As We Exist: A Postcolonial Autobiography
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- Synopsis
- In this thoughtful coming-of-age memoir, a young sociologist reflects on her Moroccan immigrant parents, their journey to France, and how growing up an outsider shaped her identity.Imbued with tenderness for her family and a critical view of the challenges facing French North African immigrants, Kaoutar Harchi&’s probing account illustrates the deeply personal effects of political issues. Mixed with happy memories of her childhood home in eastern France are ever-present reminders of the dangers from which her parents sought to shield her. When they transfer her to a private, Catholic middle school—out of fear of Arab boys from their working-class neighborhood—Kaoutar grows increasingly conscious of her differences, and her conflicted sense of self. Notable events in her teens—the passing of a law in 2004 banning religious symbols from public schools; the 2005 deaths of Bouna Traoré and Zyed Benna, which sparked riots against police brutality—underscore the injustice of a society that sees Muslims not as equals but as a problem to solve. With elegant, affecting prose, As We Exist charts Kaoutar&’s political and intellectual awakening, which would become the heart and soul of her work as a sociologist and writer.
- Copyright:
- 2021
Book Details
- Book Quality:
- Publisher Quality
- Book Size:
- 144 Pages
- ISBN-13:
- 9781635422856
- Related ISBNs:
- 9781635422849
- Publisher:
- Other Press
- Date of Addition:
- 03/14/23
- Copyrighted By:
- Actes Sud
- Adult content:
- No
- Language:
- English
- Has Image Descriptions:
- No
- Categories:
- Nonfiction, Biographies and Memoirs, Social Studies, Politics and Government
- Submitted By:
- Bookshare Staff
- Usage Restrictions:
- This is a copyrighted book.
- Translator:
- Emma Ramadan
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- by Kaoutar Harchi
- in Nonfiction
- in Biographies and Memoirs
- in Social Studies
- in Politics and Government