ANGUS B. GRIEVE -SMITHSAINT JOHN’S UNIVERSITY

ANGUS@GRIEVE -SMITH.COM@GRVSMTH

Teaching Multicultural Americans about

Multicultural France

Saint John’s University

“In 1870, John Loughlin, Bishop of Brooklyn, asked the Vincentian Community to establish an institution of higher education to serve a growing immigrant population.”

Student population in 2011: 44% White, 15% Asian, 14% Hispanic, 13% Black (SJU Institutional Research)

Photo: Saint John’s University

Core: Language and Culture: French

Mostly business and professional students

Exempt from language requirement

Majors in Pharmacy, Sports Management, Criminal Justice

Interested in sports, fashion, hip-hop, R&B music

Photo: Saint John’s University

Ethnicities in LAC: French at Saint John’s, 2008-2010

Asian13%

Black36%

Hispanic10%

White24%

White with French Heritage

3%

Black with French Heritage

10%

Asian with French Heritage

4%

What is French culture?

Wine, cheese, croissants

FashionFlaubert and ProustMonet and CézanneRavel and PiafLots of white people

Image: Classontheweb.com

The challenge: how French culture is perceived

WhiteExpensiveSpecializedMonolithicSnobbishBoringToo alien

Multiculturalism in France

Rue du Faubourg St Denis, Paris. Photo: Déjà Rue

Multiculturalism in French News

Nicolas Sarkozy, President 2007-2012, fourth Jewish president

39% reported being either immigrants, children or grandchildren of immigrants in 2008, 2.5% of sub-Saharan African ancestry (Genier et al., 2011)

Anne Hidalgo and Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet. Photo: Miguel

Medina, AFP

France’s Multicultural Empire

BelgiumSwitzerlandQuebecHaitiAlgeriaEgyptMaliCongoVietnamCambodia

Members of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie

Multiculturalism in French History

Let me assure you without exaggeration that the number who speak [French] purely do not exceed three million [20%]” (Grégoire, 1794)

Henri Grégoire, painter unknown

Multiculturalism in Ancient History

GreeksGaulsRomansFranksGothsBurgundiansAlansNormansBretonsAlamanniAncient Greek port of Masilia

Photo: Wikipedia

Multiculturalism in French Literature

Alexandre Dumas, 1855 (Photo: Nadar) Emile Zola, 1902 (Self portrait)

Multiculturalism in French sports

Tony Parker (Johnson, Wikipedia) Zinedine Zidane (Ruddell, Wikipedia)

Multiculturalism in French music

Mokobé (Africahit)

Diam’s (Gala.fr)

Exploring Multicultural France

History including immigrationGeography

Regions of France Other countries/territories with French culture

Videos including hip-hopWeekly news summariesBook report

Written in French, or About an aspect of French language and Culture

Presentation

The takeaway

All nations are multiculturalShow enough difference for students to learnShow enough similarity for students to relate