News
Philippe Etienne Confirmed as the New French Ambassador in WashingtonThe French ministry of foreign affairs gave France-Amérique the confirmation that Philippe Etienne will take up his post in Washington D.C. in September. Philippe Etienne, diplomatic advisor to Emmanuel Macron and a former ambassador to Germany, has been chosen to succeed Gérard Araud, who retired on April 19 of this year. He will begin his role after the G7 Summit...
Notre-Dame de Paris: Donate to Rebuild the CathedralNotre-Dame de Paris, a jewel of Gothic architecture from the 12th century and a symbol of French civilization, was ravaged by a fire on Monday evening. The cathedral’s two towers have survived, but two thirds of the roof, including the spire, have been destroyed. The tragedy sparked a wave of solidarity all over the world. France-Amérique and Chargeurs are contributing to the...
The Ambassador of France in Washington Steps DownGérard Araud has been the ambassador of France in the United States since September 2014, and will be retiring on April 19 of this year. His successor has not yet been named. The ambassador has worked with two American presidents, and celebrated his retirement at a reception at the ambassadorial residence in Washington D.C. on Wednesday evening. Gérard Araud, 66,...
Two Americans Decipher the French Yellow Vest CrisisOver the last few months, around 100,000 French people have transformed the hi-vis vest designed for road safety into a symbol for their anger against tax hikes on fuel and an emblem of the divide between the winners and losers of globalization and urban and rural populations. But are the Yellow Vests just more incorrigible French protesters 50 years after...
Opinion
Gérard Araud: “My Career Working Under Two Presidents”The ambassador of France in the United States since 2014, Gérard Araud retired on April 19. Before stepping down, he shared his experience with France-Amérique. The full version of his "diplomatic testament" is to be published in the May issue of our magazine. After being appointed ambassador of France to the United States, I presented my credentials to Barack H. Obama...
We’ll Always Have Notre-Dame de ParisNo one could have predicted the global swell of emotion inspired by the fire in the cathedral in Paris. The French are generally so divided and there are few regular churchgoers. And yet they suddenly found themselves united in collective mourning. Condolences flooded in from all over the world as if every French person had lost a loved one, and...
Give the People What They Want. But What Exactly?In an effort to reply to demands from the Yellow Vest movement, Emmanuel Macron has launched a major national debate that has so far had some success. The initiative is similar to one suggested by Louis XVI before the French Revolution, when citizens were invited to present “grievance books” to the king. The French have a soft spot for revolutionary...[Subscriber]
To Be or Not to Be Politically CorrectCan we still teach Mark Twain, whose hero is referred to as a "nigger," now that the word has been banished? What about Hergé's comic books and their grotesque depiction of women, Jews, Blacks, and Arabs? In the United States, as in France and other countries, populist movements are shaking up intellectual and political norms. New leaders are announcing that...[Subscriber]
Culture
France Behind the Rise of Rugby in the United StatesThe United States, the land of football, may well be hosting the Rugby World Cup in 2031. This ambition is a reflection of the boom in Major League Rugby, a U.S. rugby union competition, which has largely been made possible by French players, coaches, and managers. Between late April and early May, two French players announced they were being transferred...
Monsieur Mediocre: The High Art of Being French EverydayJohn von Sothen is an American columnist who lives in Paris, where he covers entertainment and society issues for French Vanity Fair. He moved there after meeting his wife, Anaïs, in a café in Brooklyn. They now have two kids who, with Anaïs, are featured throughout his first book, Monsieur Mediocre, which is ultimately a love letter to France — to...
My Son in U.S. TheatersAfter Merry Christmas and Farewell, director Christian Carion has once again teamed up with Guillaume Canet, who plays a father in search of his missing son. This unapologetic thriller filmed in a single week with a half-improvised screenplay will be released in the United States on Friday. Julien (Guillaume Canet) has been absent as both a husband and a father,...
L’Invité, Interviews at the Cannes Film FestivalAn eight-minute interview with a headline-making personality is the successful concept of L’Invité, show broadcast every day from Monday through Friday at 1:45 pm EST on TV5MONDE. As part of the 72nd Cannes Film Festival from May 14 through 25, special editions of L'Invité will be broadcast from the iconic town. The line-up will include interviews with leading directors, actors, and other...
Business
Sustainable Development, a French-American ChallengeA new committee has been created by the French-American Chamber of Commerce in New York. Its mission will be to encourage dialogue between French and American business on the theme of sustainable development. “French is a big leader in innovation and sustainable development,” said the chair of the committee, Clyde Ranking, at the Sustainability and Innovation Forum organized by the...
“French Engineers Are Highly Sought-After in Silicon Valley”Helping French entrepreneurs found companies in the United States, rent offices, and meet with future clients are just a few of the services offered by the 20 branches of the French-American Chamber of Commerce. This network stretches from New York to Los Angeles and also advises U.S. businesses interested in the French market while fostering exchanges between the two countries....
Le Chocolat des Français, When Taste Meets BeautyThe French brand Le Chocolat des Français has called on artists, illustrators, and graphic novelists to create the packaging for its chocolate bars, which can now be found at the MoMA Design Store and at Bloomingdale’s in New York. “We wanted people to think twice about ripping the paper used to wrap our chocolate bars,” says Paul-Henri Masson, the founder...
Pop! The Rise of American Sparkling WineThe consumption of sparkling wine in the United States has doubled since the 1970s. Thanks to champagnes imported from France, "American champagnes," and sparkling wines produced by French companies established on the U.S. West Coast, the American market is bubbling over! Since the first cases of champagne were delivered to the Thirteen Colonies in 1750, French bubbly has enjoyed a...
Education
French Immersion Classes Arrive in Alaska!The first two dual-language French-English classes in Alaska will be launched next August at O’Malley Elementary School, a public school in Anchorage. Despite being isolated, this American state is attracting an increasingly large international population. Alaska is no stranger to bilingualism. After all, the state’s first dual-language program is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year! Japan was one of Alaska’s...
Are French Classes Under Threat at American Universities?According to the latest report from the Modern Language Association, which conducts an annual survey on the status of language learning in higher education in America, 129 French programs were discontinued between 2013 and 2016. Karl Cogard, education attaché at the embassy of France in Washington D.C., offers his take on this worrying situation. France-Amérique: The Modern Language Association’s report...
The École, a Bilingual School in New York, is Growing![Partner Article] Located in the heart of Manhattan, The École, which has recently expanded the size of its campus, is getting ready to admit new students to its bilingual program and reaffirm its original educational project. "Agile Minds, Open Hearts, Bright Futures." This is the motto of The École. Formerly known as the École Internationale de New York (EINY), it...
The Boom in Dual-Language Classes in New York (3/3): The Future of Education is in Two LanguagesIn the third and final part of our series on bilingualism, Fabrice Jaumont, education specialist and author of The Bilingual Revolution: The Future of Education is in Two Languages, looks at the future of French-English dual-language classes in New York. Fourteen public schools in New York have opened a French-English dual-language program since September 2007. Four have been discontinued due...
Gastronomy
Les Trois Petits Cochons: Charcuterie Leader Branches Out Into Healthy Snacks[Partner article] Since its opening as a small charcuterie shop selling pâtés and quiches in New York in 1975, Les Trois Petits Cochons (The Three Little Pigs) has taken pride in combining elevated with accessible, maintaining the company’s premium sourcing, production, and quality standards that make for great French food products. This longtime specialty leader has gone back their roots,...
“Banning Foie Gras Is Easier than Going After the Poultry Industry”In 2005, Chicago Tribune reporter Mark Caro didn’t know a thing about foie gras. He then spent five years interviewing producers in the U.S. and in France as well as animal rights advocates, and published a book on the topic, The Foie Gras Wars. Ten years after the book’s release and in light of the ban recently introduced by the...
The Challenges of Banning Foie Gras in CaliforniaThe production and sale of foie gras have been banned once again in California. The law became enforceable on January 7, but how will it be applied and what are the consequences for the market? We interviewed key players in the sector and those who support the ban. Tara Gallegos, spokesperson for the California Attorney General’s Office, which is responsible...
Foie Gras Officially Banned in CaliforniaThe appeal by producers and restaurant owners has been rejected by the Supreme Court, and the law banning the production and sale of foie gras in California came into effect on January 7. While the appeal was still underway, foie gras remained legal in California. And the procedure filed in March 2018 by the Quebec Association of Duck and Goose...