Tag Archives: Arles

Environment

Arles air quality raises health concerns

Text by Sofia Langlois
Photo by Malcolm Taylor

Air pollution kills more people each year in France than any substance besides alcohol and tobacco, according to Damien Piga, director of external relations and innovation at Atmo Sud Marseille.

“When it comes to alcohol and tobacco, we choose to drink and smoke,” said Piga. “When we drink, we kill ourselves, but we don’t kill others. Air quality, on the other hand, is collectively suffered.” 

Atmo Sud is an air quality observatory that monitors pollution and recommends ways of reducing exposure. It is based in the South Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of France, which includes the city of Arles, where narrow, densely populated streets can concentrate pollutants. 

Piga has worked at Atmo Sud for a decade and specializes in mapping pollution data. The non-profit organization’s website provides reliable data in real time, both about air currently being inhaled and air that is inhaled over time. 

Such data helps government authorities to enforce guidelines. For example, on June 19, Arles enacted Level 1 alert procedures as a preemptive measure for an increase of fine particulate matter in the air the following day. It involved health and behavioral recommendations across multiple polluting sectors.

Fossil fuels are a primary source of these fine particles. The region burns the most fossil fuels for transportation and heating, followed by manufacturing and agriculture. On days with poor air quality, the government requires drivers to reduce their speed by about 12 miles per hour (or 20 kilometers per hour).

The Air to Go application was recently developed by Atmo Sud in collaboration with the various observatories and Lyon/Lille counterparts. The Geolocated website and mobile app inform its users of the current air quality and provide recommendations on how to adapt behavior based on readings. Upon inputting your destinations for the day, Air to Go will advise which time and route is ideal to avoid the highest levels of pollution. It will be available throughout all of France in the near future.

“In Arles, for example, the proximity of the main roads is where I’m going to have the most pollution,” said Piga, in referencing the function of Air to Go. “I’m going to avoid going there… If I have to enroll my children in school, I’m going to look at where the schools are in relation to these maps so that I can have information and not put them in schools where there are playgrounds close to sources of pollution.”

The Atmo Index representation of daily pollution levels operates using an integer system (1-10) with the colors green, orange and red to indicate severity. It is mandatory to establish a comprehensible air quality index in urban areas exceeding 100,000 inhabitants. The WHO sets non-compulsory health recommendations. For each time its air quality recommendation is exceeded, the Index increases by one. 

Furthermore, the European Union established legal regulations to prevent countries from exceeding certain quantities of the various pollutants. It serves as a middle ground between health considerations and socio-economic normalities by adhering to respiratory concerns with an understanding that some polluting industries are important to civilization. 

Corporations that increase pollution levels in France are charged a tax based on the amount of emissions produced. Those funds are then allocated towards environmental operations. For instance, Aix-Marseille Metro pays up to 400,000 euros per year.

“If a company ultimately shows that it does nothing for the climate, does nothing for air quality, does nothing for biodiversity, we know that it has very little future,” said Piga. “Because more and more consumers are paying attention to this. On the one hand, there’s going to be pressure from regulations, but there will also be pressure from consumers and citizens.”

The concentration of pollution is measured in micrograms per cubic meter of air (often written as µg/m3). For reference, human hair is typically 50-70 micrograms. Particulate matter is a formulation of smoke, soot, salts, acids, metals or dust. It has the potential to induce tissue damage or lung inflammation when deposited on the surface of larger airways in the upper region of a lung. The two symptoms impact the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. 

Air pollution by fine particles is of primary concern because particulate matter with a mass of 10 micrograms or less is small enough to enter the lungs by passing through the nose or throat, according to the California Air Resources Board. Examples include construction-site or landfill dust, wind-blown particles from open lands and pollen. 

Those at the highest risk for developing health conditions as a result of short or long-term exposure include adults who are 65 years or older, people with chronic heart or lung disease, pregnant women, asthmatics and children. Humans breathe 15,000 liters of air per day. Children inhale more air per pound of body weight than adults. According to Piga, poor air quality is a cause of death for children worldwide equal to malnutrition.

“Exposure to pollution levels commonly observed in urban or peri-urban environments appears to induce cancer and result in excess mortality and a decrease in life expectancy from several months to several years,” according to the Encyclopedia of the Environment. A study conducted in 2016 by Santé Publique found that 48,000 deaths per year could be attributed to particulate matter 2.5.

Poor air quality can cause symptoms such as shortness of breath, watery eyes, itchy nose, throat irritation, reduced lung function, worsening of asthma or other respiratory diseases, increased need for hospitalization or emergency department assistance, faster disease progression and even decreased life expectancy. 

Dr. Christian Pic is a pediatric neurologist in Arles who earned a degree in sports medicine. He has experience working with athletes and additionally trains as one. Pic advises others to avoid running in hot, dry and polluted air.  

“It affects performance, yes,” said Pic. “I notice it in myself, in others. Illnesses are more of a long-term effect. We should conduct long-term studies on runners who are only in the mountains versus those in valleys and cities. We should conduct 30-year studies.”

There could be a widespread lack of awareness about more severe health implications from pollution exposure due to how long those effects take to present themselves, according to Pic. Short-term exposure often causes minor irritation. Over the course of a lifetime, particles such as those emitted from diesel engines can cause disorders of varying severity even in small doses, from respiratory/ocular discomfort to leukemias; alterations in the nervous, hormonal or immune systems; and genetic heritage. 

“I think it’s not immediately noticeable, actually,” said Pic. “There are pulmonary effects, then cerebral effects, but over the long term. There are studies that have been done with people living in polluted environments. In the United States, for example, there are studies with maps comparing people living in the middle of large agricultural plains with pesticides and neurodevelopmental disorders. The two maps intersect.”

Typical health recommendations include avoiding physical and sporting activities as well as high-traffic areas, favoring short outings and airing homes out for 10 minutes each day.  

Concerning those who work outdoors daily and cannot necessarily avoid highly polluted times and areas, there are other measures they can take to protect themselves. 

“This is very important for people working on construction sites: an employer must provide them with protective equipment,” said Piga. “In dusty environments, they must have respiratory protection, in particular masks. So it’s a question of respecting the obligation for professionals to use safety equipment properly.” 

Steven Castrillon is a mason in building construction and home renovation. He works eight to nine hours a day, five days each week. Castrillon emphasized that working in this field without protective equipment poses the risk of a respiratory infection or, in some cases, lung cancer. He specified that heat engines – machinery that burns fossil fuels – are a particular problem.

“Frankly, I haven’t had any respiratory problems yet,” said Castrillon. “I learned to avoid the long-term consequences of respiratory pollution by wearing masks and avoiding heat engines. If possible, use electric machines.”

Piga shared that Atmo Sud developed scholastic programs aimed at the younger generations. The modules are open source for teachers and professors to instruct specified lessons on air quality. Its purpose is to raise children’s awareness of the issue.

“The most effective way, as always, if we want to change behavior, is to work with children,” said Piga. “Because with children, they have life ahead of them; they have the world in front of them.”

People

Citron à Paillettes: All of Us Together

Story by Rae Daniels-Henderson
Photos by Elizabeth Coleman

Amid the rows of garmets and accessories, you’ll find a cotton-stuffed Camargue. Creatively made by designer Christine Hector, these plush companions represent many of the wild-life beloved in the regional natural park.

From the street, Citron à Paillettes blends into the facades of the Arles downtown. But once you enter the petite boutique you’re teleported into a world of color and creativity, awe and wonder. Stuffed pink flamingos fill a shelf. Bookmarks, handbags, book jackets and headbands of every color cover one wall and a photo exhibit covers another. It’s easy to tell at a glance that this is a store like no other.  

In fact, Citron à Paillettes stands out among boutiques because of its unusual business model: the people working there are also the designers and creators of the goods sold within.

Citron à Paillettes is run by a collective of nine fashion designers from different parts of the South of France who bring their own diverse backgrounds to their work. They create works of wonder, from the one-of-a-kind flamingoes, handcrafted jewelry made by a mother-daughter duo, handbags and book covers made exclusively from Japanese fabric, to feminine floral yet comfortable pieces made by the founder herself, Audrey Sigovic-Garcia. 

Patricia Romance loves accessories. In an effort to limit waste of her materials, Romance has found creative ways to use every piece of fabric. She designs a diverse line of accessories and personal goods from handbags, scarves and hats to book marks, book covers and coin purses.

“I can be inside on a rainy day, have random objects and string and I will create a necklace,” says Sigovic-Garcia. Her eyes light up as she smiles and explains that she likes creating with her hands. She presses them together palm side up and motions with them to demonstrate.

Sigovic-Garcia has been creating for as long as she can remember. She is a fashion designer, but has also worked as a project designer. Sigovic-Garcia’s clothing line is strategically named, “La Rose à Pois,” (the Polka Dot Rose). Her apparel embodies that spirit: a bold and vibrant mixing of floral and dotted or striped patterns with very feminine cuts and romantic flowy sleeves. 

The store is home to a rainbow of colors creating a bright and welcoming environment for anyone looking to bring a bold twist into their wardrobe.

Sigovic-Garcia’s ready-to-wear line inspired by post-war dress, Victorian Silhouettes and Asian perfumes is crafted from her home. She needed to find a way to reach customers to sell her designs, so she assembled a collective of talented fashion designers she bonded with over the years to have a center where eight others can share and sell their creations with the Arlesian community in a “creators space” becoming Citron à Paillettes, which in English means “Glitter Lemon.” The original space was only a few streets down but was damaged during the flood in 2003. The collective has been in the current location for 20 years now. 

During my first visit to Citron à Paillettes, I had the pleasure of meeting Eric Deveaux. I stopped and was admiring a beautiful blue, white and black floral top when he explained to me that he made it himself, “I created all of these.” He motioned to his specific section of the store displaying his other colorful dresses, skirts, and blouses. Deveaux, owner of  Sur les Traces d’un Nomade, started sewing 25 years ago “out of frustration because his arms were too long,” and has been making beautiful clothes ever since.

The flamingoes lining the walls find new homes around the world. Customers send photos of their flamingo to designer Christine Hector for her to add to a map with push pins tracking where in the world her flamingoes have travelled.

All of the designers create their pieces then bring them to the boutique to sell, they all take shifts at the store. With each visit I got to meet someone new, like Patricia Romance. 

Romance originally attended fashion school for apparel making, but found more joy in making accessories, “I love accessories and was a fan at the beginning, then I started making my own and just stayed there.” With Japanese floral fabrics, Romance makes elegant and timeless things like purses, book covers, and headbands without any trend in mind. Her brand is made from what inspires her. When Romance has no need for excess fabric she gives it to Idée du Jour’s creator Christine Hector. 

The 9 designers of Citron à Paillettes dedicate themselves to their craft creating intricate and delicate treasures for anyone.

Hector has known Sigovic-Garcia for 17 years. Before coming back to Arles she worked as a stylist in Paris. Hector goes back to Paris to teach sewing classes at three schools; ESMOD, CREAPOLE, and MODE ESTAH.  When she is not teaching, she creates her one-of-a kind decorative flamingos.

She documents each one’s destination by placing a push pin on a map at home. Hector utilizes anything that she finds to bring these majestic Camargue natives to life. When I asked about the different types of materials she used, her face lit up. She said that she found an abandoned vacuum cleaner in her neighborhood and made that into a flamingo and it now resides in her home. 

 The way that this collective has maintained their business for so long is by being “imaginative” enough and collaborating to create new moods for the store throughout the seasons. They were fortunate enough to not be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic or rent spikes, unlike many small stores worldwide.

The story has built a loyal clientele. “I create the clothes so that women feel beautiful and comfortable within themselves,” Sigovic-Garcia said.

Inspired by Japanese textiles, many of the designers in Citron à Paillettes share their fabrics to remain eco-conscious and limit waste. This collaboration also creates a beautifully curated and cohesive style within the store.
Arts

Pirouetting through childhood, twins find their own paths

Story by Karla Valdez
Photos by Malcolm Taylor

Identical twins Lola and Marie Arnaud spent their childhood in the ballet studio, creating memories together through intense training. Together, they went from 4-year-olds in leotards and ballet slippers to adolescents in tutus on pointe, but their dreams for the future turned out to be different. 

The twins, who grew up in Arles, practiced together until they were 13 years old, taking classes at the Arabesque dance school. Lola loved classical dance and Marie leaned more towards contemporary style. 

But at 16, Marie decided to venture out into a different path and conclude her career in dance. 

“I couldn’t see myself dancing for a choreographer all my life,” said Marie, who now lives in Paris. “I wanted to keep my freedom. … I was always creative and like to have control over the things I create; that’s why I’m doing chiseling right now.”

Now 19, Marie attends École Boulle, a university in Paris, where she is double majoring in design and chiseling, the art of carving wood, metal or stone to engrave a statue or make jewelry. Meanwhile, Lola is a ballerina at the Arles Youth Ballet Company, training in a supportive environment alongside passionate dancers from around the world.

See Lola Arnaud and colleagues at the Arles Youth Ballet Company practice in the slideshow below.

While Marie chose not to continue dancing professionally, she still loves to dance and practices in her free time. But she wanted her independence from the industry and was eager to discover her artistic side on her own. 

“It was not a black or white choice; it took three years,” she said. “It was not an easy choice at all. There were still things that I loved and did all my life; you just have to be ready to shift completely.”

Lola said she accepted the news that her sister was taking a different path.

“When she told me, I wasn’t sad or shocked that she quit ballet,” Lola said. “Whatever is right for her.” 

The life of a dancer is competitive and intense, not only physically but mentally as well. Lola has experienced two ankle sprains and tendonitis during her career, and maintaining a healthy relationship with food was not always easy.

“I had a weird relationship with my body and food for some years,” said Lola.

It was only as she got older that she came to accept her body and realize that food was fuel, not something she needed to deprive her body of. 

Now, at the Arles Youth Ballet Company, Lola says her directors and choreographers don’t judge or pressure her to look a certain way.

“We don’t have this mentality of treating dancers like that,” said Norton Fantinel, co-director of the youth ballet company. “Our philosophy is human and innovative, treating dancers with respect and kindness.”

Lola dedicates long hours of practice each week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. This intense training prepares her to participate in performances  and competitions, from classical to neoclassical genres. 

“It is also very intense mentally because you cannot take things personally,” Lola said, noting that dance “is a main part of you because that’s all you do. It’s very hard to be detached from the intense feedback.”

But through the intensity that ballet carries, Lola has persevered and grown as a dancer these last few years, especially with the support she is receiving now at the Arles Youth Ballet Company. Her efforts have paid off.

“The first time I got a gold medal, I was like, that’s so nice, because I would look at people getting gold medals and I was like, “I wish it was me,” she said. “And then when it was me. it was very rewarding.”  

Over the years, Lola has developed healthy habits that allow her to enjoy the art form for what it is. She makes sure to take deep breaths when she feels stressed or anxious about her performances, eat healthy foods and feel energized before going on stage. 

“Dancing is very pleasing because you are in control of your body, especially if you do something technical and it works out super nice,” she said. “I love the artistic side of it, to dance, it is a sense of freedom because I like being on stage.”

Lola is in her fourth year with the Arles Youth Ballet Company, which was founded four years ago to give young dancers professional-quality training that will prepare them for careers in dance.

Fantinel, co-director of the company with his wife, Karina Moreira, said they have helped many dancers to further their careers. This year alone, they have helped 11 dancers fulfill their dreams and find jobs. 

“I’m excited to join a company and perform a repertoire that suits me to grow as an artist, and my near future goals would be to ameliorate my weak points, so that I can be as good as I can.”

Fantinel said students from all over the world come to train at the Arles Youth Ballet Company. The different cultures and languages represented creates a rich atmosphere for learning and collaboration. Everyone is able to learn things from one another, Fantinel says, while together they create a strong team. 

“Your company is a reflection of your work and values,” Fantinel said. “That is why I never work a day in my life because I love what I do.” 

Though Lola and Marie have taken different career paths, they remain close and still dance together from time to time.

“When I went to visit her in Paris during my holidays we took classes together,” Lola said. “She still loves to dance, just not professionally.”

Watch Lola and Marie perform together in this video, shot in 2016.

Lola Arnaud will perform a Tacon Flamenco piece on July 30 at the ancient Roman theater in Arles.

Media

Print Media in Arles: Essential or Endangered?

Story and photos by Sophia Maxim

Laurent Rugiero heads the Arles edition of regional newspaper La Provence. He said its print edition has been hanging on the verge of extinction. 

“We’ve been saying the paper version is dead for 10 years,” he said.

Decades ago, newspapers and magazines were a common routine of Arlésian culture. Now, readers have turned their eyes to digital, and print media shops are increasingly difficult to find. Despite this, local publications continue producing print editions while adapting to changing reader habits.

Local editor in chief Laurent Rugiero stands in front of La Provence office in Arles on June 27, 2024. Rugiero feels doubtful about the survival of print newspapers.

According to Rugiero, La Provence is transitioning to a “digital first” schedule, meaning content will be published online before the paper edition.

Rugiero said he’s noticed a decline in the demand for print media and a divide in habits between younger and older Arlésians.

“It’s decreasing, and more and more rapidly because people have lost the habit of actually reading newspapers, and it’s the older generation that still does,” Rugiero said.

Maison de la Presse, next door to La Provence’s office, had been the biggest news and magazine shop remaining in Arles until its owners retired in June. 

“It’s sad, and it’s revealing of the effect that people are buying fewer and fewer newspapers,” said Clémentine Morot-Sir, a staff journalist for L’Arlésienne magazine. “They couldn’t survive.”

L’Arlésienne staff members Clémentine Morot-Sir (left) and Eléonore Colpin-Lafuma (right) hold the summer edition in front of the publication’s archives on July 4, 2024.

Maison de la Presse previously distributed a quarter of L’Arlésienne’s sales, according to staff layout designer and journalist Eléonore Colpin-Lafuma.

“We don’t know what will happen to these almost 400 magazines,” Colpin-Lafuma said.

Rugiero explained that kiosks around town used to specialize in print media but no longer exist in Arles and have become rare throughout France. In place of dedicated stores or kiosks, local newspapers have turned to distributing in supermarkets, cafes and bakeries.

An Arlésienne local grabs a copy of daily regional newspaper La Provence from Maison Soulier bakery on Emile Zola Boulevard on July 13, 2024. Some Arlésians read the paper as a part of their morning routine.

Increased paper costs prompted La Provence to decrease its number of pages per issue, Rugiero said.

Print costs have also impacted the city’s magazine, Arles Info, which aims to distribute free copies to all Arlésians by mail and around town. 

Arles has the largest surface area of any city in France, seven times the size of Paris. The territory contains many small houses and isolated villages, making distribution an extensive effort, Arles Info editor Romain Vauzelle said.

“Sometimes, the distributor has to go 25 km to distribute five magazines, so it’s not possible economically,” he said.

In 2026, print distribution companies will be prohibited from delivering publications like Arles Info when residents apply a “No Advertisements” sticker to their mailbox. Readers who use the sticker will no longer receive the magazine.

To adjust, the magazine may cut distribution to a list of residents who register for delivery and add more drop-off points throughout the city. 

“There’s a portion of people who don’t read it, so there’s some waste,” Laurent said.

While print remains central, Arles Info prioritizes its digital platform more than before.

“I think today, it’s the [search engine optimization] of all these publications that counts and how to get to people’s phones because the phone, ultimately, is the mass media today,” Laurent said.

Despite this shift, print media maintains its advantages for Arles Info, Vauzelle said, including the comfort of reading and the depth of engagement. 

“I think that when people decide to take time to read, it is much more likely to be an article in paper format than on the internet,” he said.

In contrast with digital, the print edition of Arles Info has longevity and visibility in public spaces to provide a positive image for the city, Laurent said. 

“It’s a showcase,” Vauzelle said.

According to Vauzelle, Arlésians have a strong attachment to the print magazine and complain if they don’t receive the paper in their letterboxes on time.

However, for La Provence, Rugiero said digital media meets the fast-paced needs of the daily news. 

“The advantages [of print]? There are not very many advantages anymore,” he laughed.

A copy of La Provence, Arles edition lies left behind in the grass on July 4, 2024.

On the future of La Provence, Rugiero said, “It will only be on the internet.” He estimates “two, three, five years” until its print edition is terminated.

“I understand that the new generation wants something different,” Rugiero said. “We will never be able to go back. It’s inevitable.”

In contrast to local newspapers, the staff of L’Arlésienne magazine believes its print issue will endure.

“We have strong readers, and loyal,” she said. “It’s also a political act to buy free press, so there is still always a strong base of buyers.”

L’Arlésienne staff members Clémentine Morot-Sir (left) and Eléonore Colpin-Lafuma (right) pick up the summer edition in their office on July 4, 2024.

Morot-Sir said L’Arlésienne and La Provence audiences overlap, so L’Arlésienne tries to be “complimentary” by serving a separate role.

According to Morot-Sir, L’Arlésienne magazine focuses on investigative, long-form stories compared to the daily news of La Provence. This content pairs ideally with the print format, she said.

“We value the fact that it’s an object that can last,” she said. “So I think we can treat some topics more profoundly.”

Colpin-Lafuma said the maquette, or print layout design, allows for visual strategy. L’Arlésienne produces the magazine in black-and-white, which she said saves time. They aim for the print magazine to be simple and easy to read.

L’Arlésienne layout designer and journalist Eléonore Colpin-Lafuma shows her technical process for the summer edition on July 4, 2024.

L’Arlésienne publishes most stories in print and online with a paywall that lasts until around six months after release. It occasionally publishes online-only stories for breaking news developments and sometimes suspends the online paywall to give public access.

“If it’s something really important and we want everybody, even the people who don’t usually buy magazines, to read it, we make both print and the web with a paywall or not,” Morot-Sir said.

Three staff members produce the publication, with freelance writers and photographers contributing to each issue.

L’Arlésienne prints around 1,200-1,300 copies per issue. This year, it sold 1,000 copies on average per issue. Sales vary by season, so the magazine prints more in the summer to meet demand. The publication distributes magazines in over 10 shops in Arles, including bookstores, cafes and a beer bar, and around eight more locations in the region.

“[Distribution] is an issue,” Morot-Sir said. “We need volunteers. We try to have a team of volunteers to help us. It takes a lot of time.”

L’Arlésienne plays an active role in local social issues through their reporting, Morot-Sir said. In January 2024, it covered a threat to displace Romani families living in encampments near the Rhône river, which Morot-Sir said influenced the local government to change plans.

“We heard after that that the mairie [city hall] took a step back because they were afraid of the bad press,” Morot-Sir said. “Maybe it will happen, but it’s been delayed.”

According to Colpin-Lafuma, the magazine spreads cultural rhetoric.

“There is something unifying by the common references that L’Arlésienne creates, like the cards we give out at the events with little phrases in black-and-white,” Colpin-Lafuma said. “A lot of people collect them and love them.”

L’Arlésienne journalist Eric Besatti speaks at the summer issue release party at the pêtanque grounds at Place de la Crosière on June 28, 2024. The community event was centered around pêtanque, a popular Provençal boule game.

Colpin-Lafuma said some people collect the magazine as a statement of Arlésian identity.

“I think it’s something that people really like, and also it shows appartenance [belonging] of the community, and you are proud to live here,” Coplin-Lafuma said.

Claire Fanchini and Monica Ronco served as interpreters for this story.

Places

Notes of a Post-Colonial, Queer Exile

Story and photos by Judas Ātman

I signed up for ieiMedia’s journalism and photography program in Arles knowing I’d be less than three hours away by car from James Baldwin’s house in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Overseas, I carried with me a question that had burrowed itself in my mind: Why did he exile himself to France?

What was happening in the psyche of this sharp witness to history that made him leave the United States for Paris on November 11, 1948? 

Baldwin’s decision to leave our country bothered me because, frankly, I judged him. Throughout my entire love affair with his work I have been frustrated by this feeling that were I to do the same, I would be “abandoning” our people, which is to say those of us who possess the same frustrations with our country and the fervent desire to see it transformed.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I speak about Baldwin and his work obsessively, as if when I read his words, I am engaging with a close friend over dinner and reporting out what he has told me. Even through this intimate love with his words, I have found myself angrily wanting to demand, “How could he leave?” How could he abandon our country that so desperately needed his sharp ability to bear witness?

A view from the bridge along Chemin de Jonquets that crosses over Canal du Vigueirat, just after sunrise. Here I walked almost every morning in the middle of my time here in order to process the many tectonic shifts of change that rocked through my body and mind.

But in my first two weeks here in Arles, I get it now. I’ve been shocked, honestly, to find myself so in love with this town I never even knew existed outside a tiny, digital photo on a random website of a random media company. It is here, self-exiled, whisked by the wind to this tiny town, a leftist eye in the swirling storm of the far-right area that surrounds it, that I am able to feel the extent of my grief when I think of my country.

I expressed a portion of this grief to Ania, the colleague and friend I met here in our program the first day as we walked together and had lunch. I told her I feel as someone who becomes increasingly more deviant and pushed to the social margins of American society, there are few options left for me but imprisonment, exile and or death. I said I’m not afraid to die.

Ania Johnston peacefully listening to Ethel Cain’s Preacher’s Daughter on the train to Arles after our loud night out in Marseilles, the first long weekend of our trip.

Ania said I was martyring myself. And she was right. Why martyr yourself for a country that doesn’t care about whether you live or die? 

Like a morning bell, the truth of this grief tolls in my mind, echoing with an almost feverish level of vision, as if I could see the world between the 1’s and 0’s of the Matrix. In a notes app on my hike around the outskirts of the city, following the dirt paths along the Canal, I wrote the following:

homeland is not a place, a person, a people, when you’ve lost your home

america is an abusive narcissistic parent. i have stockholm syndrome. i’m not american. i never was. it’s not a part of my ontology. it’s not the core essence of who i am. i am an exile. i belong to no one. i belong nowhere. my home is in the liminal margins, between worlds, between countries. i am opening portals in my mind and hoping to manifest the same boundlessness in a western world obsessed with the borders of nationalism.

Despite this moment of separation from one country, I see a new self sprouting in the fields of another one – each seed a shard of Self that blooms through stickers, graffiti, and wheat pasting I find as I walk through the winding walls of La Roquette,  my integrity reflected in the architecture of this city. 

A wheat paste poster encouraging Arlesians to vote against fascism, meaning the extreme right party, during the parliamentary elections on 30 Juin. The poster references the American rock band Rage Against the Machine, who are known for their anti-authoritarian and revolutionary views.

I didn’t know who these people were who posted them but I follow the trail — like Alice trailing the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, like Neo following Trinity’s instructions to trail after the white rabbit to find Morpheus in The Matrix — I leave my American self to find this Arlesian persona. And that persona is an evolving self, a truer self that enters me like a song humming a deeper resonance than I knew my own voice to be capable of.

Once I leave Arles, I have no idea how to make sense of where I’m going, because this place has struck me like a bolt of lightning, causing so many structures within myself to tumble and fall.

When home, I won’t be the same person I was before my time here. This new person I am becoming, I can’t yet say who they are, but I was told by a sommelier in Plan de Campagne, a region just outside Marseille where Ania, my colleague, and I stayed this past weekend, that I’m not meant to know how to make sense of all this right now.

The only moment that exists, he implied, is this present one: me, writing this “postcard” while sitting in the dining room of my host family’s home, my mind scrambling to understand the impact my time in this city is having on me.

 One of my last morning walks along the canal. This morning, the mist had rolled in and blanketed the fields. Finally, I had found my peace.

Politics, Religion

Muslim Women React to Hijab Restrictions

Story and photo by Solange Jain

Every weekday morning in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Aoitif Koubaa prepares to go into work as a special education teacher in a Catholic school. Before she walks in the building, Koubaa unpins her hijab, revealing her hair and neck, and places the fabric in her bag. Her hijab won’t be put back on until she leaves the school premises later that day.

Koubaa is one of many women in France affected by a controversial law affecting the display of religious symbols in government institutions. Some women find it unfairly restrictive, while others take a more neutral position or even approve of the principle behind it.

The 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State established the principle of laïcité (or secularism) in France, which ensures “the free exercise of religion” and that “the Republic does not recognize, pay, or subsidize any religious sect.”

On May 15, 2004, a new law banned the wearing of ostentatious signs of religion, including symbols and garments, in public schools. Discreet signs of religion, however, were not prohibited. Today, obvious symbols of religion, such as a large Christian cross, a Jewish kippah or a hijab, are prohibited in schools, civil service roles and administration roles connected to the state. 

I spoke to four women who each represented a different circumstance with regard to their shared practice of Islam, and thus different perspectives on France’s secular laws.

Aoitif Koubaa

Koubaa is a hijab-wearing woman working in a Catholic school, and though it is not a public institution, the fact that it is a school still grants it the right to prohibit hijabs on its students and staff.

For Koubaa, wearing the hijab means covering her most feminine elements (the hair, neck and chest) and respecting the five pillars of Islam: Profession of Faith (shahada); Prayer (salat); Alms (zakat); Fasting (sawm); and Pilgrimage (hajj). Thus, when Koubaa must take off her hijab every day for work she says it feels like a part of her is left outside the school building.

Koubaa believes laïcité does not serve its stated purpose and that it instead specifically targets Muslim women. It’s easy for Christians to hide a cross under their clothes, but almost impossible to hide a hijab, she pointed out. “France is not secular,” she said. “It’s hypocritical.”

With the rise in power of the extreme right in France, Koubaa says that there is more of a negative attitude towards Muslims. Koubaa worries that with the increase of far-right politicians in power, there could be a large reduction of mosques, halal food preparations and Muslim bookstores, for example.

“Even if you’re born here, you will always feel like a foreigner here,” said Koubaa. 

Najia Belqasmi

Koubaa’s sister, Najia Belqasmi, also works as a teacher in a public elementary school but, unlike Koubaa, chooses not to cover her hair or dress according to Islamic modesty standards. Laïcité does not have a great impact on her daily life and her opinion strays far away from her sister’s. She views herself as “a child of the Republic” and agrees with the laws resulting from laïcité. 

“Each is allowed to think what they want,” said Belqasmi. “It’s a liberty of thinking what you want. This is what laïcité is about and it is important.”

Rabia El Fegrouch

For Rabia El Fegrouch, the decision to wear the hijab is not one that holds a lot of significance. El Fegrouch arrived in France from Morocco on October 22, 2013, to join her husband who had been living in France since 1972.

Since then, El Fegrouch has lived in the Barriol, a neighborhood within Arles with a high concentration of people with North African heritage. Now 61, El  Fegrouch has worn the hijab since the age of 7. She says that for her, wearing the hijab does not equate to religion playing a larger or smaller role in her life. The hijab is a part of her overall culture in addition to a show of her faith, and, according to Fegrouch, she wouldn’t change now. 

“It is not about what others think,” El Fegrouch said. “It’s my choice.” 

In her time in France, El Fegrouch says she has felt little judgment regarding her decision to wear the hijab and her age is a contributing factor in her choice to stay modest. 

“It’s OK for young people to not wear it, but I am 61,” El Fegrouch said. “It doesn’t matter what others do.”

It is an inherited part of her culture that she is content to follow, she says, but she does not believe it is something every Muslim woman must do. 

Asma Drider

Similarly, Asma Drider, a Muslim woman who started wearing the hijab on the Islam holiday, Eid al-Fitr, of 2023, does not feel that wearing the hijab makes her more or less of a Muslim woman. 

“It represents my faith but it’s also just a piece of clothing,” Drider said when asked if she has been treated differently since choosing to wear the hijab. 

Drider says the amount of faith she holds has been the same before and since she decided to wear the hijab. She said that when she began wearing the hijab last year, people were surprised at first but quickly got over it, seeing that she hadn’t changed. 

“The issue doesn’t come from religion itself,” Drider said. “It just comes from politics.” 

Though all four women have had different experiences, they share a distaste for the treatment of hijab-wearing women in France and worry about the possible worsening of the freedom of religious expression. 

They all shared the same hope for France: for each person to live their own religion in their own way, without people stepping on others’ beliefs.

The state “can’t take away what is inside of someone,” said Koubaa. “France is a mix of people and beliefs.”

Feature photo: Colleagues Asma Drider (left) and Rabia El Fegrouch (right) have reacted differently to laïcité (secularism) laws.

Katie Thornton and Monica Ronco served as interpreters for this story.

People

Left Behind: Education Barriers in Arles

Story by Morgen Lily Neuhauser

When the European Commission sanctioned France last year for inadequate efforts to make education and daily life accessible for those with disabilities, many families were not surprised. For years, parents of children with disabilities have complained about the lack of educational facilities and resources.

Serge Guerrini, a father of a boy with a developmental disability, said that things were so bad in France many families took advantage of an agreement between Belgium and France that allowed them to immigrate to Belgium because it has more services for people with disabilities. The future of the agreement is unclear. Due to overuse, Belgium has begun letting fewer families immigrate there, Guerrini said, leaving many to navigate the French special education system. 

Guerrini said that the problems in France primarily arise due to a lack of political will to make change and a lack of funding. 

“On the political level, at the national level, there are always promises,” Guerrini said. “But, in fact, the funds are not released and nothing changes. So there are no new spots created to this day.” 

Nineteen years after the passage of landmark legislation on equal rights and opportunities for people with disabilities in France, the country is in the midst of significant change in special education. The 2005 law ensures that every child with a disability has the right to be educated in a mainstream environment at their local school. The legislation was bolstered by a 2013 law introducing the concept of inclusive schools into the education code. 

Since the passage of these laws, support services have increased. According to the publication French Republic, the percentage of students with disabilities who benefited from human support in their school rose from 26% to 47% between 2006 and 2011. 

Nowadays, more and more families are asking for their children to attend mainstream schools because there are limited spots available in specialized institutions. According to the Ministry of National Education and Youth, 460,000 students with disabilities are enrolled in mainstream schools in France, which is four times more than 15 years ago. Another 11,000 children with disabilities are waiting for a place in a medical-educational institution that would best suit their needs. 

The increased number of special education students puts a lot of stress on the school system, said Sophie Poulain, a volunteer at Dyspraxia France Dys 13. The rigorous school system leaves many teachers unsure of how to handle students with special needs. 

“The school system has a certain number of boxes that have to be ticked,” Poulain said. “So a child has to be able to do such and such. And if that child simply cannot reach those goals, then the teacher finds that they just don’t know what to do.”

Dyspraxia France Dys helps form bonds among families who have children diagnosed with dyspraxia and dyslexia, said Poulain, whose daughter has dyspraxia and other conditions. The association takes its name from dyspraxia, a developmental coordination disorder, and dys, the Latin root for illness or difficulty. 

“As a parent, when we discover that our child has some form of disability or developmental difficulty, we feel very alone,” said Poulain, whose daughter is now 21. “And so it is very important to have those connections and to feel less alone.” 

Poulain also runs a parent cafe in Pont De Crau, outside of Arles, for people whose families have someone with dyslexia, dyspraxia or related conditions. Every few months, support groups meet to provide comfort and community to caregivers and other loved ones, Poulain said.

Poulain knows how lonely being a parent of a child with a disability can be, so she wants to ease that stress for others. 

“What we are doing, creating connections with other parents, that sort of thing just didn’t exist at all when my daughter was young,” Poulain said.

Poulain noticed that her daughter was not following a neurotypical path of development. By the time she was 4, her daughter still wasn’t speaking and Poulain was unsure if she truly understood what was being said to her. 

Eventually, her daughter was diagnosed with dyspraxia, severe dyslexia, ADHD and a developmental coordination disorder. As her daughter grew older, Poulain took on most of the responsibilities of caring for her. Medical appointments, filling out documents and advocating for her daughter took up so much time that Poulain had to drop down to part-time at work.  

Dyspraxia France Dys now helps by connecting families with the appropriate support services. In France there are two different tracks of special education classes within mainstream schools. Students are either placed in Sections d’enseignement général et professionnel adapté (SEGPA) or Unités localisées pour l’inclusion scolaire (Ulis) classes. SEGPA is a year-round, full-time special education program that prioritizes getting students ready for the workforce. Ulis aids students who are struggling in specific subjects. Students can be taken out for individual classes, but attend mainstream classes the rest of the time. 

“The two services are very good, but you do have to be aware that if you go into the SEGPA class, you’re gonna get more limited in terms of choice,” Poulain said. 

Poulain routinely goes to school meetings with families, helps them fill out the documents that are necessary to get their disability recognized, and connects them with the appropriate doctors. 

Other families have similar stories of an overwhelming and overly complicated system. Guerrini and his family have been navigating the special education system since their son, Silvio, was 5. Silvio was diagnosed with regression in communication with an autistic history and started receiving services in Arles around 2008. Silvio started at the public school of Gageron with an auxiliaire de vie sociale, an aide who would attend classes with him for about two or three half-days per week. Guerrini said that getting assigned an aide in Arles is very difficult and the family was able to arrange one through a local politician they knew. 

Eventually, Silvio was enrolled in “L’Oranger,” a facility in The Arles Hospital. He attended about three half-days per week. Silvio’s time at “L’Oranger” was spent with a supportive child psychologist in an environment that “welcomed children with difficulties and tried to motivate them,” Guerrini said. 

Guerrini notes that the special education system in France involves national, regional and local agencies, and poor communication among the entities makes it difficult for families to know their path. The main problems, according to Guerrini, are the need for more spots and budget allocated for needed services.

“It’s the obstacle course, so as we say, you have to hold on and not let go, keep going, and believe,”  Guerrini said. 

Guerrini advises parents in similar situations to be patient, have courage and believe in the process.

In addition to the poor coordination between government entities, parents complain about the lack of training for educators. Many teachers and aides are not equipped to handle these students as they don’t get adequate training, Poulain said. 

“If you’ve got a teacher for your child who really wants to do the best they can for them, then it can go well,” Poulain said. “But, of course, if the type of disability of the child is such that it’s very, very complicated for them to be in a group with other children, then they need more help.” 

Poulain hopes that Dyspraxia France Dys can be part of the solution one day, helping to train educators in the community. 

“Dyspraxia France Dys needs to be able to go into schools and explain to teachers the tools that can be used to help children with learning disabilities,” Poulain said. “Those tools are going to help all the children in the class.” 

Dr. Christian Pic specializes in autism and neurodevelopmental disorders. In his practice, he routinely communicates with schools and daycare centers, visiting various locations and showing staff how they could adjust the space to best suit the needs of students with autism. Pic said that accessibility is a political issue, and as a society, France must work to integrate accessibility into daily life. 

“It’s not the disabled child who should adapt to us,” he said, “but us who should adapt to them.”

Anna Cauvin and Monica Ronco served as interpreters for this story.

Postcards

Cats Across Continents

Text and photos by Solange Jain

In Queens, New York City, Baya and Lennox wake up in a two-bedroom apartment, Lennox curled in a ball on the couch and Baya under Mom’s bed. They simultaneously lift their heads when they hear the bathroom door close, meaning Mom is awake and it’s time for breakfast.

In Arles, France, Luna opens her eyes to sunlight poking through the leaves of an oleander bush. She pokes her head out before jumping down and starting the walk down the street to the house. At the house she finds an open window and jumps in, waiting inside to be fed.

A cat bathes himself midday in the streets of Arles, France, licking his paws and unbothered by passersby.

When leaving for France, what I knew I would miss most (apart from my family and air conditioning) were my cats. My two furry little creatures provide a comfort and joy in my life that I was nervous to stray from. When I learned that my host family had a cat of their own, I became excited at the prospect of gaining a new four-legged friend.

But I quickly learned that pets are treated very differently in the south of France than in New York City.

At home, in the afternoons I watch Baya sit on the windowsill and survey the world from behind a glass panel. She watches buses and cars, dog walkers and business people rushing to and fro, while Lennox often rolls around on the carpet with a toy fish stuffed with catnip. Both cats know nothing other than their shoebox life, shielded from the dangers of the outside world.

When I arrived in Arles, where I am staying with the Devic family, I didn’t meet Luna until the third day. For two days she had been out in the streets, only coming home to have a quick meal once a day. I was informed that Luna spent time with her “boyfriend,” an orange cat in the neighborhood, and together they would explore the surrounding streets, napping in the shade of cars and hunting insects.

While Baya and Lennox have at most only ever felt the outside air through a screened window, the window at the Devic family home is always wide open, giving Luna free rein of both the outdoors and the house.

Luna’s boyfriend rests on the road, letting the sun of the late afternoon outline the back of his head.

My initial reaction to this approach of caring for a pet was that it was neglectful and possibly dangerous given the lack of attention on Luna and her whereabouts. I couldn’t imagine sending my cats away to fend for themselves out in the world. The more time I spent with Luna, though, I saw how content she was with her life and it seemed that being unconfined was extremely beneficial.

I began to feel guilty about my own cats’ restrictive lives. What kind of monster was I? I was confining my cats to a small New York City apartment and denying them their natural tendency.

As I reflected on my personal experience adjusting to being in a new place away from my family, I discovered parallels to the conflicting experiences of pet-owning in American cities versus the south of France.

Much like the life lived by Baya and Lennox, my life at home was safe and familiar, and allowed me to think I was experiencing the world when actually I had barely set foot in it. Now, mimicking Luna, I am exposed to the unknown without anyone protecting me, but simultaneously I am independently exploring my environment, without anyone holding my hand.

 Luna sits with her back to the camera and her head turned to face the inside in the circular bathroom window of her house. From here, Luna surveys the neighborhood below and what explorations await. 
Postcards

Growing Up in Smoke

Text by Lydia Perez
Photo by Malcolm Taylor

During the second week of my month in Arles, on a warm morning shortly before noon, I set out to take photos with a classmate. As we were getting ready to go and my classmate was packing up her camera equipment, we saw a little group of boys running around in the street. The oldest boy there, slumped over in a white shirt and shorts, was smoking a cigarette. 

My classmate and I were in complete shock to see the boy, who looked to be about 10 years old, smoking a cigarette around the other little kids. In the United States, it’s not common for people, particularly little kids, to smoke cigarettes. As I’ve walked around Arles, I always find at least one person with a cigarette in their mouth followed by a cloud of smoke.

In the United States, it’s a bit more common for middle schoolers to start consuming cannabis. That still shocks me. But not as much as seeing the little boy in Arles letting out a puff of smoke.

We were hoping the boy wouldn’t influence the other little boys around him to start smoking. But a week later, as I was walking home with the same classmate, we saw the boy who had been smoking again on the same street. We also saw one of the other little boys down the street. He looked to be around 5 years old and was behind a trash can that was a bit taller than him. He had a heartwarming smile.

“Oh no, is it a vape?” my classmate asked.

Sure enough, the little boy put his fist toward his mouth and two seconds later smoke came out of his mouth. As soon as the cloud of smoke blew out into the air, my heart shattered. I’d never seen a child that young vaping.

At home, when people want to smoke a cigarette, a vape pen or even a marijuana joint, they usually ask others around them if they’re comfortable with the smoking. However, the times I’ve been out to restaurants or walking around in Arles, people casually pull out a cigarette and just light it up. I find myself wondering just what are the limits on smoking here.

People, Postcards

Finding Home in a Foreign Land

By Rae Daniels-Henderson

Coming to France for the first time, I felt anxiety about how my four-week experience was going to play out. My terrible French speaking skills and American caricatures of the French people as stuck-up and impatient weighed very heavily on my chest.

I am the first in my family to travel abroad, let alone study abroad for a month. My fear of the unknown and my family’s fear of me traveling for so long added stress I didn’t realize I had until I arrived in Arles. 

But I have sighed my biggest ever mental sigh of relief because I have actually found a sense of home in Arles. 

Our first day in Arles, when my classmate, Judas, and I got lunch, I fumbled my words asking for a bottle of water. I soon became extremely embarrassed but was immediately put at ease when the server gave me an impromptu French lesson, pointing and translating with the warmest smile almost as if she was doing this to include me so I could better understand the culture.

That felt like my official welcome into this small community that has had iconic moments of history, including long visits from famous artists Paul Gaugin, Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gogh, and that was even a provincial capital of ancient Rome. 

A few days after that experience, the group was asked by Katie Thornton, the director at our language school, if we noticed any differences between our families at home and our host families. I realized I genuinely could not think of anything.

Dinners with my host family have been most recently on the patio during warm evenings with a musky yet sweet-scented incense burning to repel mosquitoes. That resembles my life back home with aromatic incense filling my dining and living room with an added sense of warmth. Both at home and in Arles everyone enjoys a meal, loud laughter, reminiscing, sharing stories and then breaking out into dance or the occasional funny-face exchange among siblings. 

I had already felt a sense of familiarity with my host mother, Françoise Meyer-Gardeur. But when she sat me and my other housemates from the program down one day and asked if we were comfortable with her, I realized she reminded me of my mother. The way that they both instill the courage in you to speak up to them about any concern, the showing of mutual respect to their children, and the genuine love, admiration and warmth that radiates from them are like the sun illuminating and bringing life to everything it touches.

My supportive Arlesian home on rue Jean Granaud has become my base to recharge and has given me confidence to explore more every day.

Even though I have been here for two weeks I now stop and occasionally have friendly conversations with people of this small community. Just as back home, I speak to people I see every day about their husbands, approaching traveling plans or even updates on pets. I have also experienced pleasant nods followed by a small smile and even little “Bonjours” if I accidentally lock eyes with someone while passing by on the street.

Apparently, I am getting a special welcome, because when I recount these interactions to my hosts, I get surprised and puzzled reactions. 

When my time comes to leave, I will miss this place immensely. I am grateful for the beaming Arlesian sun melting away my hesitation and fears, while I embrace it and all of its light and guidance through these cobblestone streets.