CAJUN
The Cajuns (; French: les Cadjins [le kadʒɛ̃] or les Cadiens [le kadjɛ̃]; Spanish: Cajunes), also known as Louisiana Acadians (French: les Acadiens), are an American ethnic group mainly found in the US state of Louisiana and the surrounding Gulf Coast states.
While Cajuns are usually described as the descendants of the Acadian exiles who went to Louisiana in the decades after le grand dérangement, Louisianians frequently use Cajun as a broad cultural term (particularly when referencing Acadiana) without necessitating race or descent from the deported Acadians. Although the terms Cajun and Creole today are often portrayed as separate identities, Louisianians of Acadian descent have historically been known as, and are, a subset of Creoles (synonymous for "Louisianais", which is a demonym for French Louisianians). Cajuns make up a significant portion of south Louisiana's population and have had an enormous impact on the state's culture.
While Lower Louisiana had been settled by French colonists since the late 17th century, many Cajuns trace their roots to the influx of Acadian settlers after the Great Expulsion from their homeland during the French and British hostilities prior to the French and Indian War (1756 to 1763). Most Acadians can trace their ancestry back to approximately 50 families who were living in Port Royal, Acadia, now Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, in 1671. The Acadia region to which many modern Cajuns trace their origin consisted largely of what are now Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island plus parts of eastern Quebec and northern Maine.
Since their establishment in Louisiana, the Cajuns have become famous for their French dialect, Louisiana French, and have developed a rich culture including folkways, music, and cuisine. Acadiana is heavily associated with them.
Be With Me
- 2018-04-13T00:00:00.000000Z
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