I want to bring together all the resources that exist out there. The Franco-American Center has been on campus for over 25 years and there has been a lot of community activism and research in the area, said Pinette. Part of what I see the program doing is complementing that community effort with more theoretical and academic research. Pinette says she realizes that not everyone has the language connection to the Franco-American culture. English has become just as much the language of Franco-American culture as French, she said.
Some people research their family genealogy, others are interested in Franco cooking.
There s a lot of people doing their own research into their own culture in this state. There are eight students signed up for the course this semester, which is amazing because it wasn t really advertised. People just saw it in the catalog and signed up, said Pinette. My hope is that students will see Franco-American studies has something to say and contribute to ethnic and cultural studies. The program is an interdisciplinary effort, with courses in anthropology, French, Franco-American civilization, women s studies, and history required to minor in the program.