What makes a person Cajun?

Cajun, descendant of Roman Catholic French Canadians whom the British, in the 18th century, drove from the captured French colony of Acadia (now Nova Scotia and adjacent areas) and who settled in the fertile bayou lands of southern Louisiana.

Is Cajun a race or ethnicity?

The Cajuns retain a unique dialect of the French language called Louisiana French, and hold numerous other cultural traits that distinguish them as an ethnic group. Cajuns were officially recognized by the U.S. government as a national ethnic group in 1980 per a discrimination lawsuit filed in federal district court.

What makes somebody Cajun?

Most historians define Cajuns as an ethnic group of Acadian descent. Acadians are French settlers who made their way to Canada. They were eventually exiled and relocated to lower Louisiana in the late 1700's, where they would begin to be known as Cajuns.

What does it mean when you call someone Cajun?

Cajun means belonging or relating to a group of people who live mainly in Louisiana in the United States, and are descended from French people. Cajun is also used to refer to the language and culture of these people.

What is the difference between a Cajun and Creole person?

For Cajuns were—and are—a subset of Louisiana Creoles. Today, common understanding holds that Cajuns are white and Creoles are Black or mixed race; Creoles are from New Orleans, while Cajuns populate the rural parts of South Louisiana.

Louisiana Creole and Cajuns: What's the Difference? Race, Ethnicity, History and Genetics

What language do Cajuns speak?

What is Cajun French? Cajun French is the term generally used to describe the variety of French spoken in South Louisiana.

What is the most Cajun name?

What do Cajuns call their parents?

Parents are Mama and Papa, or Maman or Papere, or Mere or Pere. Many Southern women call their fathers Daddy throughout their lives.

How do Cajuns greet each other?

“Cher” Have you ever heard someone called Cher (share or sha)? It is a term of endearment or even a greeting to another person. It is comparable to “love” or “dear,” and it is traditionally used by Cajuns amongst friends and family.

Does being born in Louisiana make you Cajun?

Over time, in Louisiana, the Acadians came to be called Cajuns. Creole translates to “born in the New World.” You could be white, black, or mixed, but as long as your people were born somewhere else (Africa, Spain, or France, for instance) and you were born in Louisiana, then that mix up of culture made you Creole.

What is Cajun stereotype?

"Most movies stereotype Cajuns as old, poorly dressed, uneducated, and living in a cabin near alligators."

What religion are Cajuns?

The Cajuns were and are mainly Roman Catholic. Experts suggest that the traditional culture cannot be understood unless the central role of the Catholic church is considered. On the one hand, their Roman Catholic beliefs set the Cajuns apart from the surrounding population, which was mainly Baptist and Methodist.

Where do Cajun people descend from?

The Acadian story begins in France; the people who would become the Cajuns came primarily from the rural areas of the Vendee region of western France. In 1604, they began settling in Acadie, now Nova Scotia, where they prospered as farmers and fishers.

What cultures make up Cajun?

Although French influences remain a key element of Cajun culture, it's the additional mix of Native American, African American, Spanish and English heritage that gives Cajun culture its unique flavor.

Do Cajuns still speak French?

The word Cajun popped up in the 19^th century to describe the Acadian people of Louisiana. The Acadians were descendants of the French Canadians who were settling in southern Louisiana and the Lafayette region of the state. They spoke a form of the French language and today, the Cajun language is still prevalent.

What do Cajuns call grandma?

MawMaw. With its French Cajun roots, "MawMaw" is widely used throughout Louisiana. Also consider the similar-sounding "MeeMaw" as a traditional Southern grandma nickname.

How do Cajuns say baby?

bébé (n.m.) 1. baby.

What do Cajuns call alligators?

Cajun Works: The Real Cajun Deal

🐊🐊Cocodrie -- "co-co-DREE" -- used for alligator, also a town in Louisiana located south of Houma near the Gulf of Mexico. Early French settlers called the alligators in the swamp cocodrie, not knowing the difference in species.

What do Cajuns call each other?

9. “Cher” Cher (share or sha) is a term of endearment used when greeting another person. It's similar to “love” or “dear,” and is traditionally used by Cajuns.

What do Cajuns call their godfathers?

Social / Cultural Context: The term is used particularly in Cajun families in a everyday context to refer to their godfathers and godmothers.

What do Cajuns call their French?

Louisiana French (Cajun French: français de la Louisiane; Louisiana Creole: françé la lwizyàn) is an umbrella term for the dialects and varieties of the French language spoken traditionally by French Louisianians in colonial Lower Louisiana.

What do Cajuns call their uncles?

Nonc in Cajun French means Uncle.

What is the most Cajun city in Louisiana?

Lafayette has a distinct culinary identity as the epicenter of Cajun cuisine that's earned us the title Best Food City in the USA.

What is the most Cajun place on earth?

Vermilion Parish Tourist Commission | the Most Cajun Place on Earth!