Could a Spark of Romance Prompt Interest in Québec Among Americans?

The romanticization of Parisian life can cause culture shock and “Paris syndrome.”

But this chic aesthetic does generate more interest in French culture. So would romanticizing Québec in the same way help or hurt for self-discovery?  

On the outside looking in, Paris is a dreamy destination with more than enough Pinterest inspiration boards to go around. 

The culture in France, or more specifically, Parisian culture, has a long history of romanticization in the United States. As Americans, we are taught that Paris is the birthplace of romance, culture, and art. 

The City of Lights is a beautiful destination, but we downplay the real challenges that come with culture shock. I discovered this 10 years ago when I went on a group trip to various cities in Europe. 

Je rêve en français…

Freshly out of high school, I was more than ready to leave the small town I grew up in. Although learning about France in school was a quick rundown, I became fascinated with the language, music, art, architecture, and the “slow-paced” culture. 

I would spend my time filling notebooks with stories, imagining how different my life would be in Paris instead of the Midwest. If a tv show or movie even briefly mentioned Paris, or France in general, I immediately tuned in. I would get lost in thought, wondering why I couldn’t have been born in Paris instead. 

But when I finally visited the city of my dreams, I became blindsided with “Paris syndrome.” The metro wasn’t exactly what you’d call whimsical. For someone who had never been on a subway system before, it was overly crowded and anxiety-inducing. Not knowing what the intercom system announced was more stressful than I thought it would be. And dealing with sketchy men on the streets sweet-talking our mostly female group to buy their crappy “J’aime Paris” tourist swag was annoying. 

I also discovered that this city of love didn’t exactly have lovely areas everywhere. Prior to the trip, teenage me was led to believe that basically anywhere was safe. Although I didn’t wander off too far, I had no worries briefly walking away from my group or talking to people who approached us in English. 

My love for the sights of Paris

Besides my moments of culture shock and being slightly careless, seeing the classic sights of Paris certainly was magical. I vividly remember our group approaching the Eiffel Tower, looking at its massive beauty cutting through the cloudy afternoon sky.

Walking through the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles was overwhelmingly beautiful. I felt like I was walking into heaven itself.

Of course, the Garden of Versailles was another breathtaking sight of perfectly arranged lushness.

Viewing the Notre Dame Cathedral from the outside was magnificent. But staring into its mosaic world of stained glass was reason to pause. 

Although perfection is not found anywhere on earth, this romanticization of a city full of love and culture helped me form an identity in my French heritage. I knew my ancestry was closer to Québec, but there was never any mention of the province in the shows I watched or the books I read. If there was a French character, they were from Paris, not Québec City or Montréal. 

Paris is so idealized in American culture that we expect perfection from our romanticization of it. But I personally believe that adding a little romance is okay, as long as we realize there’s also a reality beyond our rose-tinted glasses. 

Why Romanticization of Paris, but not Québec City?

Québec City has the “old world” appeal, with plenty of unique art and culture. I’ve been told that visiting is “just like being in Paris,” yet there’s never a collection of lifestyle articles telling us that it’s the place to go. 

The secret behind making Paris so alluring has been a long history of marketing it as such. The American presence in Paris goes way back to the days of the Founding Fathers. Thus, the romanticization of the arts, culture, and language of France made its way back to the U.S. 

Early American fashion magazines such as Vogue featured articles directed at women about how to dress like a Parisian woman. Vogue Paris even sold sewing patterns for American women to create the latest trends for themselves. In similar fashion, travel guides furthered the American fascination with Paris by advertising cultural differences such as outdoor cafés. The French culture enticed Americans, as it does today. 

My theory of making our presence as well-known is based on these marketing techniques. Even though my ancestors had a much longer history in Québec, I felt a connection to France through my Franco-American heritage. The lighthearted nature of Paris romanticization was so charming, I couldn’t help being drawn to it.

So imagine how many more Americans could discover Québec through the arts and culture if we romanticize our modern Franco-American story for the world to see our esoteric beauty. We can make Québec City the place to become inspired, artistically and aesthetically.