Ivry-sur-Seine is a commune in the Val-de-Marnedepartment in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 5.3 kilometres (4 mi) from the centre of Paris. Paris’s main Asian district, the Quartier Asiatique in the 13th arrondissement, borders the commune and now extends into the northern parts of Ivry. Asian commercial activity, especially Chinese and Vietnamese, has greatly increased in Ivry-sur-Seine during the past two decades. The commune contains one of the highest concentrations of Vietnamese in France, who began settling in the city in the late 1970s after the Vietnam War.
Politically, Ivry-sur-Seine has historically demonstrated strong electoral support for the French Communist Party (PCF). Between 1925 and today (except for the period of German occupation in World War II), the office of mayor was held by just four individuals: Georges Marrane, Jacques Laloë, Pierre Gosnat and Philippe Bouyssou, all members of the Communist Party.
On 1 January 1860, the city of Paris was enlarged by annexing neighbouring communes. On that occasion, about a third of the commune of Ivry-sur-Seine was annexed to Paris, and now forms the Chinatown area of the 13th arrondissement of Paris. Ivry-sur-Seine is perhaps most famous as the place of execution of Jean Bastien-Thiry in March 1963. Richard Ellman also notes that James Joyce’s daughter, Lucia, received psychiatric treatment in the commune’s hospital in 1936 and was visited by both Joyce and Samuel Beckett.
Fnac has its head office in the commune. The head office moved there in 2008. E.Leclerc‘s head office is in the commune.
