LEWISTON — Two mainstays of Orono’s Franco-American Centre will offer their perspectives during “In and Out of War in Franco-American Communities: Soldiers, Veterans and Their Families” on Tuesday, Sept. 20.

The talk will be at the University of Southern Maine Lewiston-Auburn College, 51 Westminster St. There will be a reception at 5 p.m., and the talk will begin at 6 p.m.

Susan Pinette, director of Franco-American programs, and Lisa Michaud, coordinator of community engagement, will explore how military service is both a disruption to ethnic identity and a means to strengthen it. They will look at Franco-American literature and at real-world examples. At the end of the evening, audience members may join in and discuss how their wartime experiences either drew them closer to their home community or separated them from it.

Pinette is associate professor of modern languages and literature and director of Franco-American programs at the University of Maine. She received her Ph.D in French from the University of California Irvine. Her research and published works examine contemporary Franco-American literature, showing its significance to the broader arenas of North American Francophone communities and American studies.

Michaud is originally from Van Buren, and is of Acadian and Quebecois descent. She is managing editor of “Le Forum,” a bilingual periodical published by the center. She is active in digitizing oral histories, organizing cultural events, translating and genealogy.

This event continues the collection’s “Franco-Americans During Wartime: A Heritage of Service” program, which began last spring. The series was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of its Common Heritage Grant Program, an effort to help preserve historical materials by making digital copies of items held by the community. The collection focuses on the wartime experiences of Franco-Americans, whether in military service or on the homefront.

James Myall will discuss “Sous les Drapeaux: Franco-American Voices from the Frontlines” at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7.

There will be a digitization day Oct. 22, where individuals may bring in wartime-related materials between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to be digitized.

All events are in Room 170.

FMI: 207-753-6545, www.usm.maine.edu/franco, [email protected].