(L-R) Kris Barrett and former US ambassador to Luxembourg Tom Barrett;
Luxembourg’s growing community of dual citizens in the United States continues to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries, with many embracing their heritage and expressing it through language, tradition and entrepreneurship.
Chronicle.lu has partnered with Luxembourg Dual Citizenship Consultation Services for a series of articles on Luxembourg Americans – individuals who have reclaimed Luxembourg nationality to become dual citizens.
The third article is slightly different in that it focuses on former Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who is about a year removed from serving as US Ambassador to Luxembourg (2022-2025). A native of Milwaukee, he served as the city’s 44th mayor for nearly eighteen years (2004-2021) and previously held office in the US House of Representatives, the Wisconsin Senate and the State Assembly. Tom and his wife Kris, who have four adult children, live on Milwaukee’s west side, just blocks from where he was born.
Alongside an overview of his current activities, the article reflects on the 72-year-old former ambassador’s time in the role.
Since returning from Luxembourg, Tom Barrett said he and his wife Kris have spent time travelling, including visits to Hong Kong, Thailand and Vietnam. He noted that the trip to Vietnam prompted reflection on his diplomatic experience in Luxembourg and on how history is remembered in different parts of the world.
Recalling a ceremony at the Luxembourg American Cemetery during his first year as ambassador, Tom said a conversation with a local journalist had left a lasting impression. “It’s important to pay respect to the men who lost lives here. But it’s also important that we educate future generations as to the role of the American involvement here,” he said, adding that the reporter responded emotionally: “We don’t forget. We never forget.” The former ambassador described the moment as “American exceptionalism at its best”, while noting that his time in Vietnam encouraged him to reflect on “the other side of that record.”
Looking back on his time in Luxembourg, Tom said he continues to “treasure all the memories” and described the posting as “a wonderful chapter in our lives both professionally and personally.” He highlighted the country’s strong relationship with the United States, adding that Luxembourg was “a very warm and welcoming country” where he and his wife felt “very blessed to have landed there.”
Among the challenges, Tom Barrett pointed to Luxembourg’s high level of multilingualism, which he described as both humbling and impressive. “They speak Luxembourgish, French, German and English,” he said, adding that he continues to work on improving his French. He also noted cultural differences, observing that everyday street interactions were less common than in Milwaukee, which he attributed in part to Luxembourg City’s large international population.
Reflecting on his ambassadorship, Tom Barrett said the most significant challenge came less than a month after his arrival, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He recalled being tasked with warning contacts about the impending invasion, despite widespread scepticism at the time. “When the unspeakable happened, the United States’ credibility increased ten-fold,” he said, adding that US intelligence proved “spot on.”
Chronicle.lu previously interviewed Tom Barrett at the end of his term, when he reflected on US-Luxembourg relations and his future plans.
He also referred, more light-heartedly, to the constant flow of visitors from the United States during his posting, describing the situation as occasionally awkward but unavoidable, particularly when guests were from his home state of Wisconsin.
Asked what the US or Milwaukee could learn from Luxembourg, Tom Barrett pointed to public safety and transport. He recalled being struck by the fact that a homicide in Kirchberg was the first in Luxembourg since 2020, contrasting this with the frequency of violent crime in Milwaukee. He also praised Luxembourg’s free public transport, saying it reinforced his belief that “if you want a healthy city life, you have to have ways for people to get around.”
Looking ahead, Tom said he and his wife would like to return to Luxembourg one day. He noted that their posting had given them the opportunity to travel extensively for the first time and added: “Once you get a taste for it, you want to do more.”
Concluding, Tom Barrett expressed hope that relations between the United States and Luxembourg would remain strong. “This is a perilous time between the United States and Europe,” he said, adding that it would be “a tragedy if we allowed more than 80 years of shared history to be destroyed.”
