Pris pour cible dans la banlieue: Self-identity, language maintenance, racism and exclusion amongst African youths in the Paris suburbs

Young people of African descent from the suburbs surrounding Paris are in a state of crisis and are feeling increasingly ostracised from a majority French society that marginalises them via institutional and structural racism. With little hope of ever being considered as equal partners, and increased societal and media scrutiny placed upon them, some of these youths of African descent are either ‘checking out’, whilst others choose to express their anger against State institutions via protests and riots. Our study surveyed youths from many peripheral communities of Paris on questions relating to identity, language, racism and inclusion. The findings of our research demonstrate how this group of young people of African descent navigate the duality of their dual societal paradigms by analysing topics of identity, language, racism and inclusion.