French Americans
 Franco-American Flag |
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
|
10,329,465 2,100,842 (French Canadian) |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Predominantly in New England and Louisiana with smaller communities in New York, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Florida and North Carolina | |
| Languages | |
|
English (American English dialects) French (Cajun•Acadian•Canadian French•Haitian French•Missouri•New England French) |
|
| Religion | |
| 47% Roman Catholic, 39% Protestant, 3% Christian – unspecified; 12% other | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| French, French Canadians, Québécois, Cajuns, Acadians, French immigration to Puerto Rico, French Haitians |
10,329,465
~3% of the U.S. population (2013)
French Americans (French: Américains français), also called Franco-Americans (French: Franco-Américains), comprise Americans who identify themselves to have full or partial French or French Canadian heritage.
About 10.4 million U.S. residents are of French or French Canadian descent, and about 2 million speak French at home. An additional 750,000 U.S. residents speak a French-based creole language, according to the 2011 census.
While Americans of French descent make up a substantial percentage of the American population, French Americans arguably are less visible than other similarly sized ethnic groups. This is due in part to the high degree of assimilation among Huguenot (French Protestant) settlers, as well as the tendency of French American groups to identify more strongly with "New World" regional identities such as Québécois, French Canadian, Acadian, Cajun, or Louisiana Creole. This has inhibited the development of an unified French American identity as is the case with other European American ethnic groups.
Unlike other immigrants who came to the United States of America from other countries, some French Americans arrived prior to the founding of the United States. In many parts of the country, like the Midwest and Louisiana, they were the founders of some of these villages, cities, and first state inhabitants. While found throughout the country, French Americans are most numerous in New England, northern New York, the Midwest, and Louisiana. French is the fourth most-spoken language in the country, behind English, Spanish, and Chinese. Often, French Americans are identified more specifically as being of French Canadian, Cajun, or Louisiana Creole descent.
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Wikipedia