The French are keen to preserve their culture and to be individualized. They are often very proud of French products and French style, and believe in keeping French culture "pure", so they also limit the amount of imported foreign products. But during the World Wars, the French began allowing foreigners to immigrate to France to work due to a growing shortage of jobs. Immigration from the World Wars added to the diversity of French culture. Since the 1850s, there has been a steady flow of immigration to France, and today nine percent of the French population is made up of immigrants (Gofen 62). The distribution of cultures in France is as follows: eighty-five percent of the French population is Roman Catholic, eight percent Muslim, two percent Protestant and one percent Jewish. From 1801 to 1905, Roman Catholicism was the dominant religion in France and bishops and priests were paid by the government to be state civil servants. But this was broken in 1905 (“France” 460). The current debate in France concerns the banning of religious symbols in public schools. An example of a prohibited religious symbol is the headscarf. The headscarf has been banned since 2004, but the French do not allow ANY religious symbols in public schools (“In Knots”). France should not continue to ban the wearing of religious symbols in public schools, because since the world wars France began to allow foreigners to immigrate to France, in the United States there is no laws restricting the wearing of religious symbols and important French figures have had foreign parents. After the World Wars, France began allowing foreigners to come and look for work because it was suffering from a severe job shortage. (Gofen 62). Some ma...... middle of paper...... of foreign origin, making French culture a little more diverse. Works Cited Davis, Derek H. "Reacting to the Ban in France: Headscarves and Other Religious Attire in American Public Schools." Journal of Church and State. Spring 2004. EBSCO. Online. February 28, 2010. “France. » World Book Encyclopedia.2009. “The French Parliament must examine the ban on the Burka. » CNN. June 24, 2009. Online. Available at http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/06/23/france.burkas/index.html?iref=all search. January 5, 2010. Gofen, Ethel and Reymann, Blandine. World cultures: France. New York: Times Media Private Limited, © 2003. Haine, W Scott. Culture and customs of France. Westport: Green Wood Press, © 2006. “In knots on a scarf.” » The economist. September 19-25, 2009. 64. “Provisions of the International Religious Freedom Act.” » Facts about case issues and controversies. Jan 21 2000:18.