A groundbreaking new study from The University of Manchester has challenged traditional ideas of race and national identity in France, revealing how French citizens of Indian descent are navigating their identities in a society that often ignores them.
The research, led by Manuela Latchoumaya from the University's Department of Sociology and published in leading journal Ethnic and Racial Studies, explores the lived experiences of French people whose families come from former French colonies in India and the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe via the system of Indian indentured labour in the 19th century.
Despite holding French passports and speaking fluent French, many of these citizens feel excluded from what it means to be "truly" French.
Using interviews with 21 people, the study paints a powerful picture of what it feels like to be treated as invisible in your own country - and how people push back.
"It's not just about being seen as different," said Latchoumaya. "It's about being completely left out of how the French think about who belongs."
The study found that many French Indians are misidentified as Black or North African, two established categories in France that covertly operate to minoritise people with roots in the French Empire. Others are judged by outdated stereotypes - like being overly traditional or even exotic - based on ideas left over from colonial times. These experiences often begin in childhood and continue into adult life, especially in education, work and healthcare.
But rather than staying silent, many people are speaking up and taking control of their identity. Some proudly reclaim the label Black as a category of visibility, while also identifying as South Asian. Others challenge people who use offensive or outdated terms, and several participants said they now openly name 'whiteness' - the idea that being white is the default or "normal" in France - as part of the problem.
The study also highlights the deep impact of colonial history, showing how the French Empire shaped today's ideas about identity, and how some communities - like those with Indian roots - have been left out of the national story.
This research is one of the first studies to centre the voices of French citizens of Indian descent, a group rarely studied in academic or public discussions about French imperial history. It is especially relevant today as France - and many other countries - grapple with their colonial past and while having increasingly diverse populations.
