Back in America

Stan Berteloot

Interviews from a multicultural perspective that question the way we understand America

  1. I'll Always Be French. Now I'm Also a US Citizen.

    FEB 23

    I'll Always Be French. Now I'm Also a US Citizen.

    A French teenager arrives in Iowa for a year as an exchange student. He falls in love. He spends the next 25 years in France building a career, a family, a life. Then in 2016, his wife gets a job offer in the US, and they move back with their three teenage daughters. What he discovers is that America changed, but more importantly, so did he. This is the story of what makes America fundamentally different. It's the only country where you can truly become something new while keeping everything you were. You can't become French, no matter how hard you try or how long you stay. But you can become American. And that distinction changed everything for Stan. In this episode of Back in America, Stan reflects on the gap between the America he remembered and the America he came back to. He talks about green cards and citizenship, about raising multicultural kids caught between two worlds, about voting for the first time, and about the Statue of Liberty as a symbol of something France could never offer: the chance to belong by choice rather than by bloodline. If you've ever wondered what it actually takes to become a citizen, what you gain and what you keep, this conversation answers it. What You'll Learn: The difference between a Green Card and US citizenship (and why both matter)What the naturalization process actually requiresHow America's immigration model fundamentally differs from countries like FranceWhy Stan's journey proves that you can be two things at once

    32 min
  2. Is ‘Mainstream Media’ Still a Thing? Press Freedom and AI with Clayton Weimers of RSF USA

    09/10/2025

    Is ‘Mainstream Media’ Still a Thing? Press Freedom and AI with Clayton Weimers of RSF USA

    In this episode of Back in America, I sit down with Clayton Weimers, Executive Director of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) USA, to talk about the state of press freedom in America and beyond. From the decline of local journalism to the rise of AI in newsrooms, we explore the paradox of living in an age of information abundance while losing access to trustworthy reporting. Clayton explains why the U.S. now ranks 57th out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index, how economic pressures are creating “news deserts” across the nation, and why trust in journalism continues to erode. We also discuss the role of citizen journalism, podcasts, and independent newsletters in reshaping the media landscape. The conversation touches on broader themes that Back in America often explores: the fight against disinformation, the legacy of democratic ideals, and the tension between freedom of expression and corporate or political power. World Press Freedom Index 2025: over half the world's population in red zoneshttps://rsf.org/en/world-press-freedom-index-2025-over-half-worlds-population-red-zones Americans remain concerned about press freedoms, but partisan views have flipped since 2024https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/04/24/americans-remain-concerned-about-press-freedoms-but-partisan-views-have-flipped-since-2024/ Revitalizing America’s News Desertshttps://progressive.org/magazine/revitalizing-americas-news-deserts-pickard/

    30 min

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Interviews from a multicultural perspective that question the way we understand America

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