Back Article published Aug 15, 2007
Is Cajun still cool?
on this blog:
http://fanset7.blogspot.com/2007/08/let-us-know-is-cajun-still-cool.html
Locals say: C'est bien bon d'êt' cadjin*
Jim Bradshaw
Is it still cool to be Cajun?
Mais, cher, you’d better believe it.
Advertiser file photo/Brad Kemp
Music and fun: Cajuns pride themselves on their unique, much-loved style.
So say dozens of respondents to a query posted several weeks ago at theadvertiser.com in anticipation of today’s celebration of the National Day of the Acadians.
Respondents said they treasured the family values, enduring faith, unique heritage, and sense of hard work and hard play that come with the Cajun culture. They also fear that it is a culture that is changing, perhaps disappearing. And one that, for all of its acclaim, has not been fully appreciated, either here or elsewhere.
Brenda Comeaux-Trahan, director of the Acadian Memorial in St. Martinville, asks rhetorically, just what it is that keeps the Cajun culture alive.
“Is it the joyful, soulful and poignant music? Is it the blend of the cultural gumbo that makes up the succulent delicious cuisine? Is it the ‘joie de vivre’ approach to cultural enjoyment and traditions of old?
“It is all of the above, most certainly,” she answers, “but more important, the world has been touched by the heart and soul of Cajuns — Cajuns, who hold a strong sense of faith, appreciate family, preserve
traditions and culture, keep strong work ethics, and hold the power of endurance.”
“Cajuns don’t need a special occasion to celebrate,” writes Michael Latiolais, “because we live life to the fullest and enjoy each passing day. ... It’s known that people from around the world come to Acadiana to get a real taste of what we have to offer.
“A true Cajun is one that will feed you if you are hungry, give you the shirt off his back, a place to sleep if you are tired and a shoulder to lean on so you don’t fall — especially at Mardi Gras. We work hard, play hard, eat hearty and love life. Try to find another place that’s better than here,” Latiolais says. “It ain’t gonna happen, but good luck trying.”
“To me,” writes a respondent identified only as Hunter, “being Cajun is waking up on Saturday and getting boudin. It’s going out Saturday nights during Lent to eat crawfish. ... It means cooking gumbo after that first cold snap in late October. ... It means working as hard as you can at your job, and not bringing your job home with you. ... It means smiling and shaking hands with strangers and offering them food or drink. It also means that if a friend or family member is in trouble, nothing is more important than going to their aid.”
Some folk, like a respondent who identifies herself only as “Marie,” say that our reputation for “playing hard” sometimes does a disservice to the culture. She also says that there is a difference between the Acadian heritage and the Cajun culture.
“While some of us in southwest Louisiana can claim Acadian heritage our culture is not Acadian, it is Cajun, as anyone who has ever been to Canada can tell you,” she writes.
“Most people will probably say, ‘Sure, we need to keep having crawfish boils, eating étouffée, drinking beer and doing the two-step.’ Because that’s what most people ... think the Cajun culture is. These people define themselves by what they eat, how they speak and where they dance.
“I would think that the cuisine will probably survive because everybody likes to eat good food. But as far as our traditions and language go, they are rapidly being lost forever because it takes a real effort on the personal level and on the community level to keep these things alive.
“Every time a French-speaking Louisianian dies, there goes another library full of history, idioms and traditions,” she writes.
Respondent Tom Wicker shares Marie’s concern, and issues a challenge.
“We tell the world of the success of the Acadian people persevering through political turmoil, natural hardships and devastating circumstances to create a legacy built from respect, friendship, tolerance and generosity,” he writes. “This culture is one of the most unique cultures in the world. No one has a history like ours, no one has music and food like ours, and no one has family ties like ours.
“Still, little by little, a fragment of this Acadian identity is lost over time. ... This culture is kept one generation at a time. It is your time to help preserve it,” he says.
We know it’s worth keeping because we have so many imitators, respondents say — and maybe we’ve even begun to imitate ourselves, play ourselves larger-than-life for the sake of the outsiders.
“Cajun ... is so cool ... that people ... from other parts of Louisiana, like Baton Rouge or north Louisiana ... all want to be us,” says Chris Guidry.
“I liked it better being a Cajun when nobody outside of Louisiana knew what they were,” writes Bobby Matherne. “When we found a restaurant back then that had Cajun food, it was authentic Cajun food, not some skewed, over-spiced and mostly tasteless concoction.”
*It is good to be Cajun
Several weeks ago, we posed this question to readers of the newspaper and at theadvertiser.com: "What does it mean to be a Cajun today? Is it still important to celebrate our Acadian heritage and culture?"
Is Cajun still cool?
For years, people from around the world have been captured by our ethnicity. What has been the catalyst to their hunger for our culture?
Is it the joyful, soulful and poignant music of the talented musicians who play nightly, for locals after a hard day's work or tourist? Is it the blend of the cultural gumbo that makes up the succulent delicious cuisine? Is it the "joie de vivre" approach to cultural enjoyment and traditions of old? Is it the French European influence that is obvious in our surroundings?
It is all of the above most certainly, but more importantly, the world has been touched by the heart and soul of Cajuns! Cajuns, who hold a strong sense of faith, appreciate family, preserve traditions and culture, keep strong work ethics and hold the power of endurance in their cells handed down from their ancestors. The more than 3,000 Acadian Cajuns who settled in Louisiana learned the meaning of survival through the devastations of the Acadian's deportation. Those traits, along with a strong Cajun identity, ripple off to "wannabe" Cajuns, whom are all embraced to share in the Cajun culture.
In travels to many Francophone regions of Maine, Canada - Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, and France and Belgium; Cajun people are greeted with grand receptions and opened arms. It is their hope to experience a friendship with a Cajun family.
It is very obvious we are known and loved for our unique ethnicity. It is considered "cool" not only in our hearts but in the hearts of French speaking regions around the globe.
Yes, it is evident that "Cajun" is still cool and remains stronger than ever!
- Brenda Comeaux-Trahan
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After working with Judge Allen Babineaux and Mr. Eddie Richard for years, together they taught me the valve of the heritage I did not know I had. Following is for you consideration for your "Is Cajun still cool".
Is another Acadian celebration needed?
In July of 1755, the British had confiscated all arms in the possession of Acadians. A storm had been brewing over the refusal of Acadians to sign the oath of allegiance to the King of England. A few Acadians agreed to sign the oath unconditionally, but their request was refused because the plans for the expulsion were already in place. No one could have imagined what was to follow. Statistics on the number of people in Acadia at that time vary; but many sources place the population of French-Acadians at approximately 18,000 at the time of the deportation.
On September 5, 1755, John Winslow, commander of the British forces in charge of the arrest and exile of Acadians, gave the signal for the first prisoners at Grand-Pré to be loaded on ships anchored at the mouth of the Gaspareaux River. They were removed off their land and orders given to take them to a place were they would soon lose their identity, their language and religion. The shock of exile remained in the lives of Acadians the rest of their lives and lingered in their hearts and souls and in their descendants for decades to follow.
Having a day to remember has nothing to do with any kind of laying blame or criticism but a day to remember those who suffered and those who lost their lives following these dreadful events. Yes, we need to have another celebration, to honor our lost loved ones who gave so much of themselves so that we have the heritage we have today.
We tell the world of the success of the Acadian people persevering through political turmoil, natural hardships and devastating circumstances to create a legacy built from respect, friendship, tolerance and generosity. This could become an example for all humanity and now added to the success, our own Grammy music category. This culture is one of the most unique cultures in the world. No one has a history like ours, no one has the music and food like ours and no one has the family ties like ours.
Still, little by little, a fragment of this Acadian identity is lost over time. How, with the forever widening family circles, how can people like the Acadians succeed in keeping their culture and language alive? We must continue to work together to develop a better feeling of pride, while making a daily commitment to building a better future. This culture is kept one generation at a time; it is your time to help preserve it. Get the kids involved. Encourage a secondary language by supporting French immersion in our schools, experience Cajun music at festivals or enroll in Acadian and Creole cooking lessons - believe me it will open up a whole new world to them.
To this day, 252 years after the Deportation, the Acadians still are very aware of their identity, still speak French and are mostly Catholics. This is the time for all Acadian families to stop and give thanks to generations of ancestors for their suffering and values we hold so dear to us today. Gather your heritage and be proud of it. Pass it down to your kids. Don't let it go. The word "Cajun" has become ubiquitous in today's society, because of that, it has different meanings to many people.
Thomas Wicker
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One sure sign that Cajun is still cool is the attendance to Vermilionville's annual Acadian Culture Day. We had 1,245 people attend this year. This is about 450 people more than we've ever had attend for any of our other Acadian Culture Days.
Even though Cajun is still "cool," preserving and promoting Cajun culture is something worth doing regardless of if it is cool or not - the task is just a whole lot easier when it is. I'm fortunate to work for an organization, the Lafayette Parish Bayou Vermilion District, that embracing preserving our area's cultural and natural treasures. By learning about our area's culture - where we came from and why we do the things we do - we gain a better understanding of who we are as individuals. We also learn more about our natural environment, since it has shaped so much of the Cajun culture.
Another of our many preservation efforts is the Cultural Heritage Preservation Awards night. We are having that on Aug. 16. We co-sponsor the event with CFMA. Their organization gives out several awards. Vermilionville gives out one award, which we call the Cajun Heritage Preservation Award. This year, that award is going to Pete Bergeron for his lifelong efforts to promote the Cajun culture, language and music.
Anne Laughlin
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Many local businesses attach the word "Cajun" to their name as a sign that they are locally owned and operated.
Cooks around the world call a dish "Cajun" if it has a certain blend of hot spices, usually involving cayenne pepper.
When visitors come to Louisiana to experience "Cajun" culture, they're looking for Zydeco, beer, good food, and friendly people.
My affluent ancestors who were exiled from Quebec and settled in Baton Rouge probably thought of Cajuns as "poor, ignorant, swamp dwellers".
To me, being Cajun is waking up on Saturday morning and getting boudin. It's going out on Saturday nights during Lent to eat crawfish at a friends house while listening to KBON and drinking cheap beer. It means cooking a gumbo after that first cold snap in late October. It means knowing the four seasons: dove season, squirrel season, duck season and deer season. It means working as hard as you can at your job, and not bringing your job home with you. It means knowing people's names, and who their daddy is. It means smiling and shaking hands with strangers, and offering them food or drink. It also means that if a friend or family member is in trouble, nothing is more important than going to their aid.
I suppose the difference lies in being called "Cajun" and being "Cajun." We can't help how other people use the word, but the people raised with "Cajun" values have nothing to worry about. The culture will be around as long as people continue to value those things.
- Hunter, Scott, LA
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Is Cajun still cool? Absolutely! We have such a unique culture. Look at our accomplishments - especially in the last few years. Look at the difference in how we reacted to the perils of our hurricane seasons. We drew on our past experiences on how to take care of ourselves and each other. We did not wait for "big brother" to give handouts, we knew what had to be done and did it. What a lesson for the rest of the state!
I think Cajuns are probably the most patriotic of all Americans. We are proud of our culture, our language, our heritage ... but we are also proud of the fact that we learned the language of our country so that we could function in society without expecting special favors. We speak French at home but we also speak English in our schools, our churches, businesses and jobs.
There are so many great things about this area and the people who live here so please do your best to promote our culture and heritage to the rest of the world! We are worth it!
- Shasa Perez
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I live in Houston, and am amongst Texans all the time. Trust me, being Cajun (and) being from South Louisiana ... is still cool. It's so cool, in fact, that people who aren't from the area, but are from other parts of Louisiana, like Baton Rouge or North Louisiana, love to gravy train it. They all want to be us.
- Chris Guidry
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For a culture that has suffered for a long time, that was once ridiculed and shamed there should always be a special recognition of Cajuns and Acadians.
I am not Cajun myself but know so many wannabes who would adopt the culture and heritage if we could as much as we can.
My wife is a Travel Consultant in California and she tells everyone she can that they must see, taste and listen to the ... Cajun culture at least once in their lifetime.
- Joe Lissak
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I'm a misplaced Cajun living in Peabody, Mass., for 44 years now, but I still love my Cajun heritage and thankfully have been able to go "home" to Lafayette every year - and now that we're retired, we stay for the month of April - and love every minute of it. I have converted most of my New England friends to spicy Cajun food - I still have a small TonyC's in my purse to spice up most of the food when I go to a restaurant!
I'll always be a Cajun! Landry and Guidry! Good mix!
- Maude Hernandez
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Yes, being Cajun is still in vogue. We should remember our culture. We should also remember our ancestors and all of the suffering and hardships they endured at the hands of the English.
The Acadians arrived in North America 15 years before the Mayflower set sail. La Grace De Dieu was one of the sailing ships used. Thanks to our American history it has all been buried, but certainly not forgotten.
The English belittled the Acadians (Cajun) to the point where the Cajuns were made to feel inferior to the English, and ashamed of who they were, Cajuns. In an attempt to "fit in" they Americanized their city's name, "Lafayette" and some surnames.
There are 42 cities and counties in the United States named after Marquis De Lafayette. Our Lafayette is the only one with a French culture (and) the only one where it's inhabitants doesn't pronounce the name, "Lafayette" correctly.
We don't owe the English anything. Be proud of who we are, Cajuns.
-William J. Thibodeaux, Lafayette
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Is Cajun still cool? I'll say it is. Ate at Nimbeau's tonight and heard all kinds of Cajun French being spoken. Like music. It was wonderful to hear.
We have friends in Wisconsin who adore Cajun and even though they are "Northerners" they relish preparing and indulging in Cajun food weekly. Whenever they have guests over, they serve Cajun.It's cool!
Rachel Ray even mentions that she is part Cajun in her cooking shows.Her claim is that her father is from New Orleans. New Orleans is not Cajun, but Rachel Ray knows it is cool to be Cajun, so she claims it.
- Brenda King
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Absolutely!
The Acadian heritage is a rich and proud one that must be kept alive and flourishing. It is a part of so many of us today. It gives us our daily strength and guides our purpose in life. It promotes our love of God, family and community. I only wish I had learned to speak French as a youngster because it would have deepened my appreciation of my Acadian heritage.
I proudly carry the genes of my Acadian ancestors who struggled against so much adversity to bequeath to us the fullness of life that they experienced. The Acadian heritage that so many of us share is what makes southern Louisiana a special place to me. My family and friends are there!
- P. L. Richey-King
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My parents were born in and around Kaplan ... and my grandparents couldn't speak a word of English. I can't speak a word of Cajun French. ... I grew up knowing and visiting all my relatives in that area. I however lived all over the world. My father was in the army and decided to stay in after World War II. He decided to live in a little town in Texas near Fort Hood.
So, I being really a pure blood Cajun wasn't living a Cajun lifestyle except for hearing Cajun French and eating Cajun food. I lived among people however who were from everywhere. Being a military brat, I was exposed to many different cultures and enjoyed it very much. As a child, however, I was laughed at because of my English which had a very Cajun accent. I was made fun of because the description of a Cajun back then was barefoot and very dumb. Then years down the road, Cajun became a really Neat thing to be as Cajun food became very popular.
Now, Cajun is thrown around a lot to describe a taste of food whether it be a seasoning or a way of cooking something. Also Cajun became synonymous with "having a good time" or "let the good times roll." I suppose those things mattered to people at the time. "Cajun" became an OK thing to be.
I did enjoy very much going to see my relatives as a child. I felt that I was entering another world. It was almost like going to another country right here in the USA and getting to enjoy something totally different. I loved the tastes of the foods and aromas that filled the air and mostly enjoyed visiting and playing with my cousins. I really think that celebrating being a Cajun or our Acadian heritage is as much American as "apple pie" is and will never go away.
- Vickie Cloud
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Hi, My name is Mike. I am originally from Carencro and reside in Prairieville (Ascension parish). To me, "Being a Cajun" is definitely something to be proud of and to celebrate being but, as everybody knows we Cajuns don't need a special occasion to celebrate because we live life to the fullest and enjoy each passing day just the same as if it was a festival or holiday.
It's known that people from around the world come to Acadiana to get a real taste of what we have to offer. A true Cajun is one that will feed you if you are hungry, give you the shirt off his back, a place to sleep if you are tired and a shoulder to lean on so you don't fall (especially during Mardi Gras) but, if you do him an injustice ... "Shame on you" because you will get the toe of his boot and his backside as he walks away never to befriend you again.
Our music, customs and traditions, spicy food, close family ties and tight-knit circles of friends (make) us a breed apart. We are tenacious survivors with strong wills and we are our own conservationists of the greatest gift that God gave to Cajuns and that being Louisiana, "Sportsman's Paradise."
Others may say that we are ignorant, dirty, illiterate and just plain dumb. That's OK because that's just words from jealous people who will never know what it's like to be a part of something so special. We work hard, play hard, eat hearty and love life. Try to find another place that's better than here. It ain't gonna happen but, good luck trying.
Now, if this statement of why it's "Cool to be Cajun" ain't good enough then go talk to my mama. She will give you an earful.
- Michael Latiolais
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Well it's hard to answer for me 'cause I write from France. I visited the Cajun country in 1990 an I really digged it.
I love specially Cajun music. I own a lot of Cajun records (about 150) and nearly 80 books about Louisiana, old French "Louisiane," Cajun music, Cajun speaking, Cajun culture etc. ... both in English and French
It's really a passion for me to listen Cajun music and read books about Louisiana. I even play Cajun accordion (melodeon) since 18 months. I belong to a French Cajun association
Cajun is a part of me!
I'm French but I appreciate this French-American culture, the Cajun "parler" the way of life of Cajun people - I have just one regret, (that) these people could not enough protect their French language against English as French Canadians have done
But nobody has never helped them, neither English who persecuted them during the "grand derangement," neither French government who sold them in 1803 to the young American nation, neither this American government who (forbade) them to speak French at school.
And despite all these things, Cajuns are always standing ... and they still have fun and like to "laisser le bon temps rouler."
Oh yaille! lachez pas les Cajuns.
-Jean Faure
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Yes, it is important to be proud of our Acadian heritage. Most people are proud of their heritage, whatever it is. To think of the strength of my Thibodeaux ancestors as they faced the deportation and hardships of settling in new lands, inspires me and makes me very proud.
- Terri Hoover Dunham
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I am originally from Cow Island, La. And play the accordion and sing Cajun music. I also am a 9th generation grandson of Beausolie Broussard. So here goes:
1. I have Cajun blood from Nova Scotia on both sides of my family.
2. My first grandmother in North America was a Mik'Maq Indian woman.
3. I am so proud of the culture developed by my forefathers that today inspires people from other nations and States to come and see what living is about.
4. I am so proud to be able to play music that reaches the deepest part of one's soul. It can make you laugh and stomp your feet, or it can make one so sad that tears come to your eyes.
5. I am proud to own property in Pine Island (near Forked Island) that was part of the original land grant to my Great Grand Father Ernest Broussard.
- Bernie David
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It's wonderful that we have a "National Day of the Acadians." I mean we have a National Day for pretty much everything else, although nothing significant comes to mind. Unfortunately, the first think I thought of was that now I have to listen all the nuts complain about how they aren't Cajun and that they don't like the term being applied to the Dome and the UL sports teams.
Of course, Cajun is cool. For years now, it has been so cool and to be "HOT." OK, I was born in West Central Louisiana, but I have lived in Lafayette, most of my life and I definitely think of Lafayette as my home town and I am proud to claim that I am Cajun through adoption. Unless it was by accident, I have zero Cajun blood and am not aware of any other taint beyond "good old Southern boy." Being born North of I-10 I really don't think of myself as a "Redneck" unless I'm with a bunch of Yankees and I start talking quoting Jeff Foxworthy to see if I can stir them up. Used to, I'd do the same while boasting Cajun heritage and poorly telling Justin Wilson or Bud Fletcher jokes, but like smoking, trying to talk "Cajun" is not hip anymore. In my younger years, Yankees were dumb and they'd believe anything. They have wizened up some since.
I know that some good intentioned people with true and honorable Acadian ancestry complain when we use the "C - A" word or make fun of Boudreaux and Thibodeaux, but to them I say, "Get a Life" and "Move On". Like it or not, being identified a Cajun is both an honor and a yoke to bear. People come from all corners of the earth to meet and eat with the Cajuns and to experience for only awhile the wonderful life we all share. Unfortunately these same people also laugh at "Cajuns" when they are portrayed in the movies as less than ignorant trash, but is there any group, or state, or culture or life style that has not also endured the same pro and con of recognition?
Of course, Cajun is still cool and will always be cool so long as we keep it that way in our hearts. I hope the National Day of the Acadians is a great success and a meaningful day for not just the true ancestors, but for all of us who share this wonderful state with them.
- Mike Hinson, Lafayette
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I'm sitting here in our studio apartment in Bangkok. It's 6:15 a.m. and I have a big piece of work to do by 9 a.m. , but I'm responding to ... Is Cajun Still Cool?
Just think a bit - How did we get to see Hank Williams (Sr.) in New Iberia at the Porter Stadium? He wrote "Jambalaya," our standard pop-music about Cajuns. My wife was singing it in Khmer last night as I worked on my project here at Assumption University of Thailand. She's from Cambodia, and "Jambalaya" is a standard tune there, since before and all through and after the Killing Fields, the Vietnam war carpet bombing, famine, and everything else.
And how did Hank Williams know about crawfish pie and a file gumbo? He was a frequent guest at the Louisiana Hayride Radio Show in Shreveport, that's how! And who was his stage band? B. Romero and the Teche Playboys, that's who! From New Iberia!
Who else came to Louisiana to sing on the show, and socialize with B. and the boys? Ever hear of a guy named "Elvis" something? Yep, he knew about Cajun because Band the boys backed up his songs on the Hayride!
Our university has a annual overnight "retreat" (party) at this or that Thai beach resort. I've been to two of them. What did I sing? "Jambalaya," of course, and the New Orleans oldie, "Salty Dog." I came home with prizes both times, May 2006 and 2007. It's really cool when the people from Thailand, India, China, Burma, Cambodia and the USA are out there recognize the "Jambalaya" tune, and are yelling for more!
Where did I have my last gumbo? I introduced my wife to it in the Louisiana restaurant in Pattaya, Thailand, in March of this year.
People see me wearing my Acadian Memorial T-shirt with my family name in the spiral of Cajun names on the back, and stop me on the street here in Bangkok. "Hey, You're Cajun!" they say. Yesterday a Thai culture instructor saw me inserting the name card into the slot on the door of my new office and said, "That's a French name!" "Yes," I replied. "I'm a Cajun!"
"Oh," she said, "I have been to Louisiana! It was a field trip when I was in the university in America!"
Cajun is cool. Cajun is big. I interviewed for my column in the Bangkok Post at the New Orleans Restaurant in Bangkok in March this year. My editor is a USC law graduate with Jamaican roots. He invited me to the restaurant so we could enjoy a Cajun meal as we chatted and worked out our agreement. Cajun, Creole, Bruce's Louisiana Gold and Tabasco sauce, it's here, and it's big.
Yes, Cajun is cool. Cajun is priceless. I hope children will always say, "I'm proud to claim the name I bear, because people know it's Cajun everywhere!"
- James Peter Louviere, Assumption University of Thailand
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Mais, I don' t'ink so, me! Cajuns are hot!
I liked it better being a Cajun when nobody outside of Louisiana knew what they were.
Example in 1972 my California plate was CAJUN . Then when I moved to Massachusetts a year later, we got this plate there: CAJUNS
And when we found a restaurant back then which had Cajun food, it was authentic Cajun food, not some skewed, over-spiced and mostly tasteless concoction as you find in nine out of ten Cajun dishes today.
I grew up in SE Louisiana and my Babin grandmother did not prepare spicy foods. We only spiced up our boiled seafood and oyster sauce. Any spicy-ness on our gumbos came from the boiled seafood we used in it. That's how I cook still today, using only a capful of liquid crab boil to soak raw shrimp if I don't have time to boil them. [My recipes for Bobby Jeaux's Kitchen are at http://www.doyletics.com/recipes.htm]
What it means to be a Cajun today to me is
