This week, Dominique Godreche talks with LA-based French journalist Guillaume Serina, author of Obama face aux 9 plaies de l’Amérique**
Guillaume Serina is the author of “Les Etats Unis, questions sur la super puissance” (2004), and “Barack Obama, ou le nouveau rêve Américain” (2008). His new book focuses on Obama‘s main challenges for 2012, of which the most urgent include health care, the economy, education, and immigration.
Interview.
Why did you write, after “Barack Obama, ou le nouveau rêve Américain," another book about Obama, “Obama, face au 9 plaies de l’Amérique”?
…Well, every four years, America looks at itself in the mirror, and it is the opportunity to speak about the important issues, like Obama, after the big recession. It was a good moment to see what was going on…
You decided to settle down in Los Angeles: how did that happen, and what major differences do you see, in your profession as a journalist, between the United States and France?
I've lived in Los Angeles for about six years, as my wife is from here, and because there are less French journalists here then on the east coast or other parts of the USA. And I find this country fascinating, as it gives a lot of opportunities to people from around the world, but at a high price. I learned journalism in France, and though I am based in the United states, I work mainly with Europeans and French, but interact with American colleagues. So I can see the differences; here, they are more tenacious, and when they investigate, they do it seriously. Also, the economy of journalism is different: even though it has been tough here, and budgets were cut, they still have more financial means to do good journalism. I am afraid that there is not enough money in France, and it is more difficult to investigate, thus do a good job.
Coming back to the book, why did you choose those nine topics ? Is there one, right now, that seems more important ?
… Well, the recession had a big impact on the country, and most of the families: people losing their homes, their jobs… A really tough situation. But what struck me as a European, coming from a country with more welfare, is that the richest country on earth does not help his citizens much: the health care system, for example. That is why the Obamacare reform is so important.
You describe “Skid Row”, an area of Los Angeles, where charitable organizations provide a major support to the poorest populations: is this phenomenon common in the Usa, or is it proper to Los Angeles?
Skid Row is unique, as it is the biggest concentration of homeless people in the USA; Los Angeles had decided to put its social offices in the same place, so hundreds of people without shelter arrived there. But the response to poverty, is not unique: everywhere in the country, you find foundations, caritative organizations, and churches… Supporting the communities. This is one of the role that religion plays in the United States: it helps, because the state does not provide enough safety net. So private organizations provide that assistance.
Speaking about the role of religion… You describe home schooling as progressing?
Home schooling is a new trend, since about ten years, and is progressing, because the public system is falling down: the statistics show that public schools in the USA are in a bad shape. So a lot of people, from different social backgrounds, decide to do home schooling. Then, there is the issue of violence; because some of the public schools are not safe, so the families prefer to keep the children at home, like in New York, or Los Angeles. And then, some people will say, “I want my children to learn what I want, and not what the state wants “: that is happening mostly among the right wing groups, or practicing Christians, with creationist theories, who do not agree with the public system.
In France, the fact that Romney is a Mormon, and was preaching, (in his youth in France), has a negative connotation: how is it perceived in the USA?
It is different here, as every president shared publicly his religious beliefs. Four years ago, there was a controversy about Obama, but he was elected. So for the majority of Americans, that is not a problem; Nixon was a Quaker, etc.. The Mormon factor around Romney does not show in the campaign; only Time magazine did a cover about Mormons, and a CNN documentary mentioned it. But it is not a big deal. And Romney describes himself as a man of faith, but does not go into details about it; so it does not seem to be a big issue.
NPR mentioned that one American in six was poor, and that Obama started his campaign in DC quoting Kennedy, “it is not possible to accept that”… what it is the situation like now?
It is a huge problem, as poverty has grown, and also changed: it is now difficult to find jobs, either for single mothers, but also for the fathers ….
We saw the intervention of Clint Eastwood supporting Mitt Romney… What is the situation like in Hollywood: is Obama receiving strong support from that community?
Yes, Hollywood is more liberal and democrat: Obama came again last week, to raise money, and has a huge support here, as the community has a majority of democrats.
This is historic, and linked with the people of the Industry. There has always been a relation between Hollywood and the politics, a progressive place, on the front row to show more diversity, whether ethnically, sexually...
What would you say is the specificity of Los Angeles?
It is not a city: there is so much space, and it is so spread out ! 15 million people live here, without touching each other, as you do not walk, staying in your car all the time.
So personal relations are impacted by that. And then the climate, -the sun-, has an influence on the mentality: it gives a positive energy. It does sound stupid, but it is true!
The Californian dream is the last chapter of the American dream: a lot of people move here, as there are more jobs, more energy, tomorrow industries… All of it is here !
What did you learn, by living and learning in the USA, especially in Los Angeles?
Coming from Paris, I learnt to be more opened, both on a human level, and as a journalist, because of the positive energy that I experience here: people talk to each other, in the neighborhoods, the communities….And that is nice: Paris daily life is more tensed.
And as a journalist, I have to try to explain the French readers the American society, and its complex diversity without judging it: so I cannot become totally American, but I cannot remain totally French either: and I have to be in the middle !
Interview by Dominique Godrèche Oct 2012
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Guillaume Serina has been living in Los Angeles for almost seven years. He covered Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2008 and follows issues such as economics, politics, social issues and the entertainment industry as a correspondent for Le Point, Le Journal du dimanche and Metro France. He has a masters in North American History from the Sorbonne and written three books about the United States,including the 2012 Obama face aux neufs plaies de l'Amerique published by Editions de l'Archipel
Dominique Godrèche is a French anthropologist, writer, free lance journalist, author of Santana, and contributor to various medias in France, and Europe. Born in Paris, she studied in India, Mexico, and New Mexico, where she specialized in Native American and Hispanic cultures, attending anthropology and psychology at the University of Paris, and at Ehess. (Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales de Paris). She is a laureate of the Prix de la Villa Medicis Hors les Murs en littérature 1993, for her essay on Native American story telling, and the Prix spécial de la Fondation pour l’Enfance de Paris, for her research on Native American and Hispanic acculturation and youth in the American Southwest.
** Obama face aux 9 plaies de l’Amérique éditions de l’Archipel 2012 192 pages 17,95 euros