French-American Heritage Month

What do Warren Buffet, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Brett Favre and Davy Crockett have in common? They are all Americans with French ancestry. There are roughly 13 million Americans with French heritage living in the U.S. today. 1.5 million of those 13 million speak fluent French.

Written by Crystall Thomas, Regional HR Manager (Olympic Steel – Corporate)

Every July, we celebrate French American Heritage Month. From supporting our War of Independence from England and becoming our country’s first official ally to major contributions in art, culture and science, France’s support in shaping United States history has been vast. French Americans have played key roles in many aspects of America’s growth to prominence and prosperity.

Honorer le passé (honoring the past):

• 1776 – America’s first ambassador, Benjamin Franklin, arrived in France securing French recognition of American independence in 1778.
• 1777 – The Marquis de Lafayette traveled to the American colonies to aid in the Revolution. He secured numerous military victories and aid from France that ensured an American victory. 
• 1802 – The DuPont company came to America as a result of the Revolution and religious persecution in France. Settling in Washington, Delaware, DuPont later became the largest gunpowder supplier for the U.S. military.
• 1838 – Octave Chanute, “Father of Flight,” and adviser to the Wright brothers, came to American from France and served as an adviser to many different aviation pioneers. The Wright brothers’ famous gliders were based on Chanute’s designs.
• 1886 – The Statue of Liberty was gifted to the United States from France. A replica still stands in Paris today.
• 1919 – Philanthropist, Anne Morgan, and physician, Anne Murray Dike, were given the Blerancourt estate to serve as an official rehabilitation home for wounded soldiers during WWI after moving to France to fundraise for humanitarian aid. 
• 1920 – The “Lost Generation” made a home in Gertrude Stein’s Parisian salons. The Stein siblings and Alice Toklas created the first museum of modern art, housing collections of Cezanne oils and watercolors, early pictures by Matisse and Picasso, and paintings by Renoir, Manet, Gauguin, and Toulouse-Lautrec.
• 1951 – Former WWII OSS Officer Julia Child, Simone Beck, and Louisette Berholle started to teach American women how to cook in Child’s Paris kitchen. The school, “L’ecole des trois gourmands,” led to the publication of Mastering the Art of French Cooking in 1961 in the U.S. 

Célébrer le present (celebrate the present):

• July 14 – Bastille Day, France’s Independence Day! 

France is one of the most visited destinations in the world by international tourists, and the Tour de France is one of the most watched sporting events in the world (12-15 million in-person spectators and as many as three billion watching on TV).

Many French culinary dishes are popular in American today, as well. For example: Crepes, Souffles, Escargot, Tarte Tatin, Boeuf Bourguignon, and of course Quiche!

Profitez de mes amis (enjoy, my friends)!