French sons of black WW2 GI's

As I said in my introduction, I recently moved to France.. I currently live close to D-Day beaches in Normandy.
I wandered a bit in the countryside -in remoted areas- and noticed a funny fact.. .

In each little village, even in the tiniest ones, there is always 1 or more +70 years old typical french "rednecks", wearing berets, very rustic people, with a countrified accent... But blacks ones!

It surprised me... It was obvious that they were born there and always lived there. But how and when did they arrived here since the immigration from Africa and the West Indies toward France only started in the 60's?
I cogitated a bit, and came to the conclusion that they were the sons of black WW2 GI's and french women...
Their fathers returned to the USA, most of them without even knowing they had a kid..

I questioned myself about how was their childhood in a very catholic region, away from anything -sons without father and blacks in the bargain?-
But this was clear than they are very well integrated with the norman "indigenous" and had a peaceful life among cows and wheat fields. This was kinda a comforting and positive thought.

Some of them could be distant and unknown relatives of guys from this forum...

 

Interesting. There were a lot of stories of interracial dating among black American GIs (and probably Canadian soldiers, too) during WW1 and WW2. It occurred in France(the French were very kind to black people), Italy(I'm not sure) and England. Children born of these unions during that time would not be a surprise. A friend of mine who came from Marseilles told me that in France, if a man or woman was born black, white or Asian born in France, they were French citizens. Not black French, white French, or Asian French. Just French. Like Alexandre Dumas's novel The Three Musketeers states, "All for one and One for all." I felt it meant "All for one country and one country for all." I guess that is how I saw France.

 

This is also something that happened with the US troops in Southeast Asia. Those children are known as Amerasians, primarily in Vietnam and the Philippines

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27379710



https://abagond.wordpress.com/2009/05/23/vietnamese-amerasians/

http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/043000/met_2946005.html

Very interesting yet heart tugging stories in the kids struggling for acceptance and identity in those traditional Asian cultures. Even when they come to America its still a struggle with their identities given they grew up Asian in Asia

 

I would love to learn more about that since a lot a Black-Americans went to France before,during,and after the two world wars. No telling there are a few Afro-Europeans and Afro-Asians from those Black-American soldiers.

 

Okinawa, Philippines, etc. No surprise. Whenever soldiers are stationed overseas, that shit happens. Although, I don't really hear much about Korea. I've read the mixed children in the Philippines aren't treated so well too. Can't even find decent employment often.

 

This is not as much perfect as you think.

Unlike the USA, there are a lot of religious and cultural problems in France. As if the country was divided into two parts.

White, christian Blacks and Asians in one side, and Arabs and muslim Blacks in the other side.

 

Thanks for the clarification.