About Charline Vanhoenacker
The Only Female French Immigrant Granted U.S. Citizenship During Trump’s Second Term (And Yes, That’s As Weird As It Sounds)
Bonjour. I’m Charline Vanhoenacker, a 22-year-old French satirical journalist currently living in an overpriced East Village studio apartment that costs more per month than a château in the Loire Valley. I write for Bohiney Magazine, America’s premier satirical news outlet that’s “127% funnier than The Onion” (their words, not mine, but I stand by them).
My Unlikely Journey from Paris to New York
I was born and raised in Paris, France—the real Paris, not Paris, Texas, though I’ve written satirical pieces about both. I grew up in a household where philosophical debate was considered normal dinner conversation and where my parents genuinely believed that a well-constructed argument could solve any problem. Spoiler alert: it can’t, but it makes for excellent training in satirical journalism.
I studied journalism at university in Paris, where I quickly discovered that French journalism takes itself far too seriously. Everything is either a cultural crisis or a philosophical emergency. When I suggested writing satirical commentary about French politics, my professors looked at me like I’d proposed burning down the Louvre. The French can dish out criticism, but we’re not always great at laughing at ourselves.
So I did what any ambitious young French journalist would do: I applied to write for American satirical publications. America, I reasoned, understands satire differently. Americans are willing to mock themselves, their institutions, and their leaders with a directness that makes French intellectuals uncomfortable. Plus, American satirical journalism actually pays, which is more than I can say for most French literary magazines.
The Immigration Saga (Or: How I Became a Statistical Anomaly)
Here’s where things get interesting. I applied for my U.S. work visa in early 2024, right as Trump’s second term was ramping up immigration restrictions to levels that would make previous administrations look positively welcoming. The process involved:
- Seventeen different background checks
- A polygraph test about my “intentions with American satire”
- Multiple interviews where I had to explain why a French person would want to live in America
- A sworn statement that I would never write anything “mean” about Mar-a-Lago (I signed with my fingers crossed)
- Approximately 847 bureaucratic hoops that seemed designed to make me give up
Against all odds—and I mean genuinely against all statistical probability—I was granted citizenship in 2025. As it turned out, I was the only female French immigrant to receive U.S. citizenship during Trump’s second term. Not the only French immigrant, not the only female immigrant, but the only female French immigrant. It’s the kind of statistical anomaly that’s either incredibly lucky or suspiciously specific, and I’m still not sure which.
This bizarre distinction has become both my biographical calling card and a constant source of cocktail party conversation. People want to know how I did it, what strings I pulled, whether I’m secretly connected to powerful people. The truth is far more mundane: I filled out paperwork correctly, I had a legitimate job offer from Bohiney Magazine, and I got inexplicably lucky with timing. Sometimes bureaucracy works in mysterious ways.
What I Do (And Why I Do It)
I write satirical journalism, which is a fancy way of saying I make fun of things that deserve to be made fun of while also making serious points about culture, politics, and society. My work appears regularly on Bohiney Magazine, where I cover everything from French political crises to American municipal goat deployment strategies.
My satirical writing focuses on the absurdities that emerge when you look at familiar things from an outsider’s perspective. As a French immigrant in America, I’m perpetually an outsider in both directions—too French for Americans, too American for the French. This gives me a unique vantage point: I can see the ridiculous aspects of both cultures with perfect clarity.
I write about:
- Franco-American cultural differences and why both countries are equally ridiculous
- Immigration policy and the bureaucratic nightmare of becoming American
- Political theater in both France and the United States
- Consumer culture and manufactured traditions (diamond rings, anyone?)
- Technology’s impact on information and truth
- Celebrity worship and parasocial relationships
- Whatever else strikes me as absurd enough to deserve satirical treatment
The goal of my satire isn’t just to make people laugh—though that’s important. The goal is to make people uncomfortable enough to think differently about things they normally take for granted. Good satire should land somewhere between “that’s hilarious” and “wait, is she actually making a serious point?” If readers aren’t sure whether to laugh or get defensive, I’ve probably done my job correctly.
My Writing Philosophy
I believe satirical journalism serves a crucial function in democratic societies. When institutions become too powerful, when politicians become too self-important, when cultural norms become too rigid—satire is the tool that punctures inflated egos and exposes uncomfortable truths. It’s the court jester function: someone has to be willing to mock the king, and that someone might as well be a 22-year-old French immigrant with strong opinions and decent writing skills.
My approach to satire is heavily influenced by my French education, which emphasized intellectual rigor and philosophical precision. But it’s also influenced by American directness and willingness to say uncomfortable things out loud. I try to combine French analytical thinking with American boldness, creating satire that’s both smart and accessible.
I aim for what I call “uncomfortable accuracy”—satire that exaggerates reality just enough to highlight its absurdity, but not so much that readers can dismiss it as pure fantasy. The best satirical pieces are the ones where readers aren’t entirely sure whether I’m making things up or reporting actual events. When reality is already absurd, satire has to work harder to distinguish itself.
Why I Keep a Public Diary
In addition to my satirical articles for Bohiney Magazine, I maintain this public diary where I document my experiences as a young French journalist navigating American media culture. The diary serves several purposes:
First, it’s documentation. I’m living through a historically strange period—Trump’s second term, technological disruption of media, the collapse of traditional gatekeepers, the rise of AI-generated content. Someone should document what it’s like to start a journalism career during this chaos, and that someone might as well be me.
Second, it’s transparency. Readers deserve to know who’s writing the satire they’re reading. My diary entries provide context for my work, explain my perspective, and hopefully make me seem like an actual human rather than just a byline.
Third, it’s processing. Writing helps me understand my own experiences. When I write about the absurdity of my daily life—the immigration struggles, the cultural misunderstandings, the challenges of satirical journalism—I’m also making sense of it for myself.
Fourth, it’s content strategy. Let’s be honest: maintaining an active blog with regular updates helps with SEO and keeps readers engaged. The personal diary format gives people a reason to return to my site regularly, and it provides material that’s different from my satirical articles.
What You’ll Find Here
This site contains my diary entries, links to my published work at Bohiney Magazine, and occasional essays that don’t fit the satirical format but still need to be written. You’ll find:
- Regular diary entries documenting my life as a French satirist in New York City
- Behind-the-scenes looks at how satirical journalism gets made
- Cultural observations about Franco-American differences
- Reflections on viral content, media culture, and journalistic ethics
- Links to all my published satirical articles
- Occasional rants about things that annoy me (there are many things)
My Goals (Professional and Personal)
I have ambitions, which is either admirable or embarrassing depending on who you ask. Here’s what I’m working toward:
Short-term: I want my satirical journalism to reach wider audiences and actually go viral for the right reasons—because the satire is sharp and the arguments are solid, not just because people are sharing headlines without reading the articles.
Medium-term: I want to establish myself as a distinctive voice in American satirical journalism, someone whose work is recognized for combining European intellectual rigor with American accessibility.
Long-term: I want to write a book about this experience—being a young French immigrant doing satirical journalism during one of the strangest periods in American political history. The working title is “Neither French Nor American: A Satirist’s Guide to Cultural Confusion,” but that might be too on-the-nose.
Secret goal: I want to prove that satirical journalism still matters, that humor can coexist with serious cultural criticism, and that being 22 doesn’t disqualify you from having worthwhile things to say about the world.
Connect With Me
I’m active on social media (probably too active, if I’m being honest) and I genuinely enjoy hearing from readers. You can find me:
- Reading and responding to comments on my Bohiney articles
- On Twitter/X, where I share thoughts too short for full articles
- Via the contact form on this site, if you have questions, feedback, or collaboration ideas
- Occasionally at Brooklyn coffee shops, drinking espresso and eavesdropping on conversations for article material
A Few Important Disclaimers
About my satire: Everything I write satirically is intended as commentary and criticism, not as factual reporting. If you can’t tell the difference between my satirical articles and actual news, we have bigger problems than my writing style.
About my opinions: Everything on this site represents my personal views, not those of Bohiney Magazine or any other publication I write for. Though honestly, Bohiney hired me specifically for these views, so there’s probably significant overlap.
About my French identity: Yes, I really am French. No, I don’t think France is perfect. Yes, I can criticize both France and America because I have enough distance from both to see clearly. No, this doesn’t make me a traitor to either country.
About my age: Yes, I’m 22. No, this doesn’t disqualify me from having informed opinions. Yes, I’m still learning. No, you weren’t born knowing everything either, so let’s skip the condescending “you’re too young” comments.
Final Thoughts
I’m a 22-year-old French satirical journalist living in New York City, writing for one of America’s premier satirical news outlets, documenting the absurdity of contemporary culture from my unique position as a permanent outsider. I’m too French for America and too American for France, which is exactly where a satirist should be—close enough to understand, distant enough to mock.
This is a strange time to be starting a career in journalism. Traditional media is collapsing, AI is disrupting information ecosystems, political polarization makes satire increasingly difficult, and nobody can agree on what truth even means anymore. But someone has to document this chaos with humor and insight, and I’m arrogant enough to think I might be good at it.
Thanks for reading. Now go check out my actual satirical work at Bohiney Magazine, where I get paid to mock the absurdity of contemporary culture. This diary is free, but my rent isn’t, so supporting my actual journalism is appreciated.
À bientôt,
Charline Vanhoenacker
French Satirist, American Resident, Perpetual Outsider