The
Cajuns
Cajuns
are individuals who share the French-based culture
originally brought to Louisiana by exiles from
the French colony of Acadia in the 18th century.
The term Cajun is derived from Acadian,
a name originally given to French colonists who
settled near the Bay of Fundy in eastern Canada
beginning in 1604. French Canadians in this
region and many of their modern descendants throughout
the world still refer to themselves as Acadians.
In contrast, the Cajun community includes individuals
from many different cultures that have intermixed
in Louisiana over the course of two centuries.
Nevertheless, the descendents of Acadian immigrants
to Louisiana remain the heart of the Cajun community.
In the 1990 United States census, about 520,000
people in Louisiana claimed either Acadian or
French Canadian heritage.
In
the late 1960s, a grassroots backlash against
the suppression of Cajun culture developed.
Like many American minorities, young Cajuns, particularly
college graduates and students, began to assert
a new ethnic pride. In 1968, responding
to mounting political pressure, the state legislature
established the Council for the Development of
French in Louisiana (CODOFIL) to reverse the decline
of Cajun culture. The legislature subsequently
designated the French-speaking region of southern
Louisiana as Acadiana in honor of the area's Acadian
settlers.
Although
efforts to restore the French language with the
community met with only limited success, other
aspects of Cajun culture enjoyed a renaissance
beginning in the late 1960s. Cajun music
gained increasing popularity throughout the United
States. In 1974 CODOFIL established the
Festival de Musique Acadienne, an annual celebration
of Cajun folk music, in the city of Lafayette,
Louisiana. In 1977 the Festival de Musique
Acadienne, the Louisiana Native and Contemporary
Crafts Festival, and the Bayou Food Festival joined
together to form Festivals Acadiens, held every
year during the third weekend in September.
In the 1980s restaurants throughout the world
began to feature Cajun dishes, such as jambalaya,
gumbo, and crawfish etouffee. Most Cajuns
now view their heritage with great pride.
The
above synopsis is a modification of an Anthony
Brasseux contribution for inclusion in the Microsoft
Encarta Encyclopedia
