French Indochina: How Gender Shaped the Imperial System

This thesis examines the intimate relationships between indigenous Indochinese women and their French counterparts in the 1930s colony of French Indochina, along with understanding the threat the métis children posed and how that subsequently connects with ideas surrounding roles of both gender and race. More specifically, I argue that French imperialists used gender roles and expectations to uphold their system of empire. Utilizing the stories of two women, one French and the other a métisse, I aim to comprehend these complex systems put into place by the French empire, and therefore understand how they functioned to keep people in their place and create a system under which those at the top could benefit.