The following is a book review of A Distinct Alien Race:  The Untold Story of Franco-Americans:  Industrialization, Immigration, Religious Strife by David Vermette.  Vermette is a researcher, writer, and speaker on French-Canadian and Franco-American identity.  His book was recently published by Baraka Books.

In writing about the migration of French-Canadians to New England, Vermette has chosen an excellent example of how a feared ethnicity once labeled “Other” became assimilated citizens of the United States. One of the reasons this story is compelling is that it happened so long ago; another is that it is so similar to what is happening now at our southern border. Because it is the story of an underclass, it is has been ignored in American history books and courses which tend to lionize the rich and powerful — that is, men who became rich and powerful on the backs of this underclass. Continue reading A Distinct Alien Race: Book Review →