How French Canadians became White Folks, or doing things with race in Quebec

Abstract

ABSTRACTAs far as nineteenth century Anglosaxons were concerned, French Canadians were not quite white. This article considers the racial dimension of French-Canadian subjugation, long elided and ignored by historians. However, the descendants of French Canadians are no longer construed, and no longer construe themselves, as a racialized group, but rather as a modern, white, western nation. These changes in racial assignment still influence how French and English Canadians make sense of Canadian politics and identities today. Although Quebec's dual majority/minority status in Canada has been well studied, this article also taps into critical race and whiteness studies to examine how notions of evolution, civilization and progress continue to influence how to do things with race in Quebec.