News
The Best of 2018As 2018 morphs into 2019, (re)discover the articles which garnered the most success on France-Amérique.com in the past twelve months. Happy reading and happy New Year! Louisiana Joins La Francophonie The American state has joined the International Organization of La Francophonie (IOF) as an observer member. Its application was accepted by the organization’s member states at a summit in Erevan,...
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...
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
Ninety Years On, Tintin Is Still Struggling to Conquer AmericaThe little Belgian reporter invented by illustrator Hergé is undeniably a 20th-century hero in France and Belgium. But even with Tintin in America, which saw the journalist travel to Chicago and the Wild West, the character has always struggled to carve out a niche in the U.S.A. where Marvel reigns supreme. As General de Gaulle liked to say, “In actual...
Gallipolis, a French Utopia on the Banks of the Ohio RiverOne thousand French people fled to the United States after the Revolution, aghast at being stripped of their privileges and sensing the imminent arrival of the Reign of Terror. Championing the philosophy of the Lumières and its idyllic vision of the New World, they founded the Gallipolis colony on the banks of the Ohio River — a Garden of Eden,...
The French Comedies That Inspired HollywoodThe American remake of the hit French comedy Intouchables, out in U.S. theaters on January 11, is not a first. American filmmakers have long drawn inspiration from French comedies. And while the results are not always a success, sometimes the remakes work wonders. Here are four that won over audiences. Trois hommes un couffin (1985) / Three Men and a...
The Upside, Remake of Hit French Comedy, in U.S. TheatersThe hit movie Intouchables was seen by 20 million people in French theaters in 2012, and a U.S. remake is set to be released in January 2019. American critics are waiting to pounce, having already denounced the racial prejudices in the original film. The question is, will this comedy drama on the theme of disability win over American audiences? Do...
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
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...
King Cake: A French Tradition Little Known in the U.S.This golden, frangipane-filled cake appears in boulangeries and patisseries at the end of December. King cake or la galette des rois, is traditionally eaten with the family on the first Sunday after New Year’s Day, but many enjoy it from December 31 and throughout the whole month of January! Along with Yule logs and Easter eggs, this is another unmissable...
Recipe: Chesnut Cream and Pear Yule LogIt's the perfect French holiday dessert. Made with sponge cake or fruit mousse, topped with chocolate, coffee, or chestnut cream, the yule loge will bring a nice final touch to your Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year's Eve dinner! For this occasion, France-Amérique recommends this recipe by Parisian pastry chef Sébastien Gaudard, which was recently published in François-Régis Gaudry's coffee-table book Let's...