Economic Factors in the Persistence of French-Canadian Identity in New England

Economic Factors in the Persistence of French-Canadian Identity in New England

From Schulz: "French-Canadian immigrants to New England, unlike other ethnic groups in the United States, did not show signs of assimilation into American society until the 1950's. This thesis examines the history of one French-Canadian community - Sand Hill, in Augusta, Maine. French Canadians came to Augusta in great numbers around the turn of the century to work in the cotton mill. To investigate the retention of French-Canadian identity, French-Canadian immigrants are considered as both an ethnic group and a social class. Evidence drawn from interviews with immigrants and from written accounts shows that economic conditions, such as poverty and lack of education, helped to reinforce French-Canadian isolation from "Yankees" in Augusta. Resistance to assimilation was also promoted by policies and informal practices of two strong local institutions: the French Catholic Church and the textile mill."

Photographs taken by the thesis author of the Edwards textile mill in Augusta available here.

Schulz, Julia

1985

en; fr

Thesis/Dissertation

1850-1985; Augusta, Maine

No

106

M.A., Anthropology

McGill University

Economic Factors... @ McGill University

Economic Factors... @ Google Books