Trump left out one critical fact when congratulating France on the World Cup win.
France won the 2018 World Cup with a resounding 4-2 victory over Croatia on July 15.
You could say they were pretty excited about it.
Photo by Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images.
Congratulations poured in from across the globe, including from President Donald Trump.
Trump — who at the time was in Europe for a NATO summit, a visit with U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, and a trip to Helsinki, Finland, to discuss ... something with Russian President Vladimir Putin — praised the French for their big win.
There's a helluva lotta irony packed into his tweet though. Because just two days before, Trump had warned European leaders that immigration is "changing the culture" of their countries. And not in a good way.
"I know it is politically not necessarily correct to say that, but I'll say it, and I'll say it loud," Trump told reporters during a press conference.
"I think [immigration has] been very bad for Europe. ... I just think it's changing the culture. It's a very negative thing for Europe."
France's soccer team, however, epitomizes the very cultural shift Trump warned about.
Its players have roots stemming from nearby Germany, Portugal, and Italy as well as Guinea, Mali, and Algeria. No fewer than 15 athletes have lineages tied to Africa, and about two-thirds of the team members boast immigrant backgrounds.
Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images.
"There may be players who come from different origins," player Antoine Griezmann said after his team's big win, "but we do have the same state of mind."
"For our country, we give everything we have. As soon as you wear the jersey, we do everything for each other."
Photo by Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images.
Immigrants get the job done — in more ways than one.
Yes, they win championships, but they're also the lifeblood of many Western nations — including (and especially) the U.S.
Immigrants are our teachers, our business owners, our doctors, our friends. They've launched our most successful companies, starred in our most beloved TV shows, and written our most patriotic songs. Immigrants are as American as apple pie, and they have been since the beginning.
The 2018 World Cup may have marked a big victory for France. But it's also a victory for immigrants everywhere. Let's not forget it.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."