I have long been thankful for the works of Jean-Jacques Jordi, a Pied Noir who writes about the migration of the Pieds Noirs from Algeria to France. On my desk (exactly as pictured on the right), I keep a copy of
1962: l'arrivée des Pieds-Noirs within arm's reach. Today he was featured in
Sud Ouest in an article entitled "
L'apport des pieds-noirs" which highlights the diverse roots of the
Français d'Algérie and France's efforts to "franciser" Algeria. He also explains that the Pieds-Noirs arrived in France during
Les Trente Glorieuses and were able to participate in the urbanization of France. (As it happens, Algeria was more modern than France in many respects in the 1950s and early 1960s. See René Domergue's
L'Intégration des Pieds-Noirs dans les villages du Midi, L'Harmattan, 2005,
for a detailed description of the tensions this caused.) Jordi explains that the newly arrived Pieds-Noirs were clamoring for better sewer systems and telephone lines when they arrived in France.
Jordi will be participating in a debate tonight from 5-7 p.m. in Pessac, France, if you happen to be in the area.
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