ABSTRACT
Jean Galap -Pierre Lacroix claimed that Antillean values are "falsified" in metropolitan France reduced to a commercialized set of stereotypes focused on a mythical tie to the islands. The representation of Antillean culture in France, he added, is reduced to "boudin, rhum, et zouk". By beginning with the performance, organizers hoped to set a distinctly Antillean framework for the evening, drawing the mayor onto their cultural terrain. The main object of political action in the Antilles has been to turn Martinicans and Guadeloupeans into "cultural citizens," people deeply aware of each island's history and traditions. The French government has also worked to promote French cultural citizenship. One objective of French education and cultural policies since the nineteenth century has been to create a national understanding of French culture that serves as the basis of a coherent national identity.
