The term frog,’ long hurled as an insult, has lost its sting and should be embraced.

I am a frog.

I prefer to think of it as being a FROG. Being referred to as a “frog” in Lewiston-Auburn has always held a negative connotation. But being called a “frog” is actually a compliment, or at least a harmless reflection of Franco-American ancestry and culture. Being a Frog is actually something to celebrate.

My ancestry goes back to France via the Gaspe region of Canada. Both of my parents were Franco-American, with a little gypsy spice thrown in on my father’s side. Growing up in the St. Louis Parish in Auburn and attending parochial school with the nuns, I was among mostly Franco-American kids and their families. Frogs were little hoppy things the boys chased, scooped up in their hands and scared the girls with.

Public high school, however, was a bit of a different story. Lewiston High School in the early 1960s wasn’t exactly diverse by today’s standards, but there were lots of kids with names that weren’t French. There was one African-American guy. That’s the time in my life I became aware of being a “frog.” I lived with it, but I couldn’t understand it because I always loved les reveillons, tourtierre and being able to understand and speak with my grandparents when they spoke both French and English, sometimes mixed in together.

It may be that because I left the area and wasn’t exposed to the negative connotations for too long; rather than shunning my heritage, I became curious about it. Lately, with all of the revitalization and growth that Lewiston-Auburn is experiencing, and especially with the success our Franco-American community has had creating an impressive Franco-American Heritage Center out of the old St. Mary’s Church in Little Canada, I’ve really started digging into the stories of the evolution of our Franco-American heritage and culture in this community. And I still wonder why using the word “frog” as a reference to a French person is so derogatory.

Like many other ethnic and religious groups, our ancestors were driven out of their settlements and persecuted for their beliefs and culture. It’s not uncommon in history for the same thing to happen to a distinct, proud, hardworking group. Because of their differences, they are, at the very least, not allowed to assimilate.

I’m sure you’ve heard the stories about the Ku Klux Klan coming to Maine in the 1920s. They burned a cross on a hill right here in Lewiston. They weren’t here to protest against black Americans. They were here to intimidate and protest against the French – against the “frogs.” According to them, we frogs were inferior. As a matter of fact, their first-ever daylight public protest march was right here in this area, and they were marching against Franco-Americans.

We survived, but not without suffering the near-loss of our culture.

Like most persecuted groups, we gave up our pride in order to survive. In the process, we almost lost our language, our traditions and our sense of place. We changed our names to English-sounding names – Dupont became Bridges, Roy became King. We avoided speaking French so people wouldn’t call us “Canuck” (could it be that “canuck” grew out of “cannot” when we were asked to speak English before we learned the language of our new home?) – we were embarrassed to be frogs.

Have you noticed, though, that in the course of this Lewiston-Auburn revitalization, our culture is also being revitalized? Our sense of place is being solidly established in the foundation of the old St. Mary’s Church – our Franco-American Heritage Center. Our heritage and culture are being recognized and celebrated, and our language is experiencing a rebirth.

Language is fundamental to culture. Language creates a warm connection of family within any culture. It demonstrates common history and culture, and establishes a sense of place, figuratively, if not physically. Taking that into consideration, why would anyone be ashamed of or shun his or her native language? Speaking your ancestral language in addition to the local language is a source of accomplishment and pride.

So if you know French, speak it! Be a Frog! And be a proud Frog. Why? According to my Web research, there are several reasons, only one of which is disparaging, and then only of Parisians. Here’s what I found:

• During World War II, the Frenchmen were fighting alongside the Englishmen. During meal time, the French people would often eat frog legs. The English, who thought the menu odd, started calling them French Frogs.

• Also during World War II, the French soldiers were pretty good at hiding from the German soldiers. With all their camouflage, they evidently looked like frogs.

• According to a history book called “Holy Blood Holy Grail,” the earliest Frankish king (Clovis I) used frogs on their royal robes.

• The term was coined by the French nobility as a way to belittle the inhabitants of Paris. The land surrounding Paris was notoriously swampy and the 18th-century kings and courtiers of Versailles habitually referred to the Parisians as “Les Grenouilles” (the frogs).

• It is said that in the time of the Francs, the frog on their flag was changed to the fleur-de-lis. Hence, it is believed the fleur-de-lis is a stylized frog.

• My favorite comes from the large Queen Elizabeth I of England who adored frogs and was accustomed to affectionately calling her close friends by that name. Thus, her young and handsome ambassador of France to England, with whom she had fallen passionately in love when she was young, was referred to as her “Dearest Frog.” This is corroborated in England’s history books.

So what’s so bad about being a frog? I’ve discovered a pride in my ancestry that has stirred a passion to perfect my ethnic tongue, to delve into my family’s history and to mingle with others of the same heritage. You just might find me taking a French reacquisition class or speaking only French at La Rencontre the first Friday of each month (11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Franco-American Heritage Center).

Care to join me? We’ll make being a Frog the “IN” thing!

Jan (Plourde) Barrett is the innkeeper of the Ware Street Inn in Lewiston and chair-elect of the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce.

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