From Franco-American to American: The Case of Sainte-Famille, an Assimilating Parish of Lewiston, Maine

Abstract

While many studies have focused on the migration, settlement, and community formation of French-Canadian immigrants in the United States, we know little about the history of their Franco-American descendants in the twentieth century. Through the vehicle of the parish study, we can explore the continuing struggle between survivance and assimilation. An examination of the Sainte-Famille parish in Lewiston, Maine, sheds light on the assimilation of Franco-Americans into U.S. society over the course of the twentieth century. In particular, it highlights the role of the parish in promoting assimilation.