We arrived in Dubuque on Saturday the 24th of January 2009 and met our family for the first time. I was surprised by their warm welcome and their will to make me comfortable. I guess that is the way of most of American relationship, as tell the bias in France. This one was really true and I felt at home quickly. On Sunday, I attended Mass and went to a breakfast organized by a private primary school in order to encourage the Catholic week. The Catholic week supports Catholic private schools, which are not funded by the state but by private people (families, associations, etc.). People seem to attach a lot of importance to religion in Iowa and most generally in the USA. Churches are full compared to France where only adults and old people attend Mass. In the US, religion is present everywhere, even in political meetings while the separation between the State and religion is written in the Constitution. This is not the case in France where no political meetings are foregone by a prayer and a recommendation to God.
I visited this school and was surprised to see American flag in the classes and that pupils had to take the oath of fidelity to the nation at the beginning of the class. Even litlle children are prepared to their life of American citizen. This first approach of the USA was marked by the relationship American people have with their country.
