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 Jeff Steiner's Americans in France.Resource for people that would like to live or travel in France. |
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CultureFrench Anti-Americanism
American culture is everywhere in France, on television (Columbo, The Sopranos), music (Bruce Springsteen, Tracy Chapman), movies (Fill in the number one movie in American here), books (John Grisham). This before mentioning McDonalds, which is just as widespread in France as in America. This makes it hard for me to see the French as anti-American. How can a people so willing to embrace American culture, hate America? The answer is they don't.
Yes, there is a backlash to this embrace of American culture. For example, some demand there be a limit to the number of American films that can play in a movie house at any one time. This view is not widely held and could not be enacted. Why? There wouldn't be enough films for the existing movie theaters!
The Bush Administration was not loved in France. Frequently cited was its policy on Iraq. The French government took the lead in demanding that war be avoided at all costs. This was a very popular view in France. This anti-Bush Administration feeling was not carried over to Americans in general. A distinction is made between the American government and its people.
At present the French very much like President Obama.
One to one the French have no problem with Americans. I never hide my nationality. I always tell people where I am from; more times than not, most then tell me of their vacation spent somewhere in America, or the fact that they would like to someday visit.
The French government wants Americans to come to France and spend tourist dollars. The French economy relies greatly on tourism. Americans tourists are a large part of the tourist economy. At certain times, one in five tourists in Paris is American. In short, do not go to France for fear you'll be shunned. You won't. Personally, I find the French to be very welcoming and helpful.
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Related links
http://www.dailytelegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtm
http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20030210&s=alterman1
http://perso.club-internet.fr/hwelty/France/Intercultural2.html#ancre1130740
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