The French have a very different model of integrating immigrants than the United States in which ethnic and religious differences receive no official acknowledgment from the state. While this is part of an ideology that seeks to establish absolute equality among its citizens, it can have some unintended consequences. The French government does not collect any data on the ethnic origin of its citizens, which makes it difficult to target social resources to where it might be most needed. This also opens the way for covert racism, since employers might overlook applications with ethnic names.
Although there are no official numbers, the unemployment rates among immigrant communities are more than twice the national average. The poverty in these communities often fuels anger against the state and especially the police. The suburbs of Paris saw weeks of violent rioting in 2005 that was precipitated by the accidental death of a teenager who was fleeing from the police. Now the city of Grenoble is facing similar unrest after police shot an armed robbery suspect.
While on the surface these incidents appear to be common criminality, they offer some insight into the modern problems post-colonial societies face with national identity and integration.
