Being Black in Paris: Investigating Experiential Differences Between Blacks of Different Origins and How Those Differences Affect Perceptions of Unity

The goal of this study is to investigate the interactions of different migrant and immigrant groups that fall under the umbrella of the Black identity and to determine to what extent a unified Black community exists in Paris. For decades, Paris has been home to people who emigrated from ex-French colonies in Africa, Black people from the French Caribbean, and African Americans trying to eschew the racism of the United States. In 60 ethnographic interviews, Black individuals living in Paris who span these three distinct ethnic groups were asked to answer a variety of questions about their social experiences. Participants were asked to discuss the nature of their relationships with people of different cultural backgrounds and the frequency with which they experience discrimination or discomfort due to their race. They were also asked to determine whether or not they believed that a Black community exists in Paris and to describe the many factors that potentially unite or divide it. Such questions were designed to evaluate the modern-day prevalence of the Négritude philosophy that solidarity exists between all Black people as a result of their skin color. Participant observation in neighborhoods with a large Black population was also used to evaluate how different ethnic groups interact in public. By analyzing this data, it is my hope that we can gain a deeper understanding of how the experiences of these three distinct ethnic groups differ and how these differences play a role in the structure and strength of the Parisian Black community.