrième génération de femmes et jeunes femmes du Maghreb. J'ai acheté le livre car les autrices y dédient un chapitre entier à la sexualisation raciste des femmes maghrébines. En général, j'ai aimé que ce livre s'appuie sur les témoignages et la parole des femmes interviewées et que de l'analyse théorique soit complémentaire. Je dois avouer que j'ai eu un peu de mal avec l'analyse théorique a propos du voile et de la religion mais j'apprécie aussi par contre qu'elle vienne contrastée avec les différentes visions des femmes interviewées.
En tant que migrante de deuxième génération portugaise et brésilienne, j'aurais aimé lire un livre de cette sorte à propos de mes deux cultures et du clash entre elles. Je pense que ce livre doit être une bouffée d'air frais pour plusieures femmes du Maghreb qui questionnent leur identité.
En tant que migrante de deuxième génération portugaise et brésilienne, j'aurais aimé lire un livre de cette sorte à propos de mes deux cultures et du clash entre elles. Je pense que ce livre doit être une bouffée d'air frais pour plusieures femmes du Maghreb qui questionnent leur identité.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews