SURVIVANCE OF THE CULTURE: HOW TODAY'S GENERATION OF
MAINE WOMEN KEEP THEIR FRANCO-AMERICAN CULTURE ALIVE

By Evangeline T. Hussey

The Question
In 2007, while enrolled in Franco-American Women's Experiences (FAS 230) through the
University of Maine, I asked myself, among other things, what seemed like a simple question at the
time: "Who and where are the Franco-Americans in Maine?" The subject had come up during the
class, and a subsequent online discussion had ensued. Later, the question was integrated into a lesson
plan I was drafting for use in a high school French class: "An Introduction to Franco-American Studies
With an Emphasis on Maine's Franco-Americans." The document included a section in which
students were asked to identify and conduct an oral interview with one of Maine's Franco-Americans.
Still, the question lingered with me, staying relatively dormant over the next two years. As a
result of my most recent studies in Franco-American Women: Borders and Beyond (FAS 329), the
question has evolved into something much more specific. It has now become a two-part query: Who
and where are the Franco-American women in Maine and how have they retained a connection to their
culture? In the most basic terms, how do today's women keep the Franco-American culture alive?

Project Background
This project was really born out of the above-referenced studies as well as questions about my
own ancestry. Earlier this year, in September 2009 to be exact, in planning for my mid-term and final
reports for FAS 329, it seemed natural to go back to my 2007 quandary. It seemed like a good time to
find the answer to my question--as much as I could anyway with the time and space that was allotted
in the semester. What really began with the simple desire to understand more about my Franco-
American background became a challenge to define, quite specifically, a group of living Franco-
American women in Maine who are keeping their culture alive for future generations.


To read the entire paper, please go to the following link:

Husseyfinalproject.pdf

Do not reproduce without the permission of the author:
©Evangeline T. Hussey
e.hussey@hotmail.com