Franco-Réunionnaise
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Franco-Réunionnaise are people of French origin living in Réunion.
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[edit] Origins
French people started settling the island in 1665.[1] The first wave of settlers were colonizers looking to make money. The next wave were mostly poorer people looking for new lives abroard. The French didn't take long to adapt and became the primary influence of Réunion.
[edit] Franco-Réunionnaise Today
The Franco-Réunionnaise, white islanders of European origin,[2] today make up approximately one-quarter of the population.[3][4] Franco-Réunionnais are the most dominant in politics.[citation needed] Their standards of living range from very low (often petit blanc) to very high (often gros blanc) and, unlike Mauritius, can be found almost everywhere.
[edit] Demographic factors
The Franco-Réunionnais can be divided into three groups. The first are those who have been in Reunion for generations as part of a poor and pervasive class and are called petit blanc or yab. The second group, gros blanc, represent descendants of the old landowner colonist population and is the most wealthy group on the island. Both groups are Creoles.[5] Finally, those who have just arrived or have been in Reunion for a short period are called Metro French.
