France is an incredibly multi-ethnic country by European standards. At the crossroads of Europe, it has a ancient Celtic, Latin and Germanic heritage. Over 10% of the population of France is foreign, and almost 1/4 comes from recent immigration (i.e. including children or grand-children of immigrants).
One of the most famous French citizen with recent foreign origins is Nicolas Sarkozy, the Interior Minister, UMP president, and leading presidential candidate (half Hungarian, half Greek Jewish). There are many more, of whom most French people aren't usually aware of their foreign origins, except if they aren't ethnic Europeans.
Singers
- Édith Piaf, born of an Italian-Algerian mother and a French father.
- Charles Aznavour, son of Armenian immigrants (birth name : Shahnour Vaghinagh Aznavourian)
- Serge Gainsbourg, son of Jewish Russian immigrants.
- Johnny Hallyday, born of a Belgian father and a French mother (birth name : Jean-Philippe Smet)
- Sylvie Vartan, born in Bulgaria, daughter of a Bulgarian father of Armenian descent and a Hungarian mother.
- Hélène Ségara, born of an Italian father and an Armenian mother (real name : Hélène Rizzo)
Actors/Comedians
- Yves Montand, naturalised French actor, born Ivo Livi in Italy of Italian parents.
- Jeanne Moreau, born in Paris to a French father and an English mother of Irish descent.
- Jean-Paul Belmondo, Sicilian father.
- Jean Reno, born of Spanish parents in Casablanca, Morocco (real name : Juan Moreno y Herrera Jiménez).
- Isabelle Adjani, born to an Algerian father and a German mother.
- Samy Naceri, born to an Algerian father and French mother.
- Jamel Debbouze, born of Moroccan parents.
Writers
- Guillaume Apollinaire, born in Rome to a Polish mother and possibly Swiss-Italian father (birth name : Wilhelm Albert Vladimir Apollinaris Kostrowitzky)
- Henri Troyat, son of Armenian immigrants from Russia (birth name : Levon Aslan Torossian)
Sports people
- Alain Prost, partial Armenian descent.
- Jean Alesi, born of Sicilian parents.
- Yannick Noah, born of Cameroonese parents.
- Zinedine Zidane, son of Algerian immigrants.
... many other football players.
In other words, France's top politician (Sarkozy), best footballer (Zidane), best formula one drivers (Prost, Alesi), most famous actor abroad (Jean Reno), and most famous popular singers (Édith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Johnny Halliday...) are all of partly or fully foreign blood.
Let's add to this that many French politicians (of French descent) were born in Algeria, Morocco (e.g. de Villepin), or even Senegal (e.g. Ségolène Royal). Former Prime Minister Pierre Bérégovoy was born of Russian parents, while another former Prime Minister, Édouard Balladur, was born in Turkey of ethnic Armenian parents.
One of the most famous French citizen with recent foreign origins is Nicolas Sarkozy, the Interior Minister, UMP president, and leading presidential candidate (half Hungarian, half Greek Jewish). There are many more, of whom most French people aren't usually aware of their foreign origins, except if they aren't ethnic Europeans.
Singers
- Édith Piaf, born of an Italian-Algerian mother and a French father.
- Charles Aznavour, son of Armenian immigrants (birth name : Shahnour Vaghinagh Aznavourian)
- Serge Gainsbourg, son of Jewish Russian immigrants.
- Johnny Hallyday, born of a Belgian father and a French mother (birth name : Jean-Philippe Smet)
- Sylvie Vartan, born in Bulgaria, daughter of a Bulgarian father of Armenian descent and a Hungarian mother.
- Hélène Ségara, born of an Italian father and an Armenian mother (real name : Hélène Rizzo)
Actors/Comedians
- Yves Montand, naturalised French actor, born Ivo Livi in Italy of Italian parents.
- Jeanne Moreau, born in Paris to a French father and an English mother of Irish descent.
- Jean-Paul Belmondo, Sicilian father.
- Jean Reno, born of Spanish parents in Casablanca, Morocco (real name : Juan Moreno y Herrera Jiménez).
- Isabelle Adjani, born to an Algerian father and a German mother.
- Samy Naceri, born to an Algerian father and French mother.
- Jamel Debbouze, born of Moroccan parents.
Writers
- Guillaume Apollinaire, born in Rome to a Polish mother and possibly Swiss-Italian father (birth name : Wilhelm Albert Vladimir Apollinaris Kostrowitzky)
- Henri Troyat, son of Armenian immigrants from Russia (birth name : Levon Aslan Torossian)
Sports people
- Alain Prost, partial Armenian descent.
- Jean Alesi, born of Sicilian parents.
- Yannick Noah, born of Cameroonese parents.
- Zinedine Zidane, son of Algerian immigrants.
... many other football players.
In other words, France's top politician (Sarkozy), best footballer (Zidane), best formula one drivers (Prost, Alesi), most famous actor abroad (Jean Reno), and most famous popular singers (Édith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Johnny Halliday...) are all of partly or fully foreign blood.
Let's add to this that many French politicians (of French descent) were born in Algeria, Morocco (e.g. de Villepin), or even Senegal (e.g. Ségolène Royal). Former Prime Minister Pierre Bérégovoy was born of Russian parents, while another former Prime Minister, Édouard Balladur, was born in Turkey of ethnic Armenian parents.
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