The French Museum of Immigration History has inaugurated its permanent collection after three years of work and a complete reorganization of its contents. The new collection, which will be open to the public on Saturday, runs along eleven key dates spanning from 1685 to 1995. These dates represent significant moments in the history of immigration in France, from the publication of the “Code Noir” regulating the slave trade in the colonies to the creation of an area of free movement in the European Union.
The collection seeks to reflect France’s multi-ethnic reality and preserve a common history. According to Constance Rivière, general director of the Palais de la Porte Dorée, where the museum is located, approximately one in three French people is an immigrant, the child of immigrants, or the grandchild of immigrants. The museum sees itself as a kind of “archeology of the present.”
Each section of the collection combines explanations with prominent historical figures. For example, Alexandre Aguado, a collaborator of the Spanish monarchy during the brief period of Napoleonic rule in Spain, is mentioned. The population transfer that took place during the Spanish Civil War and the migrations caused by epidemics or religious or political persecutions in Europe are also discussed.
The heritage of the former colonies is also addressed in the collection. From slavery in the colonies to abolition and the creation of the administrative category of “foreign refugee” in 1848, the complex colonial history of France is explored. In addition, immigration from North Africa, especially the Maghreb, is examined in the wake of French colonial expansion in the region.
As the 20th century progressed, immigration from former colonies and Latin America became a social and political issue, especially during economic crises. It highlights the story of Cristina DÃaz Vergara, a Chilean exile who arrived in France after the 1973 military coup and continued her militancy in favor of Mapuche rights.
In short, the new permanent collection of the Museum of the History of Immigration in France seeks to show the history of immigration in the country throughout different key moments, from the slave trade to the creation of the European Union, reflecting ethnic diversity and preserving a shared history.