Beyond symbolism of the Hmong festival in France : the remedy of cultural right to counteract the situation of the Hmong social exclusion

Abstract

This thesis sets up as context the French republican model - lauding a universal and difference-blind conception of citizenship - in contradiction with the universal principle stated in the Human Rights Treaties. Considering that the Hmong has been living in France for more than 40 years and still not enjoy equal rights as the French citizens, this thesis questions the essence of the French republican model. With the study case of the Hmong community in Aubigny-sur-Nere, one of the largest in France, this thesis aimed at contributing to the better understanding of this community and of the yearly Hmong Festival in Aubigny. To justify the inferior position of the Hmong in the French society, this study collected data such as the interview of the Hmong organizer of the Festival, analyzed through a set of qualitative methods of data analysis. As the implication, the study argues that the French republican model needs some revisions and thus calls for a new concepts of citizenship that would bring more inclusion to the Hmong and equal rights. In conclusion, this study finds that the Festival is a good starting point to combat the problems of social exclusion of the Hmong.