No subject

[gadassov]

Alina wrote:
 
> France, in addition to the mainland, has its oversees departments
> (Martinique etc.). Its inhabitants are French citizens but not ethnically
> French, in a traditional sense of the word.

Why not? They are not Bretons, nor Basques, nor Corses nor Alsaciens, but
they are French. Martiniquais, and French.
The notion of "nation française" was created at the 1789 revolution, and at
this time, what is "overseas departements" were part of France. Slavery was
abolished at the same time (although restablished for a short time by
Napoleon). Since then, Martiniquais are French, and they have been French
for a longer time than many XX th century immigrants from Italy, Spain,
Russia, Poland. Further more, they have no other language than French
(excepting some sort of French pidgin), while people from the different
provinces often have their own language.

I don't beleive such concept as the French "nation" has existed in Russia
(nor in Germany). Today, the word "nationalism" is perceived as something
divising and excluding, while the French "nation" was assembling, not
federating but binding together.
Sovetskij Sojuz took place for Rossijsaja Imperia, but didn't created this
notion of "nation", as the French revolution did. One element uniting
different people under a same flag(communism) substituted another (Czar).
At imperial time, everybody was "subject of the Czar", and thus Rossijanin,
as the Czar was head of Rossijskaja Imperia. But everybody wasn't Russian.
Even members of the imperial family weren't Russian, as you underlined.
Rezanov wrote "Puteshestvie Rossijan", because it was impossible to write
"Puteshestvie Russkikh". He was on bord a Ship commanded by Kruzenstern,
with people like von Tilenau, von Langsdorf, von Espenberg...Kruzenstern was
born in Estonia, from a German family, but Estlandia used to be Sweden, up
to the moment when it became Rossijskaja due to the result of a war.
At the same time, when Rezanov or Kruzenstern spoke about "Americans", they
referred to Indians from Alaska or California, where white people were
Spaniards.

It has been well underlined, in the current exchange of mails, that the
understanding of "nationality" is different in different cultures, although
words are the same.

Georges

  


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