Hospitality and immigration

In the introduction to her book Postcolonial Hospitality: The Immigrant as Guest Mireille Rosello discusses the transformation of the characteristics of immigrants, which consequently also altered the discourse about immigration in France. Moreover, Rosello problematizes the metaphor of "immigrant as guest" as it obscures several aspects and creates a blurred image. First, by regarding an immigrant as a guest the reason for their "invitation" - which was not related to hospitality, but rather to employment - is obscured. Taking an "employee" as a "guest" results in the deprivation of the "guest" 'of the type of contract that exists in a businesslike relationship' (Rosello 2001: 9). What is more, the "guest" can always be disinvited and sent away without any further justification. The distinction between the discourse of rights (social contract) and the discourse of generosity (excess and gift-giving) is, thus, blurred through the metaphor of the immigrant as a guest. Not only is the status and are the rights of the immigrant hazy, but also the position of the state. Rosello argues that by taking the state as the "host", the fact is obscures that immigrants often live in shantytowns - 'a strange twist to the idea that the nation was the equivalent of a house' (ibid.: 10). Often, it is even other immigrants, rather than the state that provide housing to newcomers. As a result 'being grateful to the so-called host nation is a baffling proposition' as the only contact of the immigrant to the nation are bureaucratic procedures. Rosello continues then with a discussion of Derrida's distinction between the ethics of (infinite) hospitality and a politics of (finite) hospitality, into which, however, I shall not delve at this point.

Depicting immigrants as guest, does not only blur their reasons for migration, their status and their right, but further also legitimizes treating them differently; a "guest" is rarely regarded the same rights as a "host", the "guest" should respect the "host", and act accordingly to the latter's rules. The immigrant should behave in a certain way - as a "guest". Further, the metaphor implies another place as home, if someone is a guest in one place s/he is at home or the host in another place. It further supports the idea of temporal stay, of the immigrant not being at home, and thereby not being able to feel 100% comfortable. A possible return to the country of origin is then "naturalized", they are going "home", to where they belong, know the habits, and will feel comfortable. "Home" further implies that one is allowed to stay, and always welcome. These implications are not only valid for first generation migrants, but also for their offsprings, as we can see in discussion about remigration of second-generation immigrants to their parent's home.

In Matthieu Kassovitz's movie La Haine we can also trace the issue of hospitality in relation to offsprings of immigrants. The protagonists and the other youth habitants, clearly see their district as their home, people coming in are scrutinized carefully and often sent away (the reaction when they see the mayor from the roof, or when the TV reporter want to interview the three protagonists). However, the dynamics changes with sporadic appearance of the police, controlling what is going on in the district (Vinz stops telling a story when they come across policemen). The distinction of "guest" and "host" is further blurred by immigrant-offspring police men. When the three friends go to Paris, the dynamics change again. There they are actually visitors, and experience to some extent the hospitality usually showed to guests (the friendly police man giving directions, the beginning at the exhibition). However, after some point they have to leave the exhibition. After they left a man states: 'that is the problem with the suburbs', hinting at the "suburbs" not knowing how to behave. When coming back to their district Said and Vinz are once again subjected to the "control" of plainclothes police, with which the film takes a deadly ending. 

Could the riots in the banlieus be received differently if immigrants are not regarded as guests? Would a similar outburst in another, non-immigrant context (maybe rather in a leftist-socialist protesting against the system) circle be received similarly? Could the riots then be received as reaction to socio-political problems (such as lack of equal opportunities) rather than as upheavals from immigrant youth, from ungrateful "guest"? 

It becomes clear as the protagonists state "liberty, equality and fraternity"among other "wise" sayings while sitting on the roof of a Parisian building, they do not see that "saying" apply to them. 

References:
- Matthieu Kassovitz, La Haine/Hate (1995)
- Rosello, Mireille. Introduction to Postcolonial Hospitality: The Immigrant as Guest. Stanford, Standford UP, 2001.