Thursday, February 20, 2014

Elsewhere

Is this meta enough for you? I wrote a dissertation largely about discussions of intermarriage in 19th century French-Jewish newspapers. And now I've written about intermarriage in 19th century France in an American-Jewish newspaper. Go read it!

Posted by Phoebe Maltz Bovy at Thursday, February 20, 2014

Labels: , ,

3 comments:

Londoner said...

Seeing as you're a Francophile, I was wondering if you could help with a question that keeps going through my mind.

When Anglosphere Francophiles visit France, what are their opinions on the, ah, rapidly changing demographics?

I think you'll agree that Francophiles, at least American ones, tend to lean rather heavily towards the liberal end of the spectrum. But I also know that when these types think of France and the French, their minds are more likely to conjure up images of the Nouvelle Vague, Belle Epoque and the Ancien Regime, rather than of the New Parisiennes.

I'm especially thinking of the ones visiting for the first time. Thanks to film directors and photographers herding undesirables out of frame, they may not have realized there's been a drastic change.

I can only imagine that much cognitive dissonance ensues.

Sunday, February 23, 2014 1:05:00 PM
Phoebe Maltz Bovy said...

If what you're asking is, is there any hypocrisy from ostensibly anti-racist liberals who go to Europe expecting "authenticity" by which they mean uniform whiteness, the answer is yes, I think there probably is. But it's not new that there are French people not of ethnically French origin - France has been a country of immigration for ages, and at times more of one than the U.S.

Sunday, February 23, 2014 2:35:00 PM
Londoner said...

France has been a country of immigration for ages

True, but more recent waves of immigration are more likely to break the spell of "authenticity" than historical ones. Not to mention that a smattering of Jazz Age international sophisticates is one thing, but full-blown, accelerating multiculturalism is quite another.

yes, I think there probably is

But is it actually vocalized? That's what I'm curious about.

Sunday, February 23, 2014 3:13:00 PM

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)