ABSTRACT
Organizers asserted that Creole was an essential part of the identity of Antilleans in France. Stand-Fast members were eager to assert an idea of Antillean patrimoine in France, but they chose to claim a distinct place within French society. Their objective was to transform French high art itself, in effect creolising French culture. Lay activists seek to creolise the Catholic Church in France, providing an anchor for the Antillean community while at the same time participating in the more universal objectives of Catholicism. The national education system was created with the objective of establishing uniformity in France, turning diverse peoples—diversity marked, among other things, by language—into French citizens. Immigrants carry their culture with them to France and, unless they can find a way to completely adopt French culture, they will always be part of their culture of origin. Antilleans were brought to France to work in civil service jobs, as health care workers, customs officers, and subway and postal workers.
