Anti-Americanism in France - Cultural Myth or Traveler's Reality?
It is indisputable that France has a lengthy tradition of anti-American sentiment
among left-leaning political, academic and media elites. It is equally indisputable
that America has a lengthy tradition of anti-American sentiment among left-leaning
political, academic and media elites. An accurate measure of French anti-American
sentiment cannot be assessed on the basis of the disproportionately loud voices of
a perpetually angry minority, but must be based on the opinions of ordinary citizens.
The "French position" on the Iraq War is often presented as evidence of French
anti-American sentiment, yet one in four French citizens were solidly in favor of an
American-led invasion of Iraq. Given the disagreement between Americans on this
subject, this statistic is hardly evidence of anti-Americanism.
Moreover, any French anti-Americanism that does exist must be placed in context. The
French despise everyone. The British, the Germans, even the obscure and irrelevant
Belgians. In fact, a mild contempt for foreigners is required by law. The French are
not particularly fond of one another, either, although this is not legally mandated.
In such a setting, anti-Americanism is hardly noticeable.
On a more serious note, a nation that truly despised America would not embrace
Hollywood, hamburgers and Homer Simpson. The French cannot seem to get enough of
American culture. One of the most popular non-fiction authors in France is the
openly pro-American Parisian Jean-Francois Revel. American films regularly take
top honors at the Cannes Film Festival. The most popular television programs are
imported from the US. French department stores are well-stocked with American
products. The list goes on.
While opinion polls may indicate that a majority of French citizens sometimes
disagree with a specific American policy, such as regime change in Iraq, they also
consistently suggest that only about 10% regard Americans with any degree of disdain.
Public opinion surveys suggest that a similar percentage of Americans perceive their
own countrymen in such a negative manner. It is at least possible that
anti-Americanism is more common in San Francisco or Seattle than it is in France.
Although a typical citizen of France may possess an unflattering image of his or
her American counterpart, stereotypes of this nature are a product of ignorance,
not hatred. Too often, the French— if not the European— view of America is
narrowly delimited by tasteless imported television programming, such as The
Jerry Springer Show, or isolated statistics, such as obesity rates or
firearm-related homicides. This external view of America is distorted by an absence
of context within which to interpret "observations" of this nature. Europeans may
be guilty of the thoughtless extrapolation of the behavior of Al and Peg Bundy to
all Americans, but very few regard us as the enemy.
In all fairness, Americans are equally guilty of portraying the French with
oversimplified, and sometimes demeaning, caricatures. Whatever the degree of
anti-American sentiment in France, I suspect that it is easily rivaled by the degree
of anti-French sentiment in America.
Perhaps the greatest misunderstandings that confront the American visitor to France
involve language. The proud and arrogant Frenchman that stubbornly refuses to speak
English is a myth. A mastery of English is generally limited to the more educated
citizens of France. There are literally third-world countries in which a greater
percentage of the population are fluent in English. A "refusal" to speak English is
not a sign of anti-Americanism.
Ideological differences, often a source of French-American contention, are an
inevitable consequence of unique national experiences. For example, many Europeans
are uncomfortable with excessive patriotism because it bears an ominous resemblance
to nationalism, which was the primary cause of the 20th century wars that
devastated Europe. An apprehension of openly religious political leaders, such as
President Bush, may be a legacy of the destructive wars of religion that plagued
Europe for centuries. The unpopularity of capital punishment among European
politicians may reflect its excessive abuse during countless revolutions, religious
inquisitions, and genocidal exterminations. American history is not marred by these
inhumane excesses.
The French neither love nor hate Americans. But it would be incorrect to assume that
they are indifferent to us. They are threatened by the growing economic power and
cultural influence of America, just as they were threatened by the growing might of
the British Empire during the late 19th century. They recall a time when
France was threatened by no one. The French are also disturbed by the global
dominance of the English language, which originated in Britain, but was given force
and vitality by 20th century America. They remember a time when French
was the language of the global community. In short, the French see America and are
reminded of France as it used to be.
Socially, the French are neither the warmest nor the coldest people you are likely
to meet. American visitors may find that the climate of reception varies somewhat
as they drift about the country. Regions that have directly benefitted from either
the presence of American troops or the distribution of American funds for post-WWII
reconstruction, will feel the warmest. Large metropolitan areas, such as Paris and
Marseilles, will seem cooler, but not bitterly cold. Regardless of geography, those
employed in the tourist industry will be the most cordial. In addition to possessing
a financial stake in maintaining positive French-American relations, tourism
representatives interact with American visitors on a daily basis and have learned
that we can be quite likeable.
When visiting France in the past, we have never concealed our nationality nor, when
asked, our opinions. Despite this, we have not experienced any hostility or even a
single uncomfortable moment (not counting incidents involving mimes, of course).
We have found that most Europeans, including the French, are curious about
Americans and will welcome an opportunity to move beyond the stereotypes.
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