Thousands of 'lost Canadians' have applied for dual citizenship - is Canada ready?
Key takeaways
- But one thing he didn't really pick up from them is how to speak French.
- Although both of Boucher's parents were of French-Canadian descent and spoke French with each other, it was once illegal to teach French in school in the US state of Maine, where the Bouchers lived.
- "Shame was heaped upon French speakers as being second-class citizens," he recalls.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Robin Levinson-King Toronto, Canada Submitted photo Joe Boucher (far right) says he and his siblings (back row) learned to be proud of their French-Canadian heritage from their parents (front)As the youngest of five children, Joe Boucher learned a lot from his older brothers and sister - how to ride a bike, how to navigate the miles of forest behind their house and how to skate and play hockey. But one thing he didn't really pick up from them is how to speak French.
Although both of Boucher's parents were of French-Canadian descent and spoke French with each other, it was once illegal to teach French in school in the US state of Maine, where the Bouchers lived. And so his siblings, amongst themselves, defaulted to English.
"Shame was heaped upon French speakers as being second-class citizens," he recalls.