Immigration, Nationality, and Xenophobia in Late-19th Century Marseilles

Immigration, Nationality, and Xenophobia in Late-19th Century Marseilles McNeill, Patrick This paper investigates the “Vêpres Marseillaises,” a June 1881 anti-Italian riot in Marseilles, in order to discuss the intersection of working class nationalism, immigration, and French political and social discourses. The event is more than a simple manifestation of xenophobic nationalism; it is both a moment that illustrates the unique place of Marseilles as well as the inaugural expression of a discourse that sought to bring the working class under the French republican banner.