Acadiana

"Cajun-Creole" redirects here. For Alabama's Cajun Country, seeCajan Country.

Acadiana L'Acadiane(Cajun French)
Region
DowntownLafayette, Louisiana
Flag
Map of Louisiana with Acadiana highlighted, and the heart of Acadiana in dark red
Location of Louisiana within the United States
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Legislative recognition	1971
Largest city	Lafayette
Population (2020)
• Total	1,486,345
Demonyms	Cajun Creole
Website	www.lafayettetravel

Acadiana(FrenchandLouisiana French:L'Acadiane), also known as theCajun Country(Louisiana French:Le Pays Cadjin,Spanish:País Cajún), is the official name given to theFrench Louisianaregion that has historically contained much of the state'sFrancophonepopulation.

Many inhabitants of the Cajun Country haveAcadianancestry and identify asCajunsorCreoles.Of the 64parishesthat make up theU.S. stateofLouisiana,22 named parishes and other parishes of similar cultural environment make up thisintrastate region.

Etymology

The word "Acadiana" reputedly has two origins. Its first recorded appearance dates to the October 15, 1946, when aCrowley, Louisiana,newspaper, theCrowley Daily Signal,coined the term in reference to the area of Louisiana in which French descendants of the Acadians settled.However,KATC televisionin Lafayette independently coined "Acadiana" in the early 1960s, giving it a new, broader meaning, and popularized it throughout southern Louisiana. Founded in 1962, KATC was owned by the Acadian Television Corporation. In early 1963, theABCaffiliate received an invoice erroneously addressed to the "Acadiana" Television Corp. Someone had typed an extra "a" at the end of the word "Acadian". The station started using it to describe the region covered by its broadcast signal.

Today, numerous business, governmental, and nonprofit organizations incorporate Acadiana in their names, e.g.,Mall of AcadianaandAcadiana High School.Notably,KLFY-TV,the regionalCBSaffiliate, used the term in its very successful "Hello News" branding campaign as "Hello Acadiana". KATC hosts a morning television show, "Good Morning Acadiana".

History

Historically part ofFrench Louisiana,present-day Acadiana was inhabited byAttakapaNative Americans at the time of European encounter.After theexpulsionof French-speaking Acadian refugees from Canada by the victorious British at the end of theSeven Years' War,many Acadians settled in this region.The Acadians intermarried with other settlers, forming what became known asCajun culture.

In 1971, theLouisiana State Legislatureofficially recognized 22 Louisiana parishes and "other parishes of similar cultural environment" for their "strong French Acadian cultural aspects" (House Concurrent Resolution No. 496, June 6, 1971, authored byCarl W. BauerofSt. Mary Parish). It made "Heart of Acadiana" the official name of the region. The public, however, prefers usingAcadianato refer to the region.The official term appears on regional maps and highway markers.

Effects of hurricanes

Like much of Louisiana, this area is subject to damaging hurricanes. On October 3, 2002,the central Acadiana region suffered a direct hit from category oneHurricane Lili.The hurricane caused most of Acadiana to lose power, and some areas lost phone service. In addition, some high-rise buildings in downtownLafayettehad windows broken, and the roofs were damaged of many homes throughout the region. The high winds of Lili toppled the tower of KLFY TV-10 onto the station's studio facilities. Only one injury inside the station was reported from the tower's collapse.

The eastern Acadiana region was somewhat affected byHurricane Katrinaon August 29, 2005, although the damage was limited compared to the severe flooding farther east in Greater New Orleans. This area was used by many evacuees when they returned to the region as a "last stop" of temporary domicile before returning to Greater New Orleans. TheGreater Baton Rougearea had already been handling numerous evacuees. GovernorKathleen Blancomade a public request that those returning not try to seek lodging in the capital due to this crisis of overpopulation.

Lafayette and several other municipalities set up both public and church-run shelters to handle the influx. The largest of these shelters, run by theRed Cross,was the Lafayette sports arena (theCajundome), holding a reported 9,800 persons.

The western Acadiana region and east Texas were most affected byHurricane Ritawhich hit on September 24, 2005. The Greater Lake Charles metropolitan area suffered the majority of the damage.

On Labor Day 2008,Hurricane Gustavcaused severe damage to the region.Although Lafayette,Saint MartinvilleandCrowleyhad little damage (comparatively) and some residents still had power, the rest of the region was severely affected. FromAlexandriato the coast andBaton Rougeto Lake Charles,massive power failures and flooding were reported. Most notable was the flooding south of Louisiana Highway 14 and the communities there. U.S. 90 was shut down for several days due to the flooding caused by Hurricane Gustav.

The total death toll from Hurricane Gustav in Acadiana was limited. This was attributed to the evacuation and mitigation plans that had been drilled by state and local official, and to a strong presence of representatives from both theDepartment of Homeland Securityand theFederal Emergency Management Agency.In total, almost two million people along the Louisiana coast were evacuated in over two days. Gustav preparations comprised the largest evacuation in Louisiana history, and one of the most successful evacuations in the nation's history.

In 2020,Hurricane Lauracaused significant damage to the western-most portion of Acadiana, including Calcasieu, Cameron, Jeff Davis, and portions of Vermilion and Acadia. A confirmed 18 people died in the storm and its aftermath. In addition,Intracoastal Citysaw a storm surge of 6 feet (1.8 m).Storm surge also flooded overSH 317at Burns Point in St. Mary Parish, and flash flooding surrounded homes inAbbeville.

Six weeks later,Hurricane Deltamade landfall nearCreole, Louisiana,with winds of 100 mph. Virtually the same parishes were affected by Hurricanes Laura and Delta. Over 740,000 residents had no power following both storms.

Geography

DowntownBreaux Bridge

DowntownNew Iberia

Acadiana consists mainly of low gentle hills in the north section and dry landprairies,withmarshesandbayousin the south closer to theGulf Coastarea. The wetlands increase in frequency in and around theCalcasieu River,Atchafalaya Basin,and theMississippi River Delta.The area is cultivated with fields ofriceandsugarcane.

Acadiana, as defined by theLouisiana legislature,refers to the area that stretches from just west ofNew Orleansto theTexasborder along theGulf of Mexicocoast, and about 100 miles (160 km) inland toMarksville.This includes the 22 parishes ofAcadia,Ascension,Assumption,Avoyelles,Calcasieu,Cameron,Evangeline,Iberia,Iberville,Jefferson Davis,Lafayette,Lafourche,Pointe Coupee,St. Charles,St. James,St. John The Baptist,St. Landry,St. Martin,St. Mary,Terrebonne,Vermilion,andWest Baton Rouge.The total land area of Acadiana is 14,574.105 square miles (37,746.76 square kilometers). If Acadiana was a U.S. state, it would be larger thanMaryland;if it were asovereign state,it would be larger thanthe Bahamas.

Three of the parishes (St. Charles, St. James, and St. John the Baptist) are considered theRiver Parishesand made up the area formerly known as theGerman Coastorles côtes des Allemands,because of settlement by German immigrants in the 18th century. Ascension Parish is sometimes included within the River Parishes; the River Parishes border the first and third largest regions in Louisiana by population (theGreater New Orleans areaandFlorida Parishes). St. James and Ascension parishes were originally known as theComté d'Acadie(Acadia County) because of the initial settlement of 18th-century exiledAcadians.St. James Parish was known as the First Acadian Coast and Ascension Parish was known as the Second Acadian Coast. Collectively they were known asles côtes des Acadiens,theAcadian Coasts.

Major cities

The largest metropolitan areas in Acadiana areLafayette,Lake Charles,andHouma-Thibodaux.Other cities and towns within Acadiana areAbbeville,Berwick,Breaux Bridge,Broussard,Bunkie,Carencro,Church Point,Crowley,Donaldsonville,Erath,Eunice,Franklin,Gonzales,Gueydan,Jeanerette,Jennings,Kaplan,Lutcher,Mamou,Marksville,Maurice,Morgan City,New Iberia,New Roads,Opelousas,Patterson,Plaquemine,Port Allen,Rayne,Scott,Simmesport,St. Amant,St. Gabriel,St. Martinville,Sulphur,Sunset,Ville Platte,andYoungsville.

Demographics

Further information:CajunsandLouisiana Creole people

At the2000 U.S. censusthe total population of Acadiana was 1,352,646 residents. At the 2019American Community Survey,the tabulated population of Acadiana was an estimated 1,490,449. In 2020, the tabulated population of Acadiana's parishes was 1,486,345.

Cajun-Creole ethnicity

A painting of bourgeois Creole ladies

Cajunsare the descendants of 18th-centuryAcadianexiles from what are now Canada'sMaritime Provinces,expelled by the British and New Englanders during and after theFrench and Indian War(seeExpulsion of the Acadians).They prevail among the region's visible cultures, but not everyone who lives in Acadiana is ethnically Acadian or speaksLouisiana French.Similarly, not everyone who is culturally "Cajun" is descended from the Acadian refugees.

German and Polish settlersfound their way to this area as early as 1721, settling an area that became known as theGerman Coast.They preceded the Acadians.Acadiana is home to severalNative Americantribes, including theChitimacha,Houma,Tunica-Biloxi,Attakapas,andCoushatta.Acadiana also is home to other ethnic groups, includingAnglo-Americans,who came into the region in increasing numbers beginning notably with theLouisiana Purchaseof 1803. Since the late 20th century, political refugees from Southeast Asia (Laos,Vietnam,andCambodia,among others) have brought their families, cultures, and languages to the area, and have contributed significantly to itsfishing industry.

The region also boasts a large population ofCreoles,descendants of the region's original settlers who arrived in Louisiana before and after the arrival of the Acadians. In the broadest sense, the term "Creole" has been used to denote anyone who is "native to Louisiana", regardless of race or ethnic origin. In this sense, Creoles can identify as black, white, and persons of mixed-race origin. The term has also come to denote cultural origins in addition to racial classification. While many in Acadiana associate Creoles specifically with those people descended from thegens de couleur libres(free people of color), others cling to the word's original definition, so Creoles of every ethnic background are still present in the region. Many Creoles also identify as Cajuns (and vice versa), whereas others reject association with one identity while still claiming the other. The two identities have never been mutually exclusive of one another, and documents written in Acadiana throughout the 19th century often make references to Acadiana's "Creole populations" that are understood to include people of Acadian descent.

TheCajun-Creolepopulation ofCrowleyenjoying a Cajun music concert in 1938

Prior to theU.S. Civil War,LouisianaCreoles of colorwere a class of free people who either gained their freedom or were born into free families. Thegens de couleur libresplayed an important role in the history ofNew Orleansand French Louisiana, both underFrenchandSpanishoccupation, and after the Louisiana Purchase by the United States. Some Creoles of color were wealthy businessmen, entrepreneurs, clothiers, real estate developers, doctors, and other respected professions; they owned estates and properties in French Louisiana.Being a French, and later Spanish colony, Louisiana maintained athree-tiered societythat was very similar to other Latin American and Caribbean countries.

In the colonial period of French and Spanish rule, men tended to marry later after becoming financially established. Men frequently took Native American women as their wives (seeMarriageà la façon du pays), and as slaves were imported into the colony, settlers also took African wives. Intermarriage between the different groups of Louisiana created a largemultiracial Creole population.

As more families settled Louisiana, young Frenchmen or French Creoles coming from wealthy backgrounds courted mixed-race women as their mistresses, known asplacées,before they officially married. Thegens de couleur libresdeveloped formal arrangements forplacées,which the young women's mothers negotiated. Under the system ofplaçage,the suitor had to be wealthy and prove that he could support the daughter, and take care of their children. Often the mothers arranged a kind ofdowryor property transfer to their daughters; if the daughter was a slave, she and their children would gain freedom. The fathers often paid for the education of their mixed-race children fromplaçagerelationships, especially if they were sons, generally sending them to France to be educated.

Many descendants of thegens de couleur libres,or free people of color, of the Louisiana area celebrate their culture and heritage through a New Orleans-based Louisiana Creole Research Association (LACréole).The termCréoleis not synonymous with "free people of color" orgens de couleur libres,but many members of LACréolehave traced their genealogies through those lines. Today, the multiracial descendants of the French and Spanish colonists, Africans, and other ethnicities are widely known as Louisiana Creoles. Louisiana's GovernorBobby Jindalsigned Act 276 on 14 June 2013, creating the license plate "I'm Creole", honoring Louisiana Creoles' contributions and heritage.

Similarly, the Acadiana region is home to many African Americans, who have contributed greatly to the region over the centuries. Many primarily descend from those persons brought to the State of Louisiana in various waves during the colonial period to work the area's sugarcane and rice plantations in the southern part of the state and the cotton plantations in the northern part of the state. Between 1723 and 1769, most slaves imported to Louisiana were from modern daySenegal,MaliandCongo,many thousands being imported to Louisiana from there.A large number of the imported slaves from the Senegambia region were members of theWolofandBambaraethnic groups.Saint-LouisandGoree Islandwere sites where a great number of slaves destined for Louisiana departed from Africa.

During theSpanish control of Louisiana,between 1770 and 1803, most of the slaves still came from the Congo and the Senegambia region, but others were imported from modern-dayBenin.Many slaves imported during this period were members of theNago people,aYorubasubgroup.The slaves brought with them their cultural practices, languages, and religious beliefs rooted in spirit andancestor worship,as well as Roman Catholic Christianity—all of which were key elements ofLouisiana Voodoo.In addition, in the early nineteenth century, manySaint Dominicansalso settled in Louisiana, both free people of color and slaves, following theHaitian RevolutiononSaint-Domingue,contributing to the Voodoo tradition of the state. During the American period (1804–1820), almost half of the slaves came from theCongo.Before the American Civil War (1861–1865), African Americans comprised a significant portion of the state's population, with most being employed on sugar cane and cotton plantations (seehistory of slavery in LouisianaandLouisiana African American Heritage Trail).

Religion

TheCathedral of Saint John the EvangelistinLafayette, Louisiana

Religiously, Acadiana differs from much of theAmerican Southbecause a majority of its people are Christians of theRoman Catholictradition in contrast to the surrounding regions (e.g.,CentralandNorthern Louisiana), which are part of the largely ProtestantBible Belt.This is largely attributed to the region's French, Spanish, and Caribbean influences. Among the Catholic population of Acadiana, the majority are served by theRoman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana,though some areas in western and eastern Acadiana belong to theDiocese of Lake Charles,and theRoman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rougein theFlorida Parishes.

Transportation

The traditional industries of the area,agriculture,petroleum,andtourism,initially drove the need for transportation development. In recent years,hurricaneevacuation plans for the area's growing towns and cities have hastened the planning and construction of better roadways. The abundance of swamps and marshes previously made Acadiana difficult to access, a major reason for the near isolation of the early Cajun people.

Afteroilwas found in the area in the early 20th century, oil industry development was geared to improving access by roads and waterways. Damage has been done to the region by dredging and straightening of waterways, which has damaged the wetlands that used to absorb water and storms, leaving the area more vulnerable. Coastline continues to erode.

Land

High-capacity, modern highways are the lifelines of the region.U.S. highways90,190,and167were the main connectors through south Louisiana until the 1950s.Interstates10,210,55,and49now play the major role in transportation. US and state highways also cross the region.

Rail transport through the area is limited by the difficult terrain and the sheer number of bridges required to build over numerous streams and bayous. A robust railroad system was being built at the time of theAmerican Civil War,but much of it was destroyed during the conflict. By the end of the war, river transport viapaddlewheelerhad taken over as the preferred mode of travel. The major railways in operation through the region are theBurlington Northern Santa Fe Railroadand theUnion Pacific Railroad.

Water

Waterways are vital to the commercial and recreational activities of the region.Seaports,rivers,lakes,bayous,canals,andspillwaysdot the landscape, and served as the primary source of shipping and travel through the early 1930s. TheMississippi Riveris important to the eastern section, theAtchafalaya Riverto the middle.Calcasieu Riverflowing throughLake Charlesenables shipping traffic in the western portion, while theSabine Riverforms the western border of both Acadiana and Louisiana. Fresh and saltwater lakes, along with almost the entire Louisiana portion of theIntracoastal Waterway,enable the flow of people and materials.

Air

Airports inLafayetteandLake Charlesprovide scheduled airline service. Helicopter pilots serve the oilfields in theGulf of Mexico.Small planes are used for short trips and agricultural needs. Smallgeneral aviationairports serve communities throughout the area.

See also

• Acadia
• French Louisiana(disambiguation page)
• List of Louisiana parishes by French-speaking population
• Acadian Coast
• Acadian Village
• Acadiana Profilemagazine,established 1968 by Robert Angers
• The Independent (Acadiana)newspaper established 2003
• Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
• Southwest Louisiana
• Center for Louisiana Studies