The Pariahs of Yesterday: Breton Migrants in Paris by Leslie Page Moch (review)

attracted artists who spent day after day copying its masterpieces), for the excellent medical schools (with free tuition for foreigners), and for the Parisian attitude that the arts were indispensable to the enjoyment and meaning of life. Readers can imagine the excitement of these Americans vis-à-vis the architecture, gardens, cultural life (opera, theater), and how these elements inspired young artists and scholars. The book closes with the Exposition universelle of 1900 and a focus on Mary Cassatt (her connection to Degas and Impressionism), Augustus Saint-Gaudens (his success as a sculptor who created his masterpieces in Paris, to be installed later in the United States) and John Singer Sargent, recognized at the Exposition by a gold medal and appointment as a Chevalier in the Légion d’honneur for his work. The blending of French and American history in the 1800s that the author details (as in his 1977 volume, The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal), demonstrates the mutual influence, political and historical, of the two nations on each other. Furthermore, the book informs about French attitudes toward the Americans who “invaded” their country at various times—their gratitude for the field hospital during the Franco-Prussian War, which saved many lives, and their admiration for the heroic American Ambassador Elihu Washburne. He was the only diplomat who remained during the 131-day siege of Paris and the Commune, who provided the only link with the outside world through his weekly diplomatic pouches and who arranged for safe passage for many foreigners. Additionally, the gift of “Liberty Lighting the World” served to express French appreciation for the American model of republican government. The French influence on American life is not slighted. For instance, Samuel Morse, who first studied art, achieved renown by developing the Morse Code, inspired by his observation of the French telegraph system using semaphores. Charles Sumner, observing the achievements of black medical students, concluded that the American opinion of racial inferiority was in error; later, as a Senator, he became a critic of slavery. In addition, the knowledge brought home by medical students transformed the face of American medicine. This book adds much to the Francophile’s understanding and appreciation of Paris in areas such as history, politics, art, medicine, and diplomacy. Messiah College (PA) Lois Beck MOCH, LESLIE PAGE. The Pariahs of Yesterday: Breton Migrants in Paris. Durham, NC: Duke UP, 2012. ISBN 978-0-8223-5169-6. Pp. xi + 255. $23.95. L’auteure propose un travail de “correction” sur l’étude des migrations bretonnes à Paris à partir de trois axes de recherche. Elle retrace d’abord l’importance de la présence bretonne et son intégration progressive au sein de la hiérarchie parisienne, de 1900 à 1950. Moch prend ses sources dans le domaine des sciences sociales, dont La science sociale (1892), de Jean Lemoine. Elle explique comment, suite à une série “d’inclusions” et “d’exclusions” de cette entité migratoire, les Bretons ont contribué à l’édification d’une identité nationale ordonnée par l’État français. Ensuite, Moch se penche sur les emplois des Bretons de Paris et sur leur rôle dans l’évolution de l’histoire du travail. Elle procède par juxtaposition et comparaison entre les emplois des Bretons (hommes et femmes) de la banlieue de Saint-Denis et ceux qui étaient installés dans le quatorzième 1050 FRENCH REVIEW 86.5 arrondissement, deux pôles communautaires de cette vague migratoire vers Paris. Elle authentifie son travail d’historienne en ajoutant en annexe des actes de mariage, qui rendent compte de la démographie des Bretons à Paris et de leur insertion sociale. Troisièmement, Moch montre comment cette présence bretonne s’est manifestée sous la IIIe République à travers l’analyse des stéréotypes véhiculés par les Parisiens ou par les institutions religieuses qui étaient au service de cette communauté migrante. En prenant comme point de départ La formation de la population parisienne de Louis Chevalier, Moch démantèle les images négatives des Bretons en tant que “parias” de la société parisienne, sobriquet attribué en 1898 par le Père Rivalin. L’auteure...