Glossary

Assimilation: French colonial policy aiming to transform colonized peoples into French citizens by adopting French culture, language, and values

Banlieue: Suburban areas around French cities, often housing projects with large immigrant-origin populations

CFA Franc: Currency used by 14 African countries, controlled by French Treasury

Code de l'indigénat: Separate legal system imposing harsh punishments on colonized peoples without trial

Communautarisme: Pejorative French term for ethnic/religious sectarianism, used to dismiss minority claims

DOM-TOM: Départements et Territoires d'Outre-Mer (Overseas Departments and Territories)

Évolués: Colonial term for "evolved" natives who adopted French culture

FLN: Front de Libération Nationale (National Liberation Front) - led Algerian independence

Françafrique: System of French political, economic, and military influence in Africa post-independence

Harkis: Algerians who served with French forces during independence war

Hexagone: Metropolitan France (European territory)

Indigène: Colonial term for native peoples, implying inferior status

Laïcité: French concept of secularism, strict separation of religion and state

Métissage: Cultural/racial mixing

Mission civilisatrice: "Civilizing mission" - ideological justification for colonialism

Négritude: Literary/ideological movement asserting Black cultural values

Pieds-noirs: European settlers in Algeria

Sans-papiers: Undocumented immigrants

Tirailleurs: Colonial troops in French military

Universalisme républicain: French Republican universalism - ideology that sees all citizens as equal without recognizing group differences

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