Have you ever been asked, “So what’s your background?”
And if you answered with, “I’m Franco-American.”
Most likely, you’ve gotten this response:
“……what is that?”
This is what I hear every time I am asked this question. No joke.
Even in New England, the term Franco-American is unrecognizable among many people. Which is funny, because our community used to be well-known for their work in the textile mills back in the day; say 50+ years ago.
So what is a Franco-American?
- Any United States citizen with full or partial French-Canadian heritage
Meaning that if you are a U.S. citizen who:
- Can trace at least some of your heritage back to Québec through grandparents, great-grandparents, etc.
Then congrats, you’re a Franco-American! Welcome to the club.
Now, that’s just on the surface. There are Franco-Americans who believe the qualifications are even stricter than that.
For example: some believe that if you do not speak French fluently, then you cannot call yourself a Franco-American. Or if you do not have full French-Canadian heritage, then you are technically not a “true” Franco-American.
Well, guess what?
Some of us don’t care about these strict “rules.” In fact, by those standards, I’m an imposter!
I don’t speak fluent French (even though I do enjoy my daily Duolingo lessons) and I’m only partially of French-Canadian descent. Uh oh!
But don’t be concerned, most of us just want a sense of community. So even if you have 1% of French-Canadian blood, no worries here! You are a Franco-American.
There’s so much more to being Franco-American that will be discussed here. But it’s not just about the past, it’s also where our community is headed.
The main goal here is to take old traditions and make them brand new to create our own modern version of a Franco-American.
By the bulleted points above, are you Franco-American? Does your family have any customs they practice? Let me know in the comments!
Merci et bonne journée!
Glenn
Wow, a flag I have never seen and this coming from a retired Marine and Rotarian. The Star and Fleur de Lis on a red, white and blue field definitely screams France and the United States aka America.
Melody
Hi Glenn! Nice to hear from you! Many people have never seen this flag before, including some of us in the Franco-American community. That’s why I believe it’s important to use this flag to establish ourselves as a “real group” in the United States.
JS Shank
Hi, my grandfather was born in Fall River, Mass., in 1881. His father and grandfather were part of the many “waves” of French Canadian immigrants (about 750,000), “invited” to work in the cotton mills, especially after the Civil War, until the 1939s. Actually, some 13 million US citizens claim Franco-american ancestry.
Eight of my uncles and aunts were American-born before the family returned to Canada, where 10 more children were born, which included twin boys in 1918, one of whom was my father. His twin became a priest, 5 of his sisters became nuns.