This is the conversation I had with my younger Frenchling (French/American daughter) last night after she opened her bank statment. She has a little account with our French bank that we opened to give her pocket money:
Frenchling: Mom, what do I do with this? (bank statement)
Me: Give to me. We have to keep copies.
Frenchling: Why?
Me: Because we have to report it to the U.S. government.
Frenchling: Why?
Me: Because they will fine your Mom 10,000 USD if we don’t.
Frenchling: But it only has 200 Euros in it!
Me: I know but we still have to report it.
Frenchling: That’s stupid. Why do they make us do that?
Me: I don’t know, baby, but give it to me and I’ll file it.
Frenchling: When I grow up I’m going to live in Japan.
But she can’t escape there either! 🙂 Very cute. Thnx
I would love to see your bright daughter grow up and become President of the U.S. However, she will likely be banned by then because she speaks French. Mitt Romney is being attacked in Newt Gingrich ads for having the audacity to speak French (Gasp!) because Romney had the audacity to say “Bonjour. Je m’appelle Mitt Romney” in a promotion video for the St. Lake City Olympics. Never mind that French is one of two official languages of the Olympics and Romney was one of the organizers. Gingrich seems to believe all French must be banned on U.S. soil.
With politicians like that, how can we possibly hope to make them respect us when we actually voluntarily left the “greatest nation in the world?!?”
Love it Victoria. And I love your name for your Gallic American children (you see, my compilation of noun and two adjectives falls on the ear like a brick by comparison to “frenchling”–so charming and elegant).
@Just Me – I just didn’t have the heart to explain the whole business to her. 🙂
@Blaze – Oh yes, the Frenchlings heard what Gingrich said and they thought it was quite hilarious. Quel connard! (what a complete ass!)
@Petros – not sure where I came up with that but it seemed appropriate and “Flophouse” too (a nice place where the door is always open, we set a good table and the talk is feisty but civil 🙂
@Victoria. Quel Connard could apply to the IRS–and they probably wouldn’t even know what we are saying!
Blaze, have you heard Romney’s accent when he speaks French ? 🙂 There’s an Olympic video on Youtube.
Terrible to hear what Gingrich said. Sadly, this is why I think they make it so hard to renounce. I really got this feeling the first time I went to the Consulate.
It’s good that she is aware of the realities Victoria. I hope you have told her that she will have to declare her own finances to the US even if she moves to Japan, simply because you are her mother. Gosh, I hate even saying that.. it sounds so bad.. but it is the truth.). It sounds like something akin to the caste system from India years ago, or serfdom in midieval Europe 🙁
It’s hard to believe it’s that way, but it is.
Hopefully, she’ll make the best decision for herself one day.
Well, geeeez, I haven’t done a full disclosure yet. As I said, the conversation was so depressing that I didn’t take it any further. In her case, there is time since she’s a minor but the elder Frenchling who is over 18 is another story. She, of course, has an account in Canada because she has to pay tuition and other school fees. So she and I are going to have to have a chat. Because what you said is the truth and you are absolutely right that both of them need to know so they can make their own decisions.
That I feel terrible about it is another issue….
@Blaze, Victoria, Geez
Times change, eh.
Jacqueline Kennedy was considered a political asset back in 1960. It was well known to the public that Mrs. Kennedy was fluently bilingual, had attended the Sorbonne, and was deeply interested in French culture and history. Far from being ridiculed, this was seen as a sign of cosmopolitan sophistication.
I suspect that if 50 years ago Mitt Romney had welcomed an international group with a few words of French (or any other language), it would have been seen as a courteous gesture, certainly not the source of an attack ad.
@pacifica777
Times have indeed changed.
I’ve wondered if some of this is a reflection of people’s insecurity about globalization. People who know other languages and cultures can “play”. People who don’t, can’t (or have a much harder time). I think Friedman is fundamentally right that countries have to do a better job of preparing everyone for a global world. If we don’t do this the people who feel “left out” will deeply resent and fight those who are prepared to the detriment of us all.