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3/31/1944 - Franco-Americans (Americans of French Canadian Descent) by Marine Leland

Hotel Carpenter anchester T H Tuesday rancorericans ericans French Canadi descent Dear Rogers It precisely Torth ampton anhester tance covered three hours ontreal In other words hours I Springfield other Boston because enabled educated In Spring field I lunch Highland Hotel I waited Greek whose conversation I enjoyed In Bos where I missed connection minutes I longwalk snowstorm around Torth Station section which I I lived Boston seventeen years I dinner oyster house limpse _aneuil Hall It beautiful I arrived night SO Since I several hours ssociation Canado nericaine where I throu2h Lambert collectio where I conversation thePresident Adolphe Robert He spend morning funeral Bishop Peterson Manchester charge secretary Franco imerican exceedingly bright I spent entire turned whose conversation extremely valuable Robert disposal afternoon secretary I visited several schools anchester Nashua In evenin attended lecture French Canadlan Curator Provincial useum Quebec To morrow I spending morning Association I haviE ltuch Robert editor Franco American paper L__ which published Worcester copies which I spring I leave clock Burlington In course I halve Y W C A Chinese restaurant tomorrow Greek restaurant Aain I impressed eternal variety united States Manchester population irahabi tants Imagine being wander around small community I anchester ashua several times before never rticu point which I I hcard revelation avery One thing struck course conversations ference history ranco American groups accordin Tew England states which settled I generalize freslN aspect situation indications The Franco tmericans Vermont close asato Canada their lanage readily The French newspapers _rench spoken chLrches Curiously enough contributed other groups community which I lieve reputation which Frenc Canadian immigrants being economically unsuccessful originated Vermont possibly In Rhode Island New lampshire contrary communities Massachusetts bordering these states Franco Americans served their lanuage formed kinds societies including mutual insurance companies which Association Canado Amrlcaine brought their banking system dozens newspapers weeklies dailies their rench speakin parishes schools frequently hospitals serve entire community The present Governor Rhode Island I mistken Franco tmerlcan since anchester succession French mayors The present Josaphat Benoit formerly editor Franco American dail3 paper Of anchester Z Avenir_ The chief difference between Rhode Island New Hampshire former ranco tmerlcans asunder round rible conflict within church fight between rench Cath Irish Catholics The Franco American H amPshire Massachusetts involved quarrel heart battle Rhode Island notably Woonsocket In orthampton sisters Franco merican leader Woonsocket They house Cur French Church I already conversation The trouble arose distribution church funds Th Irish bishop Rhode Islan claimed complete control monies every diocese In 0uebec contrary general belief parish controls funds threu organization Cur lannn vInico called La fabrique It plans involving expsnditures building church bishop E rquir But money expended parish concerned The Franco Americans Rhode Island bishop before civic courts For action xcommunicated The civil courts ruled Catholic parishes constituted corporate bishop raised various parishes whatever deemed This decision almost schism within church lthotk radical prevented feelln between Irish still bitter It corresponds precisely feelln which exists between these groups Ontario which lrench Canadians maintain 0raneman enemy south Ireland immigrant This feeling bitterness especially accentuated among members clergy In New Hnpshlre instance there Catholics diocese Of these ranco nericans Tev ertheless Franco merican clergy represe chancellery access bishop difficult Irish The eneral attitude Eranco nericans I gathered conversa tions what_ I learned course United States government never interfered impeded progress France American roups obstable Irish clergy Franco mericans found freedom opportunities improvement which sought They stron defenders nerican Constitution which consider finest instrument government humanity devised I believe attitude sinceritv struckm manytimes startlinglyexemplifiedlast Septemberwhen subscribed almest I VictoNy Ponds response quest 8ecretar Treasur oranthau particular group Until recently majority France Americans staunch Republicans Of however certain Democrat organizers value France American theyhave important inroads France American Republican Bloc Nevertheless I think Republican tradition still France AmeriCan tradition country The attitude French anadlan immigrants misunderstood stock country The France Americans accused ssimilating illiterate beinE unsuccessful economically In course years durln whIch I followed certain attention activities poPulation I rived precisely opposite conclusion MoreoVer believe I wrote St Paul October I becomln aware reten foundinE national societies schools indirect essential proCess assimilation I inclined believe other groups The reason French Canadians feared schools associations numbers other groups which hasaroused suspicions against their country oreover should forgotten belong original nations conti keenly aware On other cisely because belong America extremely quick American point I great ranco mericans first generation completely lmilated althouh still speak French touch their original culture Too entertain childish dream immigrants France Americans Fungarians mornin perfect Alo Saxons Whenaver I Franc0 nericans Other roups I better instinc tively poiic leaving enoEh unconsciously extraordinarily It understandable course mendous influx Of French Canadians should stock something being destroyed should brought sehse regret traditionalist Tew England On other thesepeopTe siEht several lmportant aspects situation I French Canadian immigrants brought first mills possible gracious Tew England As stock could desire foreiguers societies immigrants naturally found The appearance foreigness mistaen reality Whether spealing French English Eranco American sounds American again I noticed American _ualit members other groups We judge patriotism humble grants critical attitude intellectual People their livln great respect country means excellent Americans I weary called objective sociological studies which confuse national unity nationl formity I believe willing accept patent Nnricanlsm great refuges country should least trust tudoubted Americanimm those classe which expressing Som ociologists believe unless every Latin wilin T M C A Y W C A happily after Americanism complete I scarcely outburst indirectly connected conversations I The ranco Americans I talked perfectly aware looked socially They careto about which quite understandable However discriminated against otherwise After people choose their friends All group shouldn Yankees enjoy being together In anchestsr where Franco tmerS constitute percent population there professional clubs The Calumet The Joliet Both buildings situated lovely souare which lined buildings United tates Post Office Public Library Y W C A ssociation Canado mericaine The Calumet Yankee Tollet Franco American The mmbers these clubs Chamber Commerce Bar Association cordial terms But separate there seems desire eiths This another generation While Franco mricans littl snubbed times feeling largely compensat By reflections inspired their native common sense This tells natural people their themselves something which cherish deeply should vited The status appearances satisfactory The Franco Americans carry their Americans They proressed enormously sines their arrival Their children educated establish there seems limit Above limits develop alone everyone regard ethnical origin This brings economic situation Franco Americans Individually Here outstanding example drawn Manchester itself The Amoskeag employed people In thinNs lo01ed might close You easily imagine would meant Manchester The contributed rsorNanization these mills Franco American called oreau The Yarch Time featured reorganization remarkable events A shops anches Street owned Franco Americans cities towns EnImd The Franco Americans succeeded extremely I personal several judges French Canadian origin England mention business teachers There unquestionably Is Franco Americans there every group What teresting which grown without basis discern according which Franqo Americans economically incompetent Prsonall I French Indian Wars propazanda centuries which lived I other reason people studied Frauc0 American croup share opinion Collectively Franco mericans Their inntnerable churches schools proof their prospert Such institutions demand money oreover there England alone three mutual insurance companies which entirely controlled ranco Imerican money which cater entirely Franco Americans The oldest these Issociation Americaine which foded Nanchester The largest inion St Jean Baptiste uarters vhich In Woonsocket Inally there Socit ssompton cadin surance compa which foded In C ardiner assachusetts quarters which In oncton New Bswick There cadians New England The historv these associations migrant along Canadians first money wtsoever institution could sense security The7 lange If instance coanies perhaps In these iigrants mortally afraid beined natural foded social clubs where could these clubs under tlonal French Canadian saint St John aptist member group other members contributed burial As contribution transformed relar inally somebody merging these isolated sociati0n Cado capital Unlike insurance companies ssociation constitutes social center It functions throh lodges resemble Elks asous provides mutual assistance The premiss small there about whole atmosphere personal parochial relations which French Canadians accustomed Each nsurance companies chaplain important person For exple church fight Rhode Island P resident Assoc ation Canado happened leader against Irish At excomications President among those comumicated Association deprived chaplain The reper cussions suchthat resident removed president chosen order chaplain might restored It Is exples these realize power French Canadian lation To sudden revolution accordingly nonsensical Roers March revolution mouldo beyond religious would inevitably economic Quite aside their activities buslness church fairs Franco tmericans produced literature They their newspapers course written history their settlements poetr novels appeared dealin theme French Canadian immigration England One these Th_e Dlusson Fam sltated Holyoke Massachusetts The other called Vl situated I believe Connecticut It judge Superior Cour Rhode Island The_ Delusson written English It reads translation altho1 author French certainly I happen Ni written French It appeared I shall awaitlng I The Delus F smilY illage evolution Franco Am rican community The erlcanbegan arrive New Englnd large numbers round efore however there ample proof crossed smalle groups In I convinced exchanges between Nw Englan New France numerousthan believe At first reHch anadian workers seasonal In Vermont haying season There saying Boston Maine Railroad running French Canadians going forth Zittle little settled First lived flats inlodgings provided company which worked These settlements exceedingly known everywhere Little Canadas The people stuck themselves As possible parish priest built small church Young doctors hearing there opportunity New England joined ranks Then extra ordinary thrift French Canadians collected little money They began leave climb As climbed became interested United States Manchester flats still majority of_the Franco nerican population climbed In itself however there various shades Some Frano Americans refuse anything about rench resent allusion their Gnadian background Those people remark their French Wrance Of course somewhere around Others anxious preserve their culture while unquestionably Americans They their children either Franch school Nw England Canada The custom snding chiiden Canada growing thing children there They become different French Canadian children quite sympathy For another parents begun discover children educated according system whlch different which diffi evaluate terms education It education Canada prepare dents expected inally religious Communities themselv unwittingly helped custom sending children Canada their education example Isters Presentation important convent St Pracinthe PoQ They houses Tew England In course became numerous I miwht American decided found province which would quite independent Canadian their independent Toviciate their college their schools grammar schools In words deeply resent havin their prospective tudents snatched Canadian schools The France Americans really uninterested going Cauada They nothing about Franch Canadian politics It almost impossible French Canadian lecture They keenly aware attitude rovince Quebec towards sense their ideutity The intellectual among interested local Z rican intellectual ventures lecturers rance On other extremely interestin__ France Americans taken active supporting Free Franch movement count The Franco mericans shown interest movement precisel those eager become thoroughl assim ilated stock Some France Americans I talked ubject pressure which Fre French tried exert their French descent For instance judge joined Free French movement because French descent because tmerican point should presented association This confused boils clear patterns First French Canadian craves assimilated joins Free French precisely order American shares Amerlc nterest France Second France American interested feeling American regardless immediate assimilation afraid being associated Free French Frenchman joins Association prove different merican first One interested attitude Franco Amsricans towards rench Canadians French Cnadians completely different themselves feeling conduct DurLn I spent Robert secretary explained reaction French Canadian audience French movie Quebec She traveled great She Haiti Cuba South merica She looked French Canadian audience strongly reminded Cuban audience S10e could understand French Canadian reaction French movie The movie itself struck naive mmateurish She French reads renc_ French language cultural asset rathmr national prerogative I W rench should preserved culture order affirm their ethnical identity rowin ranco Americans It seems French Canadians national fixation That course groups French Canadians habit fighting preservation their I often struak which through which accustomed Csnada Even course certainly somethin Canada Of survive group their order command rather What theft about however belief brought somethin country forget belong continent their ancestors contri buted development those Englanders I thirk resant recouized descendants Colonists France posed history Th attitude Franco Amerlcans toward Church interestin Ln French Canadians habit making clergy criticizing Franco imericans nothing again their I imagine depnd French Canadians persecution which their priests subjected Irish clergy The Franco kericans brotht their national gifts historians archlvists bibliographers The physician assachusstts Tuberculosis Sanstorium Rutland extraordinarily bibliogr The Collection Lambert which I examining consists about volumes stacks newspapers newspaper clippings constitutes history Franco tmericans England The collection named lived years Manchster where delivery rocery From seVenteen eihteen began collect books Te spent esrnlns purchase books dealln French Canada End whenever business broug kitchen where around either begged He collected tales songs which heard about proved great assistance arius Barbeau ational I aseum Ottawa Lanctot Director Public Archives Ottawa E Z Massicotte Archivist City Montreal The ociet imerican Folklore devoted three numbers tales songs collected published together twenty three volumes By together I could afford publish typed himself pasted appropriate illustrations these I chosen amazing flair bound himself To these books interesting bebause reveal extraordinary instinct scholarship bcause material contain For instance gathered together great biblical stories verse which French Canadian point As these stories better national chsractr really anything sophisticated observer managed In Ad Eve instance curious ixture French Canadian directness ISth century effete elegance Th kssocition Canado tmeri caine lodged beautiful building built classical lines charmingly furnished The Association mploys about persons Robert himself Canada completely assimilated feeilng His manners however definitely French Cuadian As office limpse protect himself drafts which Frenchmen death itself feeling stepping Canada France Robert exclusivel business Ine writes finished histor famil which cledicated children descendants order their ancestors Recently hewaS invited deliver lecture French Tniversit Exile Tsw Yorl H defined United States words Booker T Washin On Openi explained finger different These various racial groups country But added dramatic comes closes Sam appears I college which I visited On other students seemed extremely happy interest their I tried think college Smith struck happy there The transition would sudden In would probably themselves bottom whereas These enough education although I p_ersonally should joyed still standards theirs I happy The order Franco Americans Ther French Canadians among these narrow I remember I Abitbi I Franco American Canadian convent happy In conversation shetold other narrow whatsoever nature United States I doubt these Canadian affect thinking Of girls They minority girls themselves Country As I roread letter T realize somewhatvehement I think I rehears mentally artments I course years concerning language country I hesrd foolish theorizin meanin people never foreign lnguae group Y I everything I thought about truer realized I anxious black white In closing I funny thing happened after I little grocery flats rettes On counter there novels French bought three I looked Thes extremely wealth vocabular students College would without dictionary As I Montreal current thought between France French America never interrupted If anyone wants French Canadians preserved their throu novels I discovered afternoon I important state Franco mericans convenience distinguishing themselves other Americans I notice RoNers I0 other people speakin They actually resent marked different I tlnis sounds contradictory perhaps indicative present state French Tew England Sincerely yours arine Leland