The picture above hints at the reality of a vibrant Haitian community in the East Flatbush region of Brooklyn: it is one of music, dance, and overall cultural solidarity.

The solidarity extends to those who are not of Haitian descent, evident through the diversity of the students of La Difference Auto School (turned dance school by night), which aims to spread the Haitian culture through drum and dance classes.

In an interview with the New York Times, one of the dancers emphasized that, “people were interested in the folklore, but didn’t know where to find it… It seemed like a good idea to bring it (Haitian dance) to the community.”

Drum and dance is certainly not the only thing spilling from Rogers Avenue. According to the latest Census, out of the 1.2 million living in the United States, New York has the largest concentration of Haitian-Americans with approximately 150,000 permanently residing in New York City, particularly in Brooklyn where there are approximately 90,000. This number continues to grow exponentially because of the emphasis on the reformation of immigration laws towards the Haitian population. Needless to say, they certainly help to shape the cultural dynamics of what constitutes one of the most vibrant and diverse boroughs of the City.

For the many Haitian-American children living in Brooklyn, the Hatian Academy in East Flatbush, is specifically tailored to cater to the linguistic and cultural needs of its students. Other schools, like PS 269 also emphasize the education and in some cases, refuge of Haitian children: after the Earthquake, the school took in almost 800 new students from Haiti, establishing language programs to aid in their development.

Encouraged by the Haiti Cultural Exchange, the Brooklyn Museum has been hosting free Haitian art and entertainment since 2010. This yearly festival, which usually takes place during the first weekend of August, includes numerous dance performances, historical discussions, as well as encouraging restoration efforts through cultural initiatives.

The ethnic visibility of the Haitian community certainly extends beyond specific festivals and underground dance schools: along Flatbush, Church, and Nostrand Avenues, the entrepreneurship is evident through the establishment of many Haitian restaurants, bars, bakeries, coffee shops, and other businesses that decorate the neighborhood in Creole, French, and American signs and with a presence of ‘amitié and solidarité’ with the rest of the community.

The rich diversity of New York City does not only exist in Manhattan: in fact, this multiethnic, multidimensional mosaic extends to all five boroughs, including Queens, which boasts of being one of the most ethnically diverse urban areas in the world. In the spotlight, is the Algerian population that resides in Queens, which among the vast number of other diverse groups, calls New York City home.

Famed for the setting of Albert Camus’ The Stranger, its beautiful Mediterranean waters, and an abundance of natural resources, Algeria itself is home to a large range of ethnic and cultural variety: although the vast majority of the population is Muslim, a large number of Jews and Christians are also native to this North African country where waves of historical integration has shaped this Arabic nation into one of many ethnic dimensions.

As of the 1990 US Census, approximately 3,215 Algerians resided in the United States, and that number is certainly estimated to have increased, particularly as a result of the perceived increasing toleration of different cultures in the country and where Algerian-Americans usually emigrate to, including New York City, Miami, Washington, and Los Angeles. It is speculated that “mass migrations” of Algerians did not occur sooner than the 1960s because Muslim Algerians feared that they would not be able to maintain their traditions in the country.

Certainly, a lot has changed since this notion dominated, and there is certainly a home for Algerians here in Queens, particularly in Astoria. Being of utmost importance for Algerians in America, many Algerian-Americans are among the highly educated population, often holding distinguished degrees or working as academics.

Although many of the women no longer where the hibjab, their traditional head scarf, marriages are not arranged as frequently, and overall assimilation into the American culture is prominent, most American-Algerians certainly still uphold many of their customs: in keeping with ‘ Umma’, the Arabic word for ‘community’, many Algerians seek to emphasize the cultural unison of Arabs across borders and nationalities.

The upholding of Algerian cultural traditions like their labor day on May 1st is made possible by the proximity of traditional Algerian establishments, as well as cultural and religious centers in Queens. It is during days like these that one can hear Raï dominating the streets, the northwestern Algerian musical style, which originated in the 1970s and spread drastically throughout the world thereafter.

To get a ‘taste’ of Algerian culture and try the cuisine, like the traditional chicken disk, Tagine, or the lamb dish L’Ham El Hloul, head over to Café Borbone in Astoria, Queens or Harissa Café in the East Village in Manhattan.

Traditional meat and fish dishes, soccer, industrious film-making, and Tam Tam music are all things that categorize the cultural richness of the Senegalese population, but you don’t have to go all the way to Senegal in order to experience this culture: according to surveys conducted in 2008, there are approximately 12,000 Senegalese-Americans in the United States. Originally coming to the nation as a product of the slave trade the first wave of Senegalese emigrants settled in the southern states of the Carolinas, Georgia, and Louisiana; afterwards, a voluntary emigration to the United States during the 20^th Century primarily led the Senegalese population to establish themselves in New York City.

Today, there are approximately 7,000 Senegalese living in New York City, primarily living along 116^th Street between St. Nicholas and 8^th Avenues, in the neighborhood that is called Little Senegal or Le Petit Sénégal by the francophone population.

Although many have assimilated into the American culture, a strong linguistic tie to their native language, Wolof, helps to strengthen the population’s cultural connections to Senegal; this is primarily evident as one strolls through the streets between Lenox/Malcolm X Avenue on the east and Fredrick Douglas Avenue to the west and one notices the numerous Senegalese stores, restaurants, and cafes that are represented in the area, advertised in English, French, and oftentimes, Walof. It is not uncommon to see Arabic as well, as much of the population is Muslim, most practicing at the local mosques like the one located on  137^th Street.

Some of the attributes that classify Senegalese Americans living in New York City is their business minded attitude, which is why Ibrahima Diafoune, the president of the Senegalese Association, claims, “that’s why they call it Little Senegal, not Little Mali or Little Guinea.”

For more information on the Senegalese-American population living in New York City, the Association des Senegalaise D’Amerique is a great place to learn about upcoming events around the neighborhood, including English classes, counseling services, and encouraging the production of the Annual African Parade in August, which aims to unite all Africans in the New York City area.

In addition to the cultural center, one can get in touch with the Senegalese tradition through numerous radio broadcasts like Voices of America, or through Senegalese newsletters throughout the City, mostly located in various restaurants and business establishments like Keur Sokhna Restaurant, where in addition satisfying an appetite for food, one can satisfy the appetite to explore another culture in the vibrant cultural mosaic that is New York City.

Continuously making headlines over the past few weeks, Mali, the francophone West African country, doesn’t seem that far away when we think of the Malian population that exists within the borders of the United States.

As a nation of immigrants, it comes as no surprise that we have our very own Malian community. According to the latest Census, there are approximately 8000 Malian Americans, most immigrating to the United States in the 1970s to the mid-1990s.In search for economic progression and educational improvement, as a result of the coup on education in the 90s, they primarily settled in New York City, Washington DC, Atlanta, Chicago, and Baltimore.

According to the New York Times in 2007, “… precious few attain achieve citizenship: About 85 Malians a year, and as few as 19, since 1996. Only a handful have been granted asylum, typically women seeking refuge from genital cutting, which is widespread in West Africa.”

The largest Malian American population is in New York City, consisting of about 20,000 people, mostly in the Bronx where approximately 8,000 reside.

Aside from their love for bouille (a traditional pudding) or their passion for Mande music, above all else, what truly distinguishes a Malian household is the sighting of the national Malian Flag (often next to the American flag), a symbolic representation of the pan-African unity movement, green to symbolize hope,gold to honor represent Mali’s significant natural resource, and red to honor the blood shed against colonization.

You may have interacted with the Malian community without even knowing it: you may have worshiped with them (the majority of the population is Muslim). You may have eaten their food, or you may have seen the Malian community celebrating on September 22, the Malian Independence Day. Many of this is encouraged by the Malian Cultural Center, which aims to promote the education and smooth transition of Malians into the American society. They also provide opportunities to further their French educational ties,for example, through the French Heritage Language Program in cooperation with the French American Cultural Exchange organization.

The opportunities for Malians in the United States is increasing with the (slow but continuous) presence of the population in the American society; after all, it renders yet another opportunity for cultural expansion within the nation, and what better place to do it other than in New York City?

Considering the benefits of a bilingual life, see ''Living with Two Languages: The Advantages of Being Bilingual', it is becoming increasingly important to have education systems that are focused on multilingual programs.

For many affluent urban areas, this is a reality, evident through the number of dual language programs that are offered and the extent of the language programs spanning across multiple fields of study, including math and science. 

An example of the increasing need and desire for these education programs is the grand opening of the French American Academy in Jersey City, New Jersey this October. 

Due to the enthusiasm of a group of French parents and those simply wishing to enhance their children's education through a Francophone program, Celine Monthieu and her colleagues were able to gain enough support for the opening of an after school program this fall;  the plan is to expand to a full school program the next year. 

Celine addresses the parents with great excitement, 'we are looking forward to seeing you and your little ones at the French Academy for the coming Fall and we are working hard to ensure a perfect nurturing environment for our students.'

-Wishing the Academy much success in its endeavors! 

For more information on the program, including enrollment information, please contact Celine Monthieu: Cmonthieu@thefrenchabc.com

Thanks to New York in French, I, like 2000 other members got free tickets to the French soccer Super Cup, the 2012 Trophée des Champions, which came to the Red Bull Arena for the first time ever in the United States this past Saturday, July 28th.

The game, pitting Montpellier Hérault SC and Olympique Lyonnais was the annual kickoff to the French soccer season. Although it was the fourth consecutive year that the match was held outside of France, it was the first time that the match was played in a country that is not French speaking. 


Not only was the game my first soccer match, but it was also the first time that I had experienced such an animated crowd at a sports event: by the French chants and cheers, one could imagine himself actually seeing the game in France. Even those who were not French and those who did not even speak French were enthusiastically watching the game, including myself, who although never played or actively watched any sport in her life, decided to root for both teams, particularly after Montpellier scored the first goal of the game and I felt badly for Lyon - To my satisfaction and excitement, Lyon quickly tied the game right before halftime, leaving the crowd with enough anticipation to hardly move from their seats.

If I knew more about the sport, I could probably go more into specifics about how the rest of the game played out; however, instead of pretending like I am a sports journalist, I am going to tell you what I think happened afterwards: both teams desperately tried to break the tie before the official end of the game, and by not doing so, left the outcome in the hands of the goalies, who would prevent the players from the opposing team from scoring penalty shots and winning the game. This is something that Lyon did well, winning the game with a final score of 2-2, defined on those penalty shots, 2-4.

For me and perhaps for many others, this was the highlight of the game, creating a suspenseful end to the match and a wonderfully entertaining two hours. Thanks again, New York in French!   

Although there is still one screening left in September, the Films on the Green Festival, sponsored by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the New York City Parks Department, which screens free French films throughout various parks in New York City, officially ended its fifth season last Friday, July 13^th, 2012.

After going to every free screening Festival, it is a part of my summer that I am going to miss dearly. Needless to say, after immersing myself in French cinema over these past few months, there is definitely something I can attest to: whether they be comedies or thrillers, musicals or animated, French films are definitely more real than most American films I have seen, and the thriller film, Tell No One directed by Guillaume Canet is no exception.

I want this to be a “spoil-free” blog post, so I won’t go into detail to describe this part and that part of the film was; the film is distributed in the United States and is available on Netflix, so you can and certainly should watch it, especially if you are into thrillers or are simply in need of some amazing acting. I am definitely not a professional film critic, but I don’t believe that it takes one to feel the ‘realness’ of the film.

Pretty much, the protagonist, Alexandre Beck (Francois Cluzet), whose childhood love and then wife is killed during their vacation at their lake house, is still struggling to recover from his loss eight years later. His struggle is furthered by his seemingly apathetic and uncooperative nature with the police who consider(ed) him a primary suspect of the murder and by an unexpected email with a video of a woman who he believes to be his wife: is this a joke, or is she still alive?

One of the most amazing scenes of the film is a police chase, during which you see the sweat underneath Alexandre’s armpits and on his back, as he attempts to dodge hundreds of cars between the renowned Périphérique highway. You also see him attempt to cross the highway and be detained because of another vehicle that suprised him, quickly approaching. – What would happen in ‘real life’. Another action film might have shown Alexandre’s hair perfectly styled, as he miraculously crosses the highway in one try without a single drop of sweat.

I, who usually tend to dislike thrillers and action films, definitely changed my biased opinion on all action films! And it wasn’t only because of the love story intertwined among all of the action; it was mostly about the vicarious experience of forgetting where I was, ignoring the gender differences, and actually being one with the protagonist and his struggle.

Trailer For "Tell No One"

Films on the Green Page

It did not take a French speaker for an individual to know that what he was experiencing down 60^th Street this past Sunday, July 15th was a French celebration: the faint smell of lavande (lavender), the numerous opportunities to savor French cuisine, and the various macaroon stands spoke for themselves. In celebration of Bastille Day, the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) hosted its annual Bastille Day Street Fair.

Depending on which end of the street you entered on, (the Fifth Avenue entrance), you were greeted with a lovely French gift bag, which you could stuff with various goodies along your way, including free maps of Paris, magazines, and coupons to various places in France. You could have also used your bag for your purchases of traditional French products, including soaps from Provence, pastries, and packaged goods directly imported from various regions of the country. Although I didn’t win either, I certainly tried my luck to win a basket of French soap and even entered to win a roundtrip ticket to Paris for two.

Among the street vendors there were also artists, including face painters and balloon exhibitionists. FIAF certainly encouraged the artistic atmosphere by hosting a free photo booth with the background, “La Vie en Rose”, which dozens of people lined up for at a time, preparing their poses while they waited.  FIAF also promoted the learning of the language by creating a stand where children could learn French by playing games and doing arts and crafts. 

The Bastille Day festivities certainly did not end in Manhattan. In fact, Brooklyn celebrated simultaneously with a street fair hosted by Bar Tabac with a 10^th Annual Bastille Day Extravaganza on Smith Street, where hundreds came out of their apartments in the afternoon to join the pétanque - playing, accordion-dancing, and Ricard drinking crowd.  It was definitely a cozy environment, which a local emphasized, “it makes me feel like I am in France without even leaving my front step”, which is certainly true for the many spectators whose stair case served as their seats for the Pétanque tournament.

As with many other national and international holidays, it took a lot of bloodshed to be able to celebrate such a day over 200 years later with fairs and festivals; therefore, special tribute is paid to the many who gave their lives on Bastille Day and to those who came out around the world to honor them. 

What better way to end a work day than with some Ricard, the company of family and friends, and a boat ride along the Hudson River? – Well, this was just the idea for the many individuals who boarded the Harbor Lights Yacht on Monday, June 25, 2012.

The evening, which was organized as a ‘French Culture Night’, was certainly more than French drinks and cuisine; in fact, the triple decker yacht offered the attendees an entire floor filled with the modern artistic creations of Pierre-Henri Guerard, a self-taught sculptor and painter. In addition, the yacht’s two open areas graced everyone with the City’s magnificent skyline, which had cleared up from the rain into a rainbow and then a beautifully setting sun.

The event was certainly not only for the French-speaking, evident through the diverse crowd, particularly the performers: Kristi Angel, the belly dancer hired for the evening, charmed the audience with magical moves that made one think he was back in Lebanon where her parents are from, while Sarina Suno certainly ‘lit up’ the dance floor with her illuminated electric violin, combining classical sounds with modern songs like Rihanna’s ‘We Found Love’.

The performers each made two appearances, captivating the audience during every single second of their performance, certainly making everyone lose track of time because by the time the boat had redocked at the New York Skyports Marina, everyone seemed to be looking at his watch and out of the windows to confirm that it was in fact over.

The look of the sand glistening on the ground on this past Sunday, June 24^th 2012, may have lead one to think that he or she was somewhere seaside, but in fact, it was just between Madison and Fifth Ave. on 74^th Street, where the Consulate General of France in New York decided to hold its annual Block Party, incorporating the traditional French game of Pétanque paired with fabulous rock music in the background.

As she passed by the block party that afternoon, I overheard a mother telling her child, “Honey, honey lets stick around; this is something very unusual”, and she was certainly representative of the many families around the area who were unfamiliar with this traditional French game until they happened to ‘stumble upon’ the event, perhaps on their weekly Sunday stroll or as they made their way to Central Park. Aside from an attempt at the game, individuals passing by that afternoon could also partake in traditional French cuisine or try their luck in a raffle to win two free roundtrip tickets to Paris. 

As an American, I had very little exposure to Pétanque, aside from an encounter with individuals playing the game at a beach once near Marseille. Quite frankly, before going to the event, the game seemed to me like a ‘stick-less’ game of pool, but it is definitely more intricate than that: the game, played among two teams with at least three individuals per team, each holding two ‘boules’, must use their individual attempts to get as close to a target, the jack, called ‘le cochonnet’.

After seeing a child with very apt ability and accuracy, I quickly realized that it is a game that does not discriminate against age, gender, or speed. In fact, the game, which originated from an old French bowl game, ‘La Boule Provençale’, has been very popular among wheelchair competitors as well- this certainly encouraged me to make my own attempts at the Provençale tradition. 

But it is certainly not only a southern French tradition; I was made aware that it is in fact a national tradition, as explained to me by Yogev Lavie, a private French instructor and translator for the Consulate General of France in New York: “I first experienced the game in Normandy (in the North of France) while on vacation with friends. My second encounter was when I was living in Paris a few years ago. I would see all the retired men living in Paris congregating to play the game behind my building.”

After just a few hours, I went from spectator to practitioner, partaking in an ancient tradition that unites people across borders, genders, and nationalities for a simple game of ‘fun in the sun’.