Where is the French in Lewiston
From Sarah Elzas
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Producers: Sarah Elzas
Marthe Rivard, 93, is Franco-American. She remembers speaking French everywhere in town, in stores, in church at home. Today, she does that less and less. The people who do speak French in Lewiston are about her age, and their children understand and do not speak it. There is an effort to revive the language, but the story of Lewiston's Francos is a familiar one of assimilation in America.
Marthe introduces us to her world of French in Lewiston--at Mass, at work and at home.
This piece was produced at the Salt Institute for Documentary studies.
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3 Comments
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Review of Where is the French in LewistonThis piece conjured up so many images for me that I had to listen to it twice. The narrator does an excellent job of painting a picture of this community, especially the 93-year old woman. I could actually see her sitting by her window sewing while listening to French jigs.
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Review of Where is the French in Lewiston
A melting-pot piece, but with the French, which I realized while listening, you don't hear a lot about. I know the French presented us with the Statue of Liberty as a gift, but it seems you don't hear many stories about French immigrants, or the trials Franco-Americans in America. They all settled in Canada before they immigrated here, and then not too many.
The piece explores Franco-Americans through a couple of close-ups, including an older woman who didn't learn English until she was over 50. The entire Maine town of Lewiston spoke French, mostly immigrants from not France, but Canada. They actually had a part of town called "Little Canada." The melting didn't occur until after WWII, when the area factories closed and the Franco-Americans left the neighborhoods around the factories and assimilated into non-French speaking areas. This piece is surprised me. I don't know exactly what kind of show it works in. Maybe one about immigration, or maybe just an interesting piece to drop in whenever. Oh, and how to improve your English? Play Scrabble. |
Broadcast History
Maine Public Radio, 8/30/04
Short version aired 9/29/04 on Primetime Radio.
Transcript
SUGGESTED INTRO:
The City of Lewiston, Maine, has been through a lot of changes, both economic and cultural. A century ago it was a booming mill town, full of French speaking Canadian immigrants, looking to make a better life in the United States. Today, French is rarely heard around town, though as producer Sarah Elzas found out, there are some efforts to keep alive the French language and the community's French heritage.
OUTRO: This piece was produced at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
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(organ starts)
SARAH: Mass is celebrated every day at Saints Peter and Paul's cathedral in downtown Lewiston Maine.
(organ)
SARAH: On Saturday afternoons the service is run a bit differently than it is the rest of the week. It's in French.
MASS STARTS: Au nom du père et du fils et du Saint esprit. Amen....
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Additional Information
- Produced: May 14, 2004
- Added to PRX: May 19, 2004
- This piece is in English
Joseph Fusco
Posted on December 21, 2005 at 04:33 PM | Permalink
Review of Where is the French in Lewiston
A somewhat poignant look at the last generation of native French spekaers in Lewiston, Maine.
What is perhaps most striking is that there is apparently little contact with these French-Canadian immigrants and the French speakers of present day Canada where the language and media flourish.
A nice piece, well constructed, featuring a charming elderly lady who immigrated to Maine from Quebec in her youth.