News
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 know as Bastille Day, a celebration of France through wine, accordion, and pétanque! Over 200 Bastille Day events will take place in the United States this year. In New York, the French Institute...
Degas House in New Orleans Enshrined by French Culture MinisterThe house at 2306 Esplanade Avenue where Edgar Degas lived and painted from 1872 to 1873 has received the Maison des Illustres label from the French minister of culture. This is the second site in the United States to be recognized in this way, along with Marguerite Yourcenar’s house in Maine. The label was created in 2011 to showcase “residences that...
The French-American Business Awards Are Back in San FranciscoWho will receive the Start-Up of the Year award? Find out in San Francisco on May 23 at the French-American Business Awards! Preparations for the sixth edition of the French-American Business Awards (FABA) are underway. This competition distinguishes the best French-American companies in Northern California, and this year will feature 40 nominees across 10 categories such as specialty food industry,...
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...
Opinion
Bastille Day, or French Every DayTwo days before Bastille Day, the French national day, I was prompted to do a Google search for “bastille day celebrations usa,” which returned over 248,000 results. A 2018 map revealed some 200 celebrations taking place from California to Maine and Florida, and at many points in between. As an educator with a lifelong affection for French language and culture,...
What Do We Celebrate on Bastille Day?The French do not celebrate the Fourth of July, America’s Independence Day; they may not even know what it means. Americans, on the other hand, are familiar with what they call Bastille Day, an expression that, strangely, does not exist in French. This enthusiasm for the Storming of the Bastille is not shared by all French people — the Revolution,...
Revolution as Play in FranceOn July 14, Americans celebrate Bastille Day. On this day, the French celebrate more than their National Day or the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille: They celebrate the everlasting spirit of the 1789 Revolution. “The French are better at fighting revolutions than making reforms”, wrote Alexis de Tocqueville in his notes in 1848. As a Deputy of the Manche...
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
French Is Back in Maine, and So Is the Alliance FrançaiseThe inauguration of the Maine branch of the Alliance Française in Portland on August 29 is a testament to the resurgence of French in a state welcoming increasing numbers of immigrants from Francophone African countries. One quarter of the residents of Maine are of French-Canadian heritage, and yet the French language very nearly disappeared from this state. Quebecer immigrants who...
The French Soccer Federation Opens a School in New YorkThe French Football Federation inaugurated the French Football Academy in New York this summer, the first school of its kind outside France. Its goal is to take advantage of young people’s enthusiasm for soccer while exporting the French coaches’ know-how and training methods to the United States. Did you know that soccer is the second most popular sport among young...
Jean-Baptiste Del Amo: Up Close and Personal With NatureFrench author Jean-Baptiste Del Amo won the Prix Goncourt du Premier Roman for Une éducation libertine in 2008, and in 2016 published Règne animal, a denunciation of the violent treatment of animals. Driven by lyrical, organic writing, it will be released in English in the United States on September 10 as Animalia. Rarely does a book stimulate all the senses...
Isabelle Adjani In Search of AmericaAfter a few forgettable roles in Hollywood in the 1980s and 1990s, Isabelle Adjani is back in the United States. The French actress shines in Opening Night, an adaptation of John Cassavetes’s movie which premiered in Paris last May, at the FIAF in New York from September 12-14. Isabelle Adjani’s whole life is reflected in Agnès, the role she played in...
Business
Jeep, a French-American Love StoryThe ancestor of the 4x4, Jeep was a World War II icon and a symbol of the liberation of Paris in August 1944. The brand, which was born in the U.S. and was acquired by the French group Renault, has become a strategic asset in the automobile industry. When asked about the instruments of America’s victory in World War II,...
Invest Remotely with My Expat[Partner Article] Ever wanted to acquire a property in France while living in another country? Now it is possible — and even easy — thanks to the online platform My Expat. Florent Vaudelin worked in finance in New York before creating My Expat when he returned to France. “I wanted to design a platform that would enable users to invest...
French Cars Are Making a Comeback on American RoadsAfter a thirty-year absence, the French Peugeot Citroën group is preparing its triumphant return to the United States. You may be surprised to learn that French automobile manufacturers are nowhere to be found in the United States, the world’s second biggest market behind China, where the French also have little or no presence. Another paradox is that the only "French-made"...
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...
Education
The Success of French Dual-Language Programs in the U.S.Dual-language classes are flourishing in the United States. With more than 160 bilingual programs across 34 states, French is now America’s second most popular foreign language. In New York, one in ten public schools offers a bilingual education. In Utah, one in five schools is bilingual. And in August, Alaska inaugurated its first two dual-language French-English classes. These bilingual programs...
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...
Gastronomy
A Tour of France in 45 CheesesFrom Abondance in Haute-Savoie and Valençay in Berry to Corsican Brocciu and Munster from the Vosges, artisan cheesemaker Dominique Bouchait presents 45 iconic French cheeses in a coffee-table book published by Rizzoli. A mouth-watering work filled with anecdotes and practical advice. “How could you possibly govern a country in which there are 246 varieties of cheese?” exclaimed Charles de Gaulle....
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...