Whether the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States is the main reason or one of the influencing motives, it seems the common denominator between the decision of a number of frustrated Americans who chose to move to France and others, believing that the America they know has ended, and that the victory of a "racist and xenophobic" president changed the rules Game for them.
With such an introduction, the French newspaper Le Monde opened an article by Sandra Favier, in which it reviewed the opinions of a number of Americans who chose to live in France and elsewhere, dissatisfied with the Trump presidency and the resulting changes in the United States, according to her opinion.
The writer said that many opponents of Trump in the United States feel comfortable with the election of his successor, Joe Biden, but changing the president will not be sufficient - in their opinion - to turn this page in a deeply divided country, in which the rhetoric of violence has been relaxed, discrimination has spread, and armed clashes have increased.
And such transformations, which seem irreversible, have prompted some of these Americans to leave the United States and reside in France forever, although some of them had hoped to return after 4 years.
America is not what we love
This is Frank and her husband Tom, who made the decision to leave the United States as soon as the Republican president was elected in November 2016, because they were not satisfied with living in the shadow of Trump, and they say, "We have seen an America other than the one we love."
This couple sold their home and moved to Belgium, of which Frank holds her nationality, before settling permanently in Paris, where they bought a house. Frank says with regret, "The events on Capitol Hill showed that democracy is dead in the United States", and the election of Joe Biden will not be what will make them return. Because "the result of the presidential election is only a bandage, as Trump still enjoys a lot of support in the Republican camp, even after being indicted again. The president-elect is sitting on a volcano that could explode at any moment."
France as a haven
As for Renee, she did not leave the United States because of Trump - as the author says - but his presence contributed greatly to her decision not to return there, as she moved with another woman before the 2016 elections to an area near Montpellier for a professional purpose, but she seriously thought about giving up her US citizenship. During Trump's four years, she says, "If Trump had been re-elected, our decision might not have been the same," because she would request the French papers as soon as possible, as the author explains.
The writer commented that Rene was horrified by the rise of the person she considered "a fascist", and decided not to return to live in Los Angeles. "We know that France is not perfect, but equality between citizens is stipulated in the law, and this is an ideal that the state is striving to support." .
For her part, Yvonne says that the increase in discrimination that is already common, prompted by a "racist and xenophobic" president, has also pushed her to "take a break" in France, where she has been living in Lyon since 2014, when she came to help her husband's elderly French parents.
After being caught in the whirlwind of daily life, and aggravated by the rise of the person she considers "a fascist", she decided not to return to live in the United States, especially since she took the step to naturalize since 2004, explaining, "As a person of color, I am represented by the artists of the fifties who chose exile due to the social and political conditions of the country. And, like writer James Baldwin, France was my refuge. "
Feeling gushy
The author warns that Yvonne's father suffered from apartheid in the southern states of the United States, and therefore she says that "Trump did not invent racism, but" opened Pandora's box (evils) and made us go farther back, "adding that she talks about her daughter. I protect it from all this violence, from these weapons and the anger of the extreme right that we are witnessing there. "
The couple seeks - according to the writer - to sell their house in Los Angeles, but Yvonne says she feels uprooted, "I no longer know my country and I feel less and less of this connection that one should have with his homeland."
The author noted that the outgoing president created a feeling of excitement for many Americans who live outside their country, and cited Amy as an example. She has lived in France for 20 years, but she did not apply for French citizenship until recently, and now that she is French, she thinks In giving up her American citizenship, she said, speaking of Trump, "Nobody knows what they can do. I was afraid that he would take US citizenship from anyone who lives abroad."
This is also Sonya - as the writer says - who was born in France, and spent 22 years in the United States with her American husband, who never lived outside his country and France never attracted him, but Trump's election changed the rules of the game for him, after it escalated in his hometown, which is considered A republican stronghold, militant tones to an extent he could no longer stand, so he decided to move to the south of France.
Sonia and her husband say, "The United States is over for us," and although they feel comfortable with Biden being elected, they are "not enthusiastic about his presidency." Rather, Sonia's son-in-law, who remained in the United States, is considering leaving the country, and has taken steps to settle in Italy, She says she no longer feels comfortable in her country, which is home to a base of supporters closest to being a sect.