Il razzismo spiegato a mia figlia

Racism Explained to My Daughter (by Tahar Ben Jelloun, 1998, ISBN 88-7754-206-3) is a book in which the author, during a demonstration against an immigration law in Paris, answers his daughter's questions about the reasons for racism.The author's intent was to explain, with this book, the modern "trauma" that racism is to children and to help adults answer their children's questions on racism. He says that children are more likely to understand that one isn't born racist, but becomes one. Adults are not likely to change their ideas. The author writes this after going to a manifestation in France against bans on immigration where his then ten-year-old daughter tries to comprehend what they are fighting for and what racism is, who is racist, how one becomes racist, if she is in fact also racist. In many ways, Racism Explained to My Daughter can be seen as an anti-colonialist text that is comprehendible and straightforward to children. Since Ben Jelloun finds education to be the key component in ending racism, he purposefully educates the youth by defining terms in an accessible and understandable way to his young audience. Some of these key terms include racism, racist, colonialism and anti-Semitism. He is aware that this is a lot of dense and overwhelming material, so he encourages his audience of children to recognize and learn from their mistakes.