What Racism? Race and Racism in Recent Canadian Historiography: A Critical Perspective on the Francophone Literature.

This article examines the presence and treatment of race and racism within French-language historiography of Canadian and Quebecois societies, responding to calls for critical reflection on the discipline in the post-Truth and Reconciliation Commission era. Analyzing 630 French-language historical publications from 2017 to 2021, the study finds that issues of race and racism are largely absent or marginal in mainstream Quebec historiography, with much relevant research published outside primary disciplinary venues or in anglophone contexts. The article discusses how historical narratives in Quebec have often centered on francophone/anglophone dualities while neglecting racial and colonial dimensions, contributing to a form of epistemological ignorance that obscures the role of race in shaping Quebec and Canada's past. It argues for the incorporation of the critical concept of race as an analytical tool to deepen understanding of social hierarchies, colonial legacies, and systemic racism in historical research, emphasizing historians' responsibility to address these silences to enrich both academic inquiry and public knowledge.