This Side of the Pond

I have a friend who grew up in a community that celebrated its European heritage to a greater degree than most. Let’s call her Beryl and, for the sake of protecting the innocent, let’s say the ancestors of her family and neighbors came over here from France.

As my friend was growing up, her grandmother made sure to teach her lessons about her family history. She ate French foods, partook in French customs and marked French holidays, while living in a community that took its architectural cues from France and hung French décor around its homes.

Being French was a significant part of my friend’s...