French-Canadian Americans
French-Canadian Americans (also referred to as Franco-Canadian Americans or Canadien Americans) are Americans of French-Canadian descent. About 2.1 million U.S. residents cited this ancestry in the 2010 U.S. Census; the majority of them speak French at home. Americans of French-Canadian descent are most heavily concentrated in New England, New York State, Louisiana and the Midwest. Their ancestors mostly arrived in the United States from Quebec between 1840 and 1930, though some families became established as early as the 17th and 18th centuries.
Américains canadiens | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 1,998,012 (2020) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| New England (especially Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont), New York, Michigan, California and Louisiana | |
| Languages | |
| French (Canadian and American) · English · Franglais | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Roman Catholicism, minority of Protestantism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| French Canadians, French Americans, Canadian Americans, Breton Canadians, French people, Cajuns, Métis Americans, Métis |
| Part of a series of articles on the |
| French people |
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The term Canadien (French for "Canadian") may be used either in reference to nationality or ethnicity in regard to this population group. French-Canadian Americans, because of their proximity to Canada and Quebec, kept their language, culture, and religion alive much longer than any other ethnic group in the United States apart from Mexican Americans. Many "Little Canada" neighborhoods developed in New England cities, but gradually disappeared as their residents eventually assimilated into the American mainstream. A revival of the Canadian identity has taken place in the Midwestern states, where some families of French descent have lived for many generations. These states had been considered part of Canada until 1783. A return to their roots seems to be taking place, with a greater interest in all things that are Canadian or Québécois.