Immigrants and expatriates in Paris


Americans in Paris


“Troughout much of the twentieth century, Paris was widely viewed as the cultural capital of the western world. As such, it exercised a magnetic attraction upon several generations of artists and intellectuals, large numbers of whom migrated to the French capital from all over the world. Te number of English-speaking expatriates was especially impressive. … Tey were commonly self- exiles, who chose to leave a homeland they considered artistically, intellectually, politically, racially, or sexually limiting or even oppressive. Tey were drawn to Paris by the reputed vitality of its artistic and intellectual scene, by its apparent tolerance for innovation and experimentation, by the high respect accorded the artist by Parisians of all classes, and by the accompanying level of freedom allowed the individual in his or her search for identity and artistic voice.” Geniuses Together: Literary Expatriates in Paris


Te first large wave of American emigration to Paris took place on the heels of World War I. It lasted for nearly two decades and included some of the most lauded writers of the 20th century: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein, to name a few. Te number of Americans residing in Paris diminished at the onset of World War II and, from the late 1930s to the late 1940s, the vibrant expatriate culture was temporarily stifled by the realities of war. However, it didn’t take long aſter the end of the war for Paris to regain its allure and by the early 1950s, Paris was once again a hub of American literary activity. Tis literary boom subsided in the 1960s and 1970s, as American culture began to be perceived as friendlier to artists and writers. Today, a small American literary community exists within Paris, but has mostly been replaced by American tourism.


Despite the romantic Paris, Americans history of Americans in are not always welcome visitors.


“In 2005, we asked people around the world about the kinds of characteristics they associate with the American people,


and we found a


somewhat mixed picture. On the positive side, we are widely seen as hard working and inventive. On the negative side, in most of the countries surveyed, fewer than half said Americans are honest, while majorities said we are greedy and violent. Significant numbers


also considered


Americans rude and immoral.” America’s Image in the World: Findings from the Pew Global Attitudes Project


Street Artists in Mont Martre Paris, France 13


Naturally, individual experiences and perceptions vary, but the early 21st century has brought increasingly depressed perceptions of Americans around the world. Approval of the US in France is particularly low, making a revival of American literary culture in Paris seem unlikely.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/72775875@N06/7729598190/


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