Cultural Identity in Acadiana in the 21st Century

Presentation Type

Poster

Conference Date

Spring 4-17-2026

Abstract

Most scholarship surrounding Coastal Louisiana’s Cajun community analyzes their unique linguistic and cultural heritage, hyper-focusing on rural communities that are framed as the last remaining strongholds of true Cajun culture. However, a significant portion of people who ethnically or culturally identify as Cajuns now live in more metropolitan areas, and many of these people no longer speak the language or practice the lifeways commonly associated with 19th-century Acadians or contemporary rural communities. How these individuals distinguish themselves from (or embrace) an American identity that accompanies their modern environment is not well understood. Using a combined strategy of ethnographic studies of festivals and a close reading of social media posts, it becomes clear that these 21st-century Cajuns are not a monolith. The perspectives and performances collected in this study reveal innovative Cajun-American identities despite the continued narrative that they are “exotic.” In fact, Cajuns in opposing camps of American politics see their American identity as perfectly compatible with their Cajun heritage, even if in contradictory ways. The Cajuns in this study participate in their culture’s evolution, celebrating it in novel ways (such as social media posts and vendor markets) while also holding festivals and creating art that is meant to acknowledge and preserve it. These cultural artifacts critique the common narrative that their culture is entirely “eroding.” American assimilation has affected Cajuns over generations– revealed here are stories of diverse cultural evolution & retention that put the agency of identity back into the hands of contemporary Cajuns.

Presenter

Ian Frick

Faculty Mentor

Sarah Franzen

Award

1st Place, LSU College of the Coast & Environment

Academic Major

Coastal Environmental Science

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