Legally, it’s a bit of paper that says that you are. Culturally, there are many aspects: adhering to the democratic pact; participating in the country by using one’s rights and accepting one’s duty; recognising oneself as part of the nation.
The thing is that nobody can say that you are not French when you actually are. That’s why there is so much wrangling about the significance of second- or third- generation immigrants. By the fourth generation, immigrants are indistinguishable from all the other citizens. Just look at the number of people with foreign family names everywhere, including amongst nationalist politicians. Yesteryear’s foreign bogeyman is today’s xenophobe. That’s a big reason why all discussions about who is “truly” French and who is not are so stupid. In the long run, it is not us who will decide what next century’s France will look like.
The thing is that nobody can say that you are not French when you actually are. That’s why there is so much wrangling about the significance of second- or third- generation immigrants. By the fourth generation, immigrants are indistinguishable from all the other citizens. Just look at the number of people with foreign family names everywhere, including amongst nationalist politicians. Yesteryear’s foreign bogeyman is today’s xenophobe. That’s a big reason why all discussions about who is “truly” French and who is not are so stupid. In the long run, it is not us who will decide what next century’s France will look like.