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I recently became a French citizen, which was a huge relief for me, because I just couldn’t face another round of renewing my resident visa—my carte de séjour—which is an ordeal the likes of which I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Yes, it’s been 22 years since I first washed up on the shores of France, but it is only now that I have finally become a citizen.
Why did I wait so long? Well, if renewing a carte de séjour is an ordeal, you can only imagine what getting one was like. Especially when you are pregnant and without health insurance as I was at the time. The whole thing was so traumatic that I was afraid to attempt citizenship, even though I was eligible, as I was married to a Frenchman. Especially when fellow expats informed me that the process could take up to five years. So I resisted. After all, I had the right to work, to healthcare, and just about everything I needed. The only thing I couldn’t do was vote.
But a few years ago, we bought a house and there was much grumbling from certain banks when we tried to get a loan because for some reason the US makes life difficult for them when they deal with Americans. And the rise in the radical right just about everywhere in the world, including France, where certain political parties scream and shout about how immigrants are responsible for everything from unemployment to indigestion, made it seem prudent to get dual citizenship.
And so, during Covid, when I was at a loss for things to do, I decided to take the plunge. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. In fact, the whole process only took two years, and was nowhere near as painful as the carte de séjour. My only regret is that my prefecture, Nanterre, doesn’t believe in citizenship ceremonies. Whereas other American friends were treated to music and proclamations in 18th century town halls with period boiserie, I was treated to this:
A long line in front of a window. The lady behind the counter did smile and hand me a folder that included both my certificate and the words to the Marseillaise, but the experience lacked a certain something.
The good news is, I became a citizen just in time for the presidential elections. In fact, I was automatically registered to vote, which was amazing, because here in France you are never automatically registered for anything. And so I voted for president, which was exciting, even though it was the lesser of two evils all over again (just in case you think that doesn’t happen outside the US). But on further consideration, I think that’s OK. What are the chances that any candidate is going to meet all your needs? About the same as finding the perfect romantic partner. So you go with the one that meets most of them and try to remain optimistic about the future. On the other hand, I still don’t understand who I voted for in the legislative elections. But then again, neither do most French people. So I am at one with my fellow citizens. A step towards total integration…
