^aMiddlebury College, Robert A. Jones '59 House, Middlebury, VT 05753, USA. E-mail: ebleich@middlebury.edu

Abstract

France and the United States have often been viewed as polar opposites when it comes to issues of race. Yet recent societal and political developments in both countries suggest that there may be a modest convergence around this topic. In the United States, 'old' racial perspectives are starting to give way to an increased acknowledgement of the complexities of racial identities. In France, analysts have begun to pay more attention to the role of race, ethnicity, and identity as factors that generate barriers to inclusion and citizenship. This essay draws on three recent books to tease out the ways in which issues of race and identity are shifting on both sides of the Atlantic.