My research focuses on visual representations of immigration and race in Paris and analyzes their implications. I have identified dozens of examples on the streets and in the museums of Paris that illustrate the city’s complicated relationship with immigration and race. I further consider the difference between state-approved and grassroots representations of these concepts.
I have centered my research on visual examples and created a website where I discuss photos of the representations through several themes. Throughout the website, I analyze the photos in the context of scholarly works, including those of scholars who spoke with our group during our time in Paris. I address the significance of the public space as a political tool, the sexualization of non-Western women by the French, and the “othering” of non-white people in French colonies throughout French history, as well as other themes related to these representations.
I focus on images in public spaces such as posters, statues, public art, and museums. These not only reflect ideologies around race and immigration in France but also shape the environment of the city. In addition, they influence how individuals experience and subconsciously internalize ideas of race and immigration through their surroundings in Paris.
