Young French people in Quebec
Drawing on some forty interviews, this article examines how young French newcomers view their process of professional insertion in Quebec. It does so namely by considering their utilization, or in this case under-utilization, of Quebec’s immigrant assistance measures. This under-utilization, the article argues, is explained by the unique approach to assistance by the young French, who strive to be autonomous and to carve out a somewhat more “apart” status for themselves. Ultimately, the little use made of assistance measures for immigrants by the French reflects their disposition, contrary to that of many other national communities, to consider possibly moving back to their country of origin some day, and to not view such a return as tantamount to failure. In other words, the young French are more likely to view the segment of their life in Quebec as a biographical “time out,” as a type of moratorium before settling down as adults, or as a time to gain international experience.