“It is in the roots, not the branches, that a tree’s greatest strength lies.”― Matshona Dhliwayo

This summer has been busier than I could have imagined. I only have a couple of weeks left before I have to go back to the office to help kick off the school year for DISD. I do intend to write about everything I did this summer, but I want to devote this post to one particular topic...

I have been working at the Alliance Française de Dallas as a marketing assistant for the past couple of months. I worked side-by-side with the marketing and communications coordinator as well as the school's director. Our focus has been to find ways we could connect with the community. During one of our meetings, the director asked my colleague and I why WE had learned French and decided to be part of the Alliance. She said that if we wanted a French school to appeal to the community, we first had to explain why WE became members ourselves. I let my colleague respond first. She is American. She mentioned that her great-grandmother was French, she talked about and how learning French helped her feel more connected to her ancestry. She also thanks her French roots for her love for baking and appreciation for good food.

I paused for a second, it was my turn to speak, and while my answer was very different, it was somewhat similar as well. For starters, France was the first European country I ever visited. I was 16. In spite of being young and naïve, I felt a huge appreciation and respect for their history, culture, and language; and well, let's not forget the incredible cuisine too. I fell in love with Paris and all the other places I visited during that trip, which included Mont Saint-Michel, Rouen, Normandy Beach, Caen, and a few other cities. However, this trip was not the only reason I had decided to learn French. I have visited many other countries since that trip, but I have never felt the same connection to any of them as I do for France. So I dug a little deeper...

I was born and raised in Mexico to Lebanese parents. My family left Lebanon after World War I because the French, along with other European countries, decided to colonize Lebanon and other countries in the Middle East. My ancestors left on a boat during this turbulent time and ended up in Mexico. They settled there and, just like all immigrants do, they made an effort to learn the language and adjust to the culture. Just a couple of generations later, I was born.

Today, France and Lebanon enjoy friendly relations and have mutual respect for each other. For example, President Macron visited Lebanon after the Port of Beirut suffered a catastrophic explosion in August 2020. Although Arabic is the only official language in Lebanon, most of the Lebanese population speaks French as well. My grandparents never made an effort to teach me Arabic, learning it has been something I have decided to do on my own accord. But first I decided to learn French, why? The answer is simple. French is a lot more similar to Spanish (my native language) than Arabic. While I do plan on becoming fluent in Arabic one day, learning French has been a lot easier, and it has also helped me feel connected to my Lebanese roots.

Roots. That's the commonality between all of us. France has played a significant role in shaping the world and its people. From its military to its architecture, from its dining to its education and healthcare systems.

I am not sure how my ancestors would feel about my admiration for France considering they left their home country due to their presence, but I hope they would understand that learning French has made me feel closer to home.

At the end of the day, no matter how different our stories are, we all have something in common. We all crave feeling connected to those around us and to have a sense of belonging, but we also want to be proud of our background. That is why I joined the Alliance Française; I want to continuously nourish my uniqueness, but I don't want to do it alone.