Alana Lentin - Racism and Anti-Racism in Europe

Racism and Anti-Racism in Europe

Racism and Anti-Racism
in Europe

Alana Lentin

First published 2004 by Pluto Press
345 Archway Road, London N6 5AA
and 839 Greene Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48106, USA

Copyright Alana Lentin 2004

The right of Alana Lentin to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978 0 7453 2221 6 hardback
ISBN 978 0 7453 2220 9 paperback
ISBN 978 1 8496 4233 0 PDF eBook
ISBN 978 1 7837 1864 1 EPUB eBook
ISBN 978 1 7837 1865 8 Kindle eBook

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Lentin, Alana.

Racism and anti-racism in Europe / Alana Lentin.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 0-7453-2221-2 - ISBN 0-7453-2220-4 (pbk.)

1. Europe, Western - Ethnic relations. 2. Racism - Europe,

Western. I. Title.

D1056.L46 2004
305.80094dc22 2003025962

10 987654321

Designed and produced for Pluto Press by
Chase Publishing Services, Fortescue, Sidmouth, EX 10 9QG, England
Typeset from disk by Newgen Imaging Systems (P) Ltd, Chennai, India

Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY

For Louis and Ronit

Contents

Acknowledgements

Writing on themes related to race and racism in Europe at the continents intellectual heartland requires a great deal of support; academic, emotional and material. A number of people have assisted and encouraged me in the course of researching and writing this book, and for this I owe them my heartfelt gratitude. Firstly, my thanks to my PhD supervisor at the Department of Political and Social Sciences of the European University Institute in Florence, Peter Wagner. The opportunity opened up to me by our arrivals in Florence in the same year is undeniable. His ability to help me see the connections between the specificity of my research interests and the broader questions thrown out by the social and political theory of the European state are what helped make this work what it is and keep me puzzled over the years as it gradually came to fruition. The external members of my thesis defence committee, Zygmunt Bauman, Cathie Lloyd and Barnor Hesse are warmly thanked for their insightful and encouraging comments and the support they have continued to show me.

I have benefited immensely from the comments of a number of people. First and foremost, my gratitude and love go to my mother, Ronit Lentin. She has read every single version of every single paragraph of this work and has never failed to return with her remarks on everything from concept to style. Her unwavering commitment to anti-racism and anti-colonialism has been a beacon through the harder times. Others who took time to read and comment on my work include Etienne Balibar, Craig Calhoun, Roland Erne, Paul Gilroy, David Theo Goldberg, Karma Nabulsi, Jean Terrier and Elni Varikas. I would like to particularly thank Etienne Balibar and Zygmunt Bauman for their unwavering commitment to the fight against racism and nationalism and for their generosity towards young scholars, from which I have been so lucky to benefit.

Without the following people, conducting this research would have been made an arduous process. Udo Enwereuzor and Mercedes Lourdes Frias must be thanked for the invaluable introduction they gave me to Italian anti-racism. Friends and family provided me with accommodation and sustenance during my research missions to France, Britain and Ireland: Flora Bernard in Paris, Lars Nycteliusand Peter Lauritzen in Strasbourg and Louis and Ronit Lentin in Dublin. Special thanks to my brother, Miki, whose flat in London must at times have seemed like my permanent second home.

A final word must go to the friends, old and new, whose company or voices on the other end of the phone have helped make the last four years exceptionally enjoyable. To Yael Ohana: the special qualities of our relationship bore their mark here too as they do throughout many aspects of my life. Others with whom I have seen these times through together and whose friendship and solidarity I value enormously are Benoit, Chiara, Eeva, Hakim, Irene, Jean, Joerg, Nicolas, Punky, Roberto, Sandrine, Sylvain, the members of the EUI Womens Running Club, those of the Collettivo IUE, the Grays, and of course my Savta Lia.

Most importantly, to the protagonists of this book, the anti-racist activists, for your words, thank you.

List of Interviews

BRITAIN

Anti Nazi League (ANL)

A broad-based mass organisation involved in direct campaigns against the far Right

Campaign Against Racism and Fascism (CARF) Independent anti-racist magazine

National Assembly Against Racism (NAAR)

Black community-led anti-racist organisation

National Civil Rights Movement (NCRM)

Nation-wide network for racial justice against institutional racism

National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns (NCADC) Voluntary organisation that provides assistance for running anti-deportation campaigns

Newham Monitoring Project (NMP) Emergency service for victims of racial violence and police harassment

The 1990 Trust

National organisation for the protection of the interests of black communities

FRANCE

Agence pour le dveloppement des relations interculturelles (ADRI) Assistance for the integration of people of non-French origin

Association des travailleurs maghrbins en France (ATMF) Organisation for the protection of the interests of the Maghrebi population of France

La lettre pour la citoyennet Campaign for citizenship and voting rights for foreign residents

La maison des ensembles (MDE) Autonomous collective of sans-papiers in the Parisian 10th District

Les Sans-papiers

National Coordination of the Sans-papiers in France

Ligue contre le racisme et lantismitisme (LICRA)

Organisation against antisemitism and racism with a strong legal emphasis

Ras lFront

Anti-fascist organisation established to oppose the Front national

Rseau pour lautonomie des femmes immigres et rfugies (RAJFIRE) Feminist collective for the rights of immigrant and refugee women

SOS Racisme

Youth-based national anti-racist organisation

IRELAND

Association of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Ireland (ARASI) Campaigning organisation of refugees and asylum seekers

National Federation of Anti-Racism Campaigns (NFARC) Umbrella organisation for groups campaigning for the rights of asylum seekers and immigrants

National Travellers Womens Forum (NTWF) Organisation of Traveller women and their supporters

Pan-African Organisation

Network of African communities

Residents Against Racism (RAR)

Direct action campaign for the rights of immigrants and asylum seekers

Sport Against Racism in Ireland (SARI)

Campaign against racism through sport and education

ena Project Bosnian Community

Project for the integration of Bosnian women refugees

ITALY

Arci Nuova Associazione (ARCI)

Social organisation based on mutual aid and solidarity

Comitato per lo Sviluppo dei Paesi Emergenti (COSPE) Development organisation running anti-racist projects including training and the coordination of Italys membership in the European Network Against Racism (ENAR)

Associazione Rom Firenze Organisation for the rights of Roma people in Florence

La Rete dUrgenza contro il Razzismo Emergency hotline for the victims of racial violence in Turin