For many people, the Cajuns are just people who blacken their food and eat really spicy food. I think there’s also a mistaken belief among many Americans that New Orleans is the epicenter of the Cajun world.
The truth is much more complicated. In reality, New Orleans is about three hours east of Cajun country and is more of a melting pot that makes it the culturally diverse city it is.
Booted to the Boot
Once upon a time in the 18th century about 20 years after the British gutted the Scottish Highlands and their culture, the British decided to do it again and forcefully removing the Acadians (French settlers in Nova Scotia a.k.a. New Scotland — irony) to the Americas and along what is now the southern coastal waters of Louisiana.
The official deportation is known as Le Grand Dérangement. Over 11,000 Acadians were deported from their homes and had their land and possessions confiscated. It’s important to note that the late Queen Elizabeth II has issued an official apology in behalf of her bloodthirsty ancestors. Some were sent to various places along the American colonies and forced into servitude. Others were sent straight back to France for repatriation. Most of the French repatriates went to Louisiana on Spanish-funded ships.
So, many of these people ended up not only coming in through New Orleans and moving west to the bayous, but the Spanish were encouraging French and Acadian refugees to settle. When Louisiana became a state in 1812, part of what is now Cajun Country or Acadiana was not part of the United States partly because it was not part of the Louisiana Purchase.
If you look at the map and see the parishes the “heel of the boot” of the state (Louisiana is shaped like a boot), that makes up Cajun Country.
Cajun vs Creole
A lot of people have the misguided impression that Cajun and Creole are the same thing (more on this later). That’s not technically true. There’s also an impression that Creoles are black. That also isn’t always true. Creole simply defined means born in the new world.
Creole can be a mix of various backgrounds like most Americans these days or something simple like a first generation German born in America.
Usually what sets the Creole culture apart from the Cajuns is the food, which is why people tend to think it’s the same thing. While Creole and Cajun food tend to overlap a lot, New Orleans is known for great food. It’s hard sometimes to distinguish the exact cultural roots.
Another reason people assume Creoles are black or of mixed race is because Haitians have a strong Creole culture. Some of that has spilled into the Gulf Coast region. However, there are many of European origin who settled in West Indies islands, such as Martinique, who were considered to be Creole.
An example would be the Empress Joséphine Bonaparte who was born to the owner of a sugar plantation. Her parents were French and migrated to Martinique.
New Orleans Is Not Cajun
New Orleans is a world unto itself. Despite
New Orleans was a port long before the Acadians came to what became Louisiana. The Spanish controlled it at one point. The square in front of St. Louis Cathedral (now Jackson Square) was once named Place d’Armes (weapons’ square or parade ground). It changed hands between the Spanish and French a couple times before the Louisiana Purchase.
It’s important to note that some French came directly from France fleeing its revolution and other difficulties before Louisiana became a state. Some of these French did migrate west and married Acadian refugees, which of course would have made them Cajun Creoles. Some Acadians were brought to the Port of New Orleans.
There were migrants of other European backgrounds who settled in New Orleans in the past 300 years. The most notable settlers were Irish, Italian, Spanish, and German. These four are most notable because of the neighborhoods, culture, and contribution to food.
The Irish were particularly noteworthy in the 19th century after Louisiana became a state. Most were escaping the famine. While some Irish families who came into the US in New Orleans moved inland, others notably chose to make a dent into society. One of these included the founding of Hibernia National Bank.
However, New Orleans has a very diverse culture and history. Rules regarding slavery were different than the rest of the state prior to the Civil War. There were free women of color living in New Orleans who not only owned property and operated businesses, but owned slaves as well.
Acadiana
Cajun Country is now referred to as Acadiana. It stretches from the border of Texas to just west of New Orleans along the Gulf coast with bordering parishes above the Gulf coast parishes. The major cities include Lake Charles and Lafayette.
It’s also possible that pirate Jean Laffitte’s treasure could be buried somewhere in the western part of Acadiana.
In the late 19th century after the Civil War, there was some backlash from the federal government occupying Louisiana against the prevalent Cajun culture, particularly those who still spoke French. My great-grandfather, who was born around the turn of the 20th century, was beaten in school for speaking French. I discovered later through something my grandfather said that people continued to speak French and a lot of the culture didn’t disappear necessarily.
My grandfather said he couldn’t communicate with his grandparents because they spoke French and he wasn’t taught French in school. My great grandfather (who had been beaten for speaking French) only went to school up to the fourth grade, because of the culture suppression in public schools.
My maternal grandparents were taught to bury their Cajun accents and to use proper English grammar. They were raised to not so much hide their heritage, but keep it in the background. To some degree, those who continued to speak French and not use correct English were considered ignorant and white trash.
My mom and her sisters were taught the same thing.
In 1974, then Governor Edwin Edwards became a catalyst for the people to reclaim their Cajun and French heritage, which was reflected in a provision in the 1974 constitution. Some of what is evident now is the use of Rue (French for road or street) in New Orleans and Lafayette. Schools have French immersion programs.
Most are now proud of their Cajun heritage.
***This post provides Amazon affiliate links. The blog may receive a small compensation for items purchased for clicks to Amazon from this page.***