French Americans

French Americans are one of the oldest ethnic groups in American society, having progressively formed an identity since their first arrival in America in the 16th century. Today, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, 9.3 million Americans report being of French ancestry, while only 152,000 U.S. residents were born in France. Although not one of the most culturally visible or demographically significant of the American groups, French Americans have developed a unique culture, shaped by a prolonged history of immigration.

Despite a relatively small number of immigrants in comparison with other groups, the French have had a disproportionately large impact on American society and have played a crucial role in American history from the earliest colonial stages. However, French Americans remain one of the least documented American ethnic groups: few works have been devoted to the group, and most amalgamate French Canadian ancestry with [Page 917]French ancestry. This is further complicated by the fact that early migration patterns are not always easily categorized—such is the case of the Cajuns, the Acadians who left France to settle in the area that is now part of both present-day Maine and Quebec, and then migrated south to Louisiana. French Americans are defined here through the more direct path of American residents of French ancestry and their descendants; for more details on Canadian Americans, see the related article.

While the group can sometimes be explained through waves of immigrants fleeing sporadic religious, political, or economic hardship in France—as was the case for the Huguenots under the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, the émigré of the French revolution, or the 19th century French fleeing rural hardships—it can more generally be understood as a heterogeneous migration of individuals, trying their luck in varied pursuits in America. Consequently, members of the group frequently assimilated culturally, and the group is relatively heterogeneous.

Geographically, French Americans are dispersed throughout the United States. Early French migrants have traditionally settled in northeastern regions of New England, as well as in Louisiana; both regions still have well-established French American communities. Newly arrived migrants, however, settle largely in urban areas, particularly in New York or California.