April 14, 2009 - Posted by Antoine Morris
In an effort to better track its own demographic shifts and combat racial discrimination, France will consider conducting a national census that will account for race and ethnicity for the first time.
In France, unlike the U.S. and the U.K., it is illegal for the government to classify people by race, ethnicity, and religion, though it does make distinctions among native and foreign-born French citizens and noncitizen foreigners.
Yazid Sabeg, a close advisor to French President Nicholas Sarkozy, is leading an effort to change that policy. Sabeg recently told the BBC that data collection on minorities in France is "essential to measure how effective are official policies combating discrimination."
But opponents say that the plan would violate basic ideals of equality and conjures up memories of Nazi-generated lists used to exterminate millions of Jews during World War II.
Sabeg says that it's important to recognize how France has transformed. "People find it hard to look the reality of this country in the face, which is that the population of the country has changed," Sabeg said.
In 2005, riots in suburban Paris made international headlines and highlighted rampant unemployment, improper policing, and housing problems among second- and third-generation immigrant youth that many attributed to institutional discrimination.
The U.S. census does collect data on race and ethnicity. Census data is used to track racial disparities in employment, homeownership, and health care, which helps the federal government distribute funds to communities as needed and enforce civil rights laws against discrimination like the Voting Rights Act.
The next U.S. census will take place in April 2010.
Categories: Census 2010, Human Rights
