My granddad’s fight against the French occupation of Algeria was a familiar story throughout my childhood.
Born in Algeria, my papi had taken to the streets of Tighennif in 1956 to protest colonial rule at the time. Unfortunately, this led to him being thrown into prison for two years – in which time, two of his young children unfortunately died of common childhood diseases.
The French Empire was cruel and unyielding.
That story informed my view of the world. I grew up knowing that colonialism was bad, that sometimes people had to flee their homes, and that empathy and solidarity were something to value.
I learned that people moved countries and that a multicultural society is a beautiful one. I assumed other children of migrants would understand this too – but apparently not.