"Proud to be a European?"

In my stay abroad there are several things I have noticed about the racial identity as a European. The first major thing to notice: being a European means identifies nothing about your looks, mannerisms, or language. Well I mean it doesn't mean one thing at least. I guess the same can be said about Americans however, in the sense of language there is a universal one, but back at home I have plenty of friends whose parents have migrated from Mexico and they are legal citizens and have poor to little English. I guess to fully answer the question, I do not think a strong European identity exists. While I was in Dublin this past weekend, I stayed in an extremely international hostel. I met a German girl, a British boy, a group of Italians along with some French kids who were on their Erasmus in Granada. It was quite a mix. We also met one other American who was from Chicago. We met him first and right when we met we had that instant connection, it was like oh there is another american here, we got to know him and hung out for the rest of the trip. For the Europeans, this was not the case. There was another group of French people staying in the hostel who were from Normandy just on a vacation. The Normans and the french students on Erasmus were hanging out and talking. My guess was their connection was primarily based on language. Lucky for us, we speak French and could hang out with them also. However it was interesting to see the other groups mingle about the hostel and gradually start talking and integrating; it was definitely not as instant as it had been for the other American, Max, and I to click. Now this may have been because Max and I just got along as friends or as the British guy, Felix, would say : "We got on quite nice" but personally I think it was that initial American connection that brought us together. I cannot say the same for the Europeans. The identities had a clear split between the Italian, the French, the Germans etc. While we were talking to the Italians, they were actually making fun of the French a lot. They had the smelly, berret-sporting stereotype in their head. To hear them speak like that just reinforced my ideals of the clear racism in Europe. It is regarded as humorous more than offensive. I think it has a lot to do with having so much history in the formation of their nations, and being so close to each other. The definitions and distinctions become more and more similar the closer and more similar you are. For example, all Europeans treat the daily espresso and cigarette as a ritual. That is a generalization because not all Europeans smoke, but that is a general statement about the overwhelming cafe scene in Europe. Italy, Spain, and France are the most like that in my mind. Yet each one I'm sure has tiny individual differences. The best part of the EU, and I'm sure that almost anyone can agree with me, is the Euro. Switching to the Euro, at this point is the best representation of the future of Europe. The money has a ton of historical figures for each country to represent the differences, yet they have come together to better their economic positions and form a mightier future. I don't think a European identity will ever quite be the same as an American identity. But hey I mean I am a Californian first in my mind, so maybe America's identity isn't as strong as we think it is either. (But then again it is California, who wouldn't want to have that association first and foremost ;) )

National and regional identity

For the French, or the Parisians more specifically, being a Parisian, means more to them than indentifying themselves as French. The regional nationality is not just about identifying yourself, or the specific specialties of your region, it is a state of mind. Currently I am at a friend's house in the regional location of Alsace. In Alsace the region is popluar for their farming and their long history with being fought over by both France and Germany. The people in Alsace are extremely different than the people in Paris. The way they eat, speak, and address guests is very different than the hustle of busy metropolitian Paris life. The specialties of the national regions such as cheese, wines and dishes help to build a particular repetoire for each area. The specialties can be nationally recognized and must be recognized by the government in order to be grown or claimed to be from that area. I hope to go to more regions in France and contiune to notice the differences between the regions, because it is very important for the French to have an identity more specific to the actual region that they come from. It is similar in the United States when considering the federal regions, or the individual states. Now that I am outside the states, I refer to myself as being from the states, and do not specify California, but when I am in the states, I refer to myself as a Californian, or even go further to say that I am from Los Angeles. I think I do this and that the French have their regional identies first in their mind because home is not a country, home is a place, a specific place, that has specific meaning to your identidy, such as what that region is known for or what that region produces. Whenever I tell anyone that I am from LA they automatically assume that I constantly am seeing celebrites or that it is common to just see Brad Pitt walking around. Regions make the ties to our home feel more intimate.

I like the way you move.

Here in Paris, it isn't just about the things you say or the way you say it, Parisians like to have emphasis behind their words and that can be seen through gestures. Watching people sit and talk in cafes is a perfect example of observing the french and their use of hand gestures to emphasize their meaning. I have noticed that people like to wave their hands in a motion seeming to reference that the action was ongoing, or that they are continuing on to another subject. It is almost a hand roll. People in cafes also always look very intrigued and immersed in conversation. You can read the tone of the conversation on their face, a furrowed brow to express confusion or contempt, pouted lips to express doubt, or even a rare parisian smile, to indicate that they are truly happy. Although reading speaking gestures can be intriguing and informative, I prefer to watch the Parisians as they walk. There is a walking path surrounded by flowers right by my house. I frequently jog or walk along the path, and when I do I love to watch the others as they pass me by. On sunny days, the promenade is full of people, young, old, you name it.  This promenade is like a small haven above the city streets, where everyone is walking quickly with and agenda. On the promenade, everyone walks slowly, soaking in the glorious leisure time away from the normal life of the busy city.  My favorite people to watch are the older couples as they stroll in the brilliant sunshine. They walk arm in arm in coats and hats.  The older couples walk very slowly (obviously) but they seem to stroll as if time is of no importance to them.  They speak to each other softly, and make small hand gestures, pointing to newly bloomed flowers.  The majority of people in France walk with very rigid posture, walking with their backs straight, and on the street people seem to march. They walk quickly and don't seem to really be looking at anything, just a blank stare forward. The men are the most different from American standards. In America men who walk in a feminine manner or hold their hands with limp wrists are regarded as gay, or womanly. In France, it is normal to see men speaking to each other very closely, or even to kiss each other's cheeks as they are saying goodbye. Hand holding in Paris is much less common than it is in the US among couples. I see many more couples arm in arm, than holding hands. If I wanted to blend in more, I would need to work on my posture and my overall body tension. In my mind, to perfect my posture I just think of a ballerina, graceful and effortless posture, with incredible intricacy and delicate body movements; with brutal discipline, and no leaning on things! I also use lots of hand motions already when I speak, so in that department I am somewhat French. While walking, I feel like I have already gained more of a Parisian stride just from being here.  My pace has quickened, and I try not to dilly dally and look like I am a tourist. I don't mind being a tourist, but it is really fun to play pretend that I am french too. 

Diversité dans la ville

Paris, just like any other huge city, with a massive population density, is a cultural hub of numerous ethnic identities.  It is apparent when you go into different neighborhoods and see signs for pizza, chinese food, and McDonalds all on the same street. In American, this is the norm, so for us it is not a big change. What is more different for us is to see the cafes and the small individual boulangeries that have been there for centuries. I think the most obvious place for viewing diversity among Paris inhabitants is on the metro. The metro not only has those from culturally different back rounds, but those from socioeconomic back rounds. There may be a woman in a fur coat on sitting to your right and a beggar bumming for your change standing beside you. Paris is in it's core, a city. Yes it is the capital and monument of French culture, cuisine, and state, but it is also so much more than that. If you go to smaller towns outside of Paris, you are much less likely to see such diversity as you would in such a major city.  Even the tourists are extremely diverse!
I want to first speak of my real first Francophone experience, which is interesting, because it happened somewhere far from Paris. My first experience with French was when I was traveling in Morocco. The north african countries of Morocco and Algeria, among various others were once home to French imperialists. The French stayed in the region until 1941, and left a massive footprint in the culture that exists in those countries today. While in Morocco I went to two different cities, first Casablanca and second, Marrakech. Casablanca wasn't much to see, and we were only there for a night, so I am going to skip straight ahead to Marrakech. The culture down there is primarily what the French would call Maghreb, but it is very interesting to see the bits of Francophone that have remained since they gained independence. First and foremost, is the language, which is of course, French. When we first arrived at our hostel, the man at the dest spoke to us in French. After he realized that we understood very little, he switched over to English. After getting to him, we learned that he spoke 4 languages: French, Arabic, Berber, and English. Berber is similar to Arabic, but is specific to that region of Morocco. He also told us that he had never been outside of Morocco, which I thought was very interesting to think about, especially as I was about to begin my traveling adventures in another country. The two attendants of our hostel were both very nice (the other spoke 4 languages as well). The would make us a traditional Moroccan breakfast in the morning which consisted of bread, butter, apricot jam, coffee, orange juice and a crepe. I thought the fact that they had crepes down there was very interesting. At night they would serve us menthe tea, which was absolutely delicious. When we would go out in the village in the day it was very clear that we were far from France, but if you look at the signs or listened to people talking it was clear that a French presence existed. The cafe culture of France was also visible down in Morocco. Coffee was very popular. The restaurants, although traditionally Moroccan had a patio like style set up which I frequently see here in Paris, especially in the Montemarte area. Two girls staying at our hostel were from Quebec, which is another area of French imperialism. I spoke to them briefly in French, but my level at the time was inadequate for conversation. I just thought it was very interesting to see this run off culture of France mixed together in a place that couldn't be further from Paris. As we were leaving Marrakech, we stopped in a garden on our way out, I didn't notice it at the time, but looking back, I can see the similarities in hindsight. The garden had all the typical french elements of symmetry, rectangular shape, and pristine care for the lawn. This experience was absolutely invaluable to have before having been to Paris. A week later, when I got here, it was impossible for me not to notice the North African presence in Paris. Couscous is probably the first thing I noticed. It is very popular here, in restaurants and in grocery stores. There is also a large Muslim population in Paris, which I am sure comes from Maghreb.
Another cultural area of Paris is the Jewish population that lives in Le Marais. The schools, temples, bakeries, deli's, and restaurants are all a reflection of the Jewish population that reside in that quarter. I personally feel like this kind of diversity is what defines a big city. French persuasion is dominant in architecture, history, and culture, but those cultures have been mixed together to form something greater. My closest comparison to Paris would be New York. Having been to both, I feel that New York embodies the same type of cultural diversity and ethnic mixture. I think that the Americans have less visibility of culture differences that have blended together to make these large cities because we are more accustomed to it from being such a boiling pot of cultures from the very roots of our culture.