Finding French Culture in Charlottesville: Stephan Warden

Stephan Warden is the first person I’ve interviewed for the Finding French Culture in Charlottesville blog series. I wanted to interview him because has been a fun person to interact with in my French class this semester, and I wanted to learn more about his background. His mother is French and his father is American, so I asked him about what it is like to be in France with an American background and the United States with a French background. He joked about how he wears darker clothes when in France, particularly in Paris, so he doesn’t appear like the standard American tourist. He mentioned how communication with his mother’s family in France can be difficult at times since they mainly only speak French, and sometimes there are some French slang words that he doesn’t understand. I asked him how he copes with moments like that, and he just smiled and replied that he normally just smiles, laughs, and keeps it going. When at UVA, Stephan embraces his French background as an important part of his identity. Stephan loves French literature and taking French classes as a way to maintain his French culture.

Posted by Itohan Omorodion

-AFC Stagaire