Audio-Visual History of Immigration in France

I lived in France for almost 4 years and saw a reality that a usual tourist would not see when he or she travels there and be charmed by the beauty of the Tour Eiffel! That reality of the immigration. Being part of those thousands of immigrants living in France, I found how challenging it was to be ‘integrated’ as what is expected to most immigrants. Luckily, my friends, mostly French, encouraged me a lot. So, the challenge was short-lived but for others, it is like being locked in a cellules, unable to get out of it and ending up so isolated. This is mostly happening to those who are in illegal status or what the French say: “sans papiers”.
Now the French government wants to be stricter on letting non-French, especially non Europeans from entering their territory: a pattern happening in many developed countries, though. In retrospect, France has been a country faced with immigration since time immemorial. It is part of its reality and evolution of its society. Who can stop this phenomenon?

While in this thinking, I found this film by chance in the www. It speak of the history of the immigration in France dated since 2 centuries. The narration is in French so those who speak and understand French, have a good viewing. For those who are English speakers, I will try to have a text translation of the narration and so please be patient but you can already view the image. To watch the film, you can click on the link below or you can copy and paste on your internet browser. Happy viewing!

http://www.histoire-immigration.fr/main.php?period=0&sous_sequence=0

D.C. New Law on Marriage: What a joy! BUT...

A new law takes effect today in the nation’s capital, granting equal rights in marriage licensing for gay couples.

Washington, D.C.’s marriage equality legislation becomes law in spite of a Herculean effort by opponents to block its implementation through both legal action—including a last-minute Hail Mary pass to the U. S. Supreme Court and Chief Justice John Roberts for a stay—as well as law maneuvering in the House and Senate.

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday evening denied a request to stop the District of Columbia’s new law from going into effect Wednesday, March 3. Marriage opponent Harry Jackson and others had petitioned the high court to intervene to stop the “Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act” from taking effect until voters could address the issue through referendum.

While Roberts said he thinks the argument Jackson’s group makes “has some force,” he said the high court typically defers to the local courts about “matters of exclusively local concern.” He also noted that Congress, which has the power to review D.C. laws for 30 days before they take effect, took no action against the measure. And he pointed out that Jackson’s group still has the option to seek a ballot measure through an initiative process, and not a referendum.

The implementation of the new marriage equality law makes Washington, D. C, the sixth jurisdiction—along with Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont—to issue licenses to same-sex couples. The District is also the first place for marriage equality below the Mason-Dixon line

(source: keennewsservice)