Ethnic Place Identity Within A Parisian Neighborhood

Abstract

The Goutte d'Or neighborhood of Paris has long been seen as an impoverished yet colorful quarter of the city. In recent years, it has also developed a reputation as a center for immigrants. Three populations now share the neighborhood: the European French, the Maghrebi immigrant population and their children, and the newest population of migrants from former Francophone colonies. This paper examines how the Goutte d'Or's social and ethnic identity is revealed in the built environment and in its social and economic activity. This neighborhood demonstrates how different communities and place identities coexist. It also shows how global networks of migration, exchange, and visits infuse local places. The Goutte d'Or distills many aspects of French immigrant identities, providing an example for increasing numbers of immigrant neighborhoods in France and across the world.

Multicultural Engagements in Lived Spaces: How Cultural Communities Intersect in Belleville, Paris

“…For the Chinese, as concerned as they were about insecurity, there seemed to be a sense that the neighborhood was good for commerce and that it was attracting many other Chinese businesses. For non‐Chinese as well, the view of the future was fairly bright, in contrast to other neighborhoods studied (Kaplan and Recoquillon ). At the same time, several mentioned that Jews might be leaving the neighborhood, as part of a general tendency to leave France as a whole (a tendency that seems to have leveled off).…”

“…In terms of a sample, we surveyed shops and services within our defined section of Belleville during seven separate field trips in May 2015. Our approach was similar to that practiced by Hall () in her study of a London shopping street and followed our earlier work as well (Kaplan and Recoquillon , ). Businesses provided an easy means of procuring geographically specific interviews.…”

“…Belleville's profile has been working class for a long time, and its housing is cheaper than that of Paris's fashionable neighborhoods. The 20th arrondissement as a whole has higher rates of poverty and lower annual incomes (INSEE ), though Belleville is not among Paris's most disadvantaged neighborhoods—a distinction that belongs to the Goutte d'Or (Kaplan and Recoquillon ). Partly for this reason, Belleville has been a popular location for immigrants who tend to be poorer and working class.…”

Immigration and the making of place in Paris

“…Ethnic place-making characterizes several neighborhoods in Paris, where there is a great deal of dynamic change taking place (Kaplan and Recoquillon 2014). One undercurrent is the consistent pressure of gentrification, particularly as professionals seek out neighborhoods with more affordable housing.…”

Two decades of Bosnian place-making in St. Louis, Missouri

“…However, no attention has been given to the process of ethnic enclave formation or Bosnian place-making and its manifestation on the cultural landscape. Following a long tradition of ethnic enclave and place-making research by cultural and ethnic geographers (see, for example, Lewis 1979;Curtis 1980;Arreola 1995;Wood 1997;Miyares 1998;Chacko 2003;Hume 2003;Arreola 2004;Kaya 2005;Airriess 2006;Chacko and Cheung 2006;Lagendijk et al 2011;Arreola 2012;Kaplan and Recoquillon 2014), this study seeks to fill the void.…”