Cajun
 |
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 1.2 million (2002 estimate) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| United States | |
| Louisiana | 815,259 |
| Texas | 56,000 |
| Languages | |
|
Cajun French Cajun English, American English, Standard French, Acadian French, Louisiana Creole |
|
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Roman Catholicism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| French, Québécois, Métis, Acadians, Louisiana Creoles, French Haitian | |
Cajuns (/ˈkeɪdʒən/; French: les Cadiens or Les Cadiens or les Acadiens, [le kadʒɛ̃, lez‿akadʒɛ̃]) are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles (French-speakers from Acadia in what are now The Maritimes of Eastern Canada). Today, the Cajuns make up a significant portion of south Louisiana's population and have exerted an enormous impact on the state's culture.
While Lower Louisiana had been settled by French colonists since the late 17th century, the Cajuns trace their roots to the influx of Acadian settlers after the Great Expulsion from their homeland during the French and British hostilities prior to the Seven Years' War (1756 to 1763). The Acadia region to which modern Cajuns trace their origin consisted largely of what are now Nova Scotia and the other Maritime provinces, plus parts of eastern Quebec and northern Maine. Since their establishment in Louisiana, the Cajuns have developed their own dialect, Cajun French, and developed a vibrant culture including folkways, music, and cuisine. The Acadiana region is heavily associated with them.
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