For the last two years, my boss has been a French engineer. He first came to the U.S. 6 years ago to work on a job in PDX. He had previously worked on projects in St. Petersburg (Russia) and in Malaysia. He is not only highly educated but possesses that ease and superiority of achievement characteristic of people who are well-suited to their position. Very sharp guy. He has a super-normal family consisting of a friendly and kind wife and two warmly-loved children who are always pleasant and happy.
At the time I first met him, a third party asked him what he thought of American and did he like it here? Much to my surprise, without hesitation he said he likes America very much and he hopes to settle in here and make his life in the U.S.
Surprised to hear this, I blurted out, “What do you like about America?” In response, again without hesitation, he said, “The opportunity. In France, you are bound up in pigeonholes and stratified. Here, a person can go their own way and succeed as they wish.”
Much later he told me that he was raised in a house in Brittany that has been in his family for six generations. I bet his family’s DNA goes back centuries in that area. The other day I referred to our meeting conversation 2 years ago and asked him, What about France? He answered that he will be happy to go back for a couple weeks each year, that will be enough France for him and his wife. He is restoring a Triumph Spitfire and asks for explanations when others in the office talk about football.