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