As We Exist: A Postcolonial Autobiography
Journals and memoirs, Politics and government, General non-fiction
Synthetic audio, Automated braille
Summary
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.