With many French finding themselves passionately inspired by Barack Obama's historic US presidential win, more and more are using the slogan 'yes we can' in France.

The country's First Lady, Carla Bruni Sarkozy, said she would support measures to promote minorities, claiming it's time for France to end racism and change the structures dominated by white political and social elites.

But, with national census laws where they stand, it may be impossible to institute 'positive discrimination" measures because legally, minority and ethnic status is supposed to go uncounted and unrecognized here under the banner of equality. Still, grassroots moves are underway to change a system that many feel leaves minorities marginalized.

So is affirmative action the answer?

Andrea Sanke' guests are:

Paul Vallet, assistant professor at Sciences-Po university in Paris and at the American Graduate School of International

Relations and Diplomacy.

Guy Numa, assistant professor of economics at Paris Dauphine university.

Loanna Kohler, director of the Equality of Opportunity program at the French American Foundation.

Erik Bleich, Associate professor of political science at Middlebury College.