In the past quarter century, France has grappled with the legacies of colonialism, the Algerian War (1954-1962), and the migration and settlement of Algerians and other Muslims from the former colonial empire. The Civilizing Mission in the Metropole explores the roots of these intertwined histories through an examination of the history of social welfare programs for Algerian migrants from the end of World War II until Algeria gained independence in 1962. First colonized in 1830, Algeria fought a bloody war of decolonization against France (1954-1962), as France fought to maintain control over ... More

In the past quarter century, France has grappled with the legacies of colonialism, the Algerian War (1954-1962), and the migration and settlement of Algerians and other Muslims from the former colonial empire. The Civilizing Mission in the Metropole explores the roots of these intertwined histories through an examination of the history of social welfare programs for Algerian migrants from the end of World War II until Algeria gained independence in 1962. First colonized in 1830, Algeria fought a bloody war of decolonization against France (1954-1962), as France fought to maintain control over its most prized imperial possession. In the midst of this violence, some 350,000 Algerians settled in France. This study examines the complex and often-contradictory goals of a welfare network that sought to provide services and monitor Algerian migrants’ activities. Historian Amelia Lyons particularly highlights family settlement and the central place Algerian women held in French efforts to transform the settled community. Lyons explores the nature of colonial racism, analyzes and breaks down colonial categories, and exposes numerous paradoxes surrounding the fraught relationship between France and Algeria—many of which continue to echo in French debates about Muslims today.