Member of a culture prevalent from Southwestern
Mississippi, throughout Southern Louisiana, and Southeast Texas, descended from the Acadian French settlers of east-central Canada who were driven out by military means.
We are normally gregarious and friendly. but apparently the only Frenchmen who still are good at fighting and do fight when called on (or called out). We have great taste in food, somewhat less good taste in music (
according to our non-Cajun friends, who apparently are not fond of waltzes or accordion
instrumentals).
There are so many Cajuns because Cajun-ness is a cultural matter more than a genetic one. People whose ancestors were here BEFORE the Cajun migration (such as Louisiana Germans and
the original French settlers) have assimillated into the culture, as have Jews, Arabs, Serbs, Croats,
Englishmen (an entire warship full of them who shipwrecked in Dularge, Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana and decided life was better there than back home), Italians, Spanish, African-Americans, and other nationalities. Most natives of South Louisiana self-identify as Cajuns.
These people are steadfast friends, fearsome enemies, hard partiers, expert hunters and fishermen and avid drinkers. For decades, the unofficial motto of the state, "Sportsman's Paradise" has emblazoned Louisiana licence plates due to Cajun prowess in shooting, hooking, netting and cooking wild game and fish.
"Cher, we're gonna have a real Cajun
boucherie tonight. yeah! I got a
suckling pig turning over a slow fire, eight baskets of crabs and eight baskets of crawfish to boil... AND we have a fiddler and an
accordion man. Haul yo ass down here and eat with us!"
