News
Macron-Trump: The Divorce is OfficialThe French-American outpouring of Bastille Day is little more than a distant memory. Invited to France to attend the commemorative ceremonies for the 1918 Armistice, the U.S. president was anything but tactful. The French and American presidents hugged in front of the White House six months ago. Emmanuel Macron was on an official visit to Washington, and Donald Trump expressed...
Where to Celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau 2018 in the U.S.?On November 15, 2018 at the strike of midnight, the season’s new batch of Beaujolais wine will be released. Cheers! In accordance with French law, these wines have been fermenting only a few weeks and are made exclusively with Gamay grapes found in the region of Beaujolais in Eastern France. November 15th will be declared “Beaujolais Nouveau Day,” as is...
The French Benevolent Society to Hold its Annual Dinner in PhiladelphiaFounded in 1793, the French Benevolent Society of Philadelphia will hold its 8th annual dinner at the restaurant R2L on November 8 at 7 pm. This is the first French association in the United States. Back in 1793, the French Benevolent Society of Philadelphia helped French citizens who had fled to the U.S. capital city in the aftermath of the French...
La Francophonie’s Decision Confirms the Rebirth of French in LouisianaLouisiana’s application to join the International Organization of La Francophonie (IOF) was accepted on October 11. But in Paris and in Baton Rouge the "battle" of La Francophonie in Louisiana is only just beginning. Louisiana is now a part of the institution of La Francophonie. The American State’s population comprises more than 5% of Francophones with 5,000 students enrolled in...
Opinion
Facebook and the Gilets Jaunes: Revolution in the Age of Social MediaThe Parisian riots of May 1968 were hatched in the city’s cafés, just like the ones in June 1832, March 1871, and February 1934. But the "yellow vests" movement has broken away from this historical precedent. For the very first time, the uprising was born on social media before spilling out onto the street. In 1962, Marshall McLuhan published The...
Are the “Yellow Vests” Vandals or Militants?The sharp increase in fuel prices in recent months has sparked a protest movement in France known as the gilets jaunes or “yellow vests.” In a climate reminiscent of 1789, demonstrators and the police have clashed in Paris and other cities across France. But to what extent can we compare the two eras? On July 14, 1789, in Paris, the...
Democracy Seen From Below: Referendums in AmericaRegardless of differing opinions of the United States, it is an experimental model for our possible future. This applies to culture and technology, but can the same be said for politics? The American tradition of referendums has stopped tax increases and legalized cannabis. However, whether it will one day be adopted in France remains to be seen. During his famous...[Subscriber]
Should Marshal Pétain Be Honored?As the 100th anniversary of the 1918 armistice is being celebrated, public opinion is divided on the inclusion of Pétain’s name in the list of eight French marshals honored by the Elysée Palace on Saturday 10 November. Pétain is a major historical figure, having been both the hero of the Battle of Verdun in World War I, and the collaborationist,...[Subscriber]
Culture
The Photographer: Jacques Perrin’s Road Trip Across the American WestThe French director and producer behind nature documentaries Microcosmos and Winged Migration (nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary in 2003) is preparing a new film on the national parks of the great American West. Research has begun in the field and at Stanford University in California. The scouting mission was given to co-director Thierry Machado and Antoine de Cazotte,...
Secrets d’Histoire, a Recipe for SuccessTwo episodes from the twelfth season of French television show Secrets d'Histoire will be shown for the first time on TV5MONDE in December. Following on from Christopher Columbus, J. P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, and Lafayette, viewers can discover the mysterious lives of Egyptian queen Nefertiti and Jesus of Nazareth. Presented by Stéphane Bern, the series paints a picture of historical...
Five Coffee-Table Books for the HolidaysFrance-Amérique has selected five coffee-table books including rare editions, glossy guides to fashion and art de vivre, and collections of cocktail recipes all published by prestigious houses. Perfect for putting under the tree this Christmas. Eternally Ritz In 1898, the Swiss businessman César Ritz inaugurated a palace hotel boasting “the full sophistication any prince would expect to find in...
How Skinny Saint-Nicolas Became Jolly Santa ClausBefore Santa Claus, there was Saint-Nicolas. The tall, skinny bishop the people of Lorraine honor as their patron saint on December 6th eventually became the pot-bellied fellow we know today. An American writer, a German-born cartoonist, and a famous brand of soft drinks are each partially responsible for his transformation. Remember Asterix and his band of indomitable Gauls holding out against an ever-impending...
Business
Pop! The Rise of American Sparking 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...
Amédée 1851, French Scarves with a Transatlantic TwistThe scarves, squares, and throw blankets by French brand Amédée 1851 are a celebration of cruises from times past and the industrial heritage of the town of Roubaix, which was the world’s wool capital until the 1970s. The label’s first collection of accessories made with premium, eco-friendly fibers will be available for purchase online as of December 4. The models...
A French Company in Every U.S. StateThere is not a single American state without a French business within its borders. From New York to Alaska, companies such as Airbus, Michelin, Bel, Louis Vuitton, Safran, Saint-Gobain, and Sodexo are creating jobs and contributing to the U.S. economy. In its most recent annual report, the department of economic affairs at the embassy of France in Washington offers a...
Airbus Races to the Stars in FloridaThe European aviation group will be inaugurating a satellite production facility near Cape Canaveral in Florida this fall. Airbus already makes mid-haul aircraft in Alabama but is now turning to space defense and government contracts for the U.S. armed forces. The building set to host the future Airbus factory has been finished at the NASA space complex in Exploration Park....
Education
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...
The Boom in Dual-Language Classes in New York (2/3): “Demand is High Enough to Open 50 More Schools!”In the second part of our series on bilingualism, Fabrice Jaumont, education specialist and author of The Bilingual Revolution: The Future of Education is in Two Languages, explains the role of parents in the creation of the French-English dual-language classes in New York. More than 80,000 people living in New York speak French at home according to the latest data...
The Boom in Dual-Language Classes in New York (1/3): The Story of Giselle McGeeIn this three-part series on bilingualism, Fabrice Jaumont, educator and author of The Bilingual Revolution: The Future of Education is in Two Languages, looks back over the creation of the first French-English dual-language classes in New York. In April 2006, three determined mothers burst into the office of Giselle Gault-McGee, the principal of the P.S. 58 elementary school in the...
The Fight Between Fountain Pens and Pencils in the U.S.The biggest difference between the French cartable and the American schoolbag weighs a little over half an ounce. In the United States, school children write with lead pencils while many students in France continue to use fountain pens. “My son was surprised to see his classmates all using lead pencils instead of a pen on his first day at school,”...
Gastronomy
Eight Ideas for a French ThanksgivingIt is hard to think of a more American tradition than Thanksgiving! Yet it is quite easy to add a little French flavor to your dinner while still serving the traditional turkey. With this in mind, France-Amérique gathered some expert advice from eight French-American gourmets. How to prepare a turkey by Julia Child, who was known for her T.V. program...
Turkey With a French Dressing: The Gentle Art (Buchwald) of HumorThanksgiving is the one day in the year which, as O. Henry reminds us, is purely American. It’s also the only day when overeating is considered a patriotic duty. And when, according to another keen observer, we surpass the French in culinary matters... Spare a thought on November 22 for those Americans living in France who will try to recreate the...
Pascaline Lepeltier, Master SommelierPascaline Lepeltier first studied philosophy before deciding to train as a sommelier. After working in New York for almost ten years, she has recently become the first woman to receive the prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France title in the sommellerie category. Pascaline Lepeltier has made her way to the top. On October 2, she was the only woman among nine...
You Are Where You EatLooking for her roots in Normandy, an American writer fell in love with pungent cheese and discovered the importance of terroir in French culture and gastronomy. The sky of Normandy is so blue that painters whose work hangs in the Musée d’Orsay had to find new pigment to paint it — so a guide told me. The sun that shines...