Cajuns - Introduction

Cajuns, 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 2000 United States census, some 88,000 people in Louisiana claimed either Cajun or Acadian heritage, and 111,000 claimed French Canadian heritage.