News
Covid-19: 72-Hour Testing Measures Spark PanicThe French community in the United States has been thrown into panic. From August 1, anyone wanting to travel to France from the U.S. will be asked to present negative Covid-19 test results obtained no more than 72 hours beforehand. Mission impossible? Almost. The French government’s decree n° 2020-911 on July 27, 2020 is very clear. It states that anyone...
Visa Suspensions: Exception Granted to French Teachers in the U.S.Bilingualism in the United States has won a major victory. The American government has decided to grant an exception to international teachers — essential for those hoping to teach in U.S. dual-language schools in September. Around 200 French teachers are affected by this measure, which will apply to the suspension of J-1 visas. “Hello, I think we’ve got some good...
Map: Where to Celebrate Bastille Day in the United States?On July 14, the French commemorate the storming of the Bastille of 1789 and the Fête de la Fédération of 1790. In the U.S., the event is known as Bastille Day, a showcase of French culture and gastronomy! A tradition set to continue this year despite the pandemic. This year, the sidewalks along Smith Street in Brooklyn will not be...
Anthony Smith, the General Who Championed French-American Military CooperationAmerican general Anthony Smith, who passed away in Virginia on May 31, 2020, played an essential role in military relations between France and America, and directed the French-American Foundation USA for five years. Anthony “Tony” Smith discovered France as a teenager when his father helped General Eisenhower launch NATO. He attended the Paris American High School in the early 1950s,...
Opinion
The Pursuit of HappinessThe United States is one of the rare countries to include the right to happiness in its national constitution. But what happens when the machine breaks down and the dream dissipates, fractured by racial discrimination? The United States is founded on a widely shared myth drawn from the Declaration of Independence: the right to the “pursuit of happiness,” an expression...
The U.S. Needs a National Language PolicyForeign language programs are in danger in the United States. The number of language classes at the elementary and middle school levels have been decreasing. Recent restrictions on work visas have made difficult for immersion programs to recruit qualified native teachers. And according to the Modern Language Association, 651 college and university foreign language programs were eliminated between 2013 and...
One Fair Month of JulyIndependence Day (July 4) and Bastille Day (July 14) share more than a month. From the beginning, our two revolutions were linked by a diplomatic and military alliance, by personal friendships, and a common philosophy. On July 2, 1776, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail: “This day will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the Day of Deliverance by...
Three ColorsWhy do the French and American flags share the same colors? Is it a coincidence? No one knows who designed these two flags, but there are a few clues. For the thirteen original colonies marked by British culture, and whose officers, most notably George Washington, had served in the occupying army, blue, white and red were already familiar shades used...
Culture
Seventy-Five Years Ago, France-Amérique Explained the Atomic BombThe Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by an incredibly powerful bomb on August 6 and 9, 1945. In its August 19, 1945 edition, France-Amérique published a front-page feature and a rare popular science article by Jacques Errera. The Belgian physicist discussed nuclear fission and shared his vision of the future of the atomic age. “The atomic bomb...
This Week on TV5 Monde USA (August 10-16)Every week, France-Amérique will compile a list of 5 films, series, documentaries, cooking shows, and children's shows you don't want to miss on TV5 Monde USA, the first French-language television channel in the United States. 1. Echappées Belles: Marseille, la Vie en Bleu Monday, August 10, at 8:30 pm EST (5:30 pm PST) The clear blue sky, the deep blue...
This Week on TV5 Monde USA (August 3-9)Every week, France-Amérique will compile a list of 5 films, series, documentaries, cooking shows, and children's shows you don't want to miss on TV5 Monde USA, the first French-language television channel in the United States. 1. A Man Escaped Tuesday, August 4, at 8:30 pm EST (5:30 pm PST) Arrested by the Germans and sentenced to death, Lieutenant Fontaine is...
Marie Cuttoli: Weaving ModernityMarie Cuttoli was a visionary woman forgotten by art history books, despite making traditional tapestry weaving a medium for modernity. This friend of American collectors was determined to reboot the Algerian and French weaving industries. She commissioned works by the greatest artists of her time, from Pablo Picasso and Man Ray to Henri Matisse, paving their way to American museum...
Business
Chargeurs: From Haute Couture to Protective Face MasksLast March, Chargeurs was still producing technical fabrics for Chanel, Balmain, and Yves Saint Laurent. The French group, also established in the United States, is now making some 15 million protective masks every week — an unprecedented initiative in the group’s long history. Founded in 1872, Chargeurs has adapted its factories in Picardy and Alsace to meet the demand for...
Coronavirus: Industry Goes to War!Heavy industry and individual workers have arrived as backup to accelerate the production of masks and ventilators desperately needed by medical professionals. Both in France and the United States, a wartime economy has developed to fight against the coronavirus pandemic. On the banks of the East River opposite Manhattan, the Brooklyn Navy Yard is back to work. The former naval...
Emmanuel Macron Dreams of UnicornsAmbitious French president Emmanuel Macron wants to see a fivefold increase in the number of billion-dollar start-ups, or “unicorns,” in France over the next few years. His goal is to replicate the American model. Emmanuel Macron has a dream. He wants unicorns to flourish in France, and hopes that their number will rise from five to twenty, or even twenty-five,...
Ode à la Rose: Flower Delivery à la FrançaiseThe business model of Ode à la Rose, a flower delivery company founded by two French entrepreneurs in New York City in 2012, is based on the dual concept of French elegance and speed. Available across the northeast of the United States and in the Chicago area, the service will soon be expanded to and Florida. Monday is the most...
Education
Visa Suspensions Threaten Immersion Schools in LouisianaThe ban on all new J-1 visas declared by Donald Trump on June 22 has dealt a blow to French-English immersion schools in Louisiana, which depend on these temporary work permits for recruiting Francophone teachers. Worry hangs heavy in the air of Baton Rouge, the state capital of Louisiana. Around 2,200 students might be left without a full education if...
OFALycée, the French Online School for American High Schoolers[Partner Article] The first online French-American high school, OFALycée, will open its virtual doors in September. To assist students whose education was disrupted by the pandemic, its founders will offer online French and math classes for ninth, tenth and eleventh-graders starting on April 27. “Do you know about the drama of French-American education in the United States? Thousands of French...
Cécile David-Weill: “Authority Is Credibility Granted by Children”Cécile David-Weill is the author of three novels, including "The Suitors," a comedy of manners about French high society. In "Parents Under the Influence," recently translated from French and published in the United States, the French-American mother of three tackles accepted ideas about raising children. She shows how we are subconsciously influenced by how our parents raised us, with often...
Teachers 2.0: An Online French-American High SchoolThe first online French-American high school, OFALycée, will be opening its virtual doors in September 2020. Its goal is to prepare students within the U.S. education system for the French Baccalaureate exams. Every year, some 400 high school students in the United States take the Baccalaureate exam, which enables them to continue on to higher education in France. Fourteen schools,...
Gastronomy
Indulge in French Products Without Leaving AmericaThere is so much more to French food than cheese and wine! Whether Dijon mustard, macarons, compotes, Orangina, or duck breast fillets, you can eat (almost) as if you were in France without leaving America. Here is a rundown of the culinary gems you can find at your local deli or online. The art of eating à la française is not limited to...
Melissa Clark: “France Is Where I Learned How to Cook”Melissa Clark was celebrating the release of her latest book, "Dinner in French," when lockdown began in New York City. Since then, the "New York Times" food writer and author of 43 cookbooks (including one written with French chef Daniel Boulud) has spread her love of French cuisine through online cooking demos, live videos on Instagram, and simple recipes tailored...
The Jean-Georges EmpireJean-Georges Vongerichten has lived in New York since 1986, and made the city the capital of his culinary empire. The French restaurant owner reigns over 39 establishments, including 25 in the United States. He guarantees the same quality of service from Las Vegas to Singapore, and still finds time to cook for his friends! The clock strikes 5:30 pm in...
La Chandeleur: The Day to Flip CrêpesWhile Americans watch expectantly for the groundhog to emerge on February 2, the French will be flipping crêpes with their families. Known as Chandeleur in French and "Candlemas" in English, this event mixes pagan, Celtic, and catholic influences, and is named after the candles used for a pagan ritual celebrating the arrival of the harvest. In 472, Pope Gelasius I...