The Cajuns: Americanization of a People [Paperback]

Shane K. Bernard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 12, 2003

The past sixty years have shaped and reshaped the group of French-speaking Louisiana people known as the Cajuns. During this period they have become much like other Americans and yet have remained strikingly distinct. The Cajuns: Americanization of a People explores these six decades and analyzes the forces that had an impact on Louisiana's Acadiana.

In the 1940s, when America entered World War II, so too did the isolated Cajuns. Cajun soldiers fought alongside troops from Brooklyn and Berkeley and absorbed aspects of new cultures. In the 1950s as rock 'n' roll and television crackled across Louisiana airwaves, Cajun music makers responded with their own distinct versions. In the 1960s, empowerment and liberation movements turned the South upside down. During the 1980s, as things Cajun became an absorbing national fad, "Cajun" became a kind of brand identity used for selling everything from swamp tours to boxed rice dinners. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, the advent of a new information age launched "Cyber-Cajuns" onto a worldwide web. All these forces have pushed and pulled at the fabric of Cajun life but have not destroyed it.

A Cajun himself, the author of this book has an intense personal fascination in his people.

By linking seemingly local events in the Cajuns' once isolated south Louisiana homeland to national and even global events, Bernard demonstrates that by the middle of the twentieth century the Cajuns for the first time in their ethnic story were engulfed in the currents of mainstream American life and yet continued to make outstandingly distinct contributions.

Shane K. Bernard serves as historian and curator to McIlhenny Company, maker of Tabasco brand products since 1868, and Avery Island, Inc. He is the author of Swamp Pop: Cajun and Creole Rhythm and Blues (University Press of Mississippi). His work has been published in such periodicals as Louisiana History, Louisiana Folklife, Louisiana Cultural Vistas, and the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Editorial Reviews

Review

In The Cajuns, Shane K. Bernard relates the story of how one of America's most distinctive ethnic groups, the Acadians, or Cajuns, of South Louisiana, made the transformation from a close-knit people retaining the strong cultural ties of their heritage to a group that has become assimilated into the mainstream of American society. Bernard maintains that for much of their history the Cajuns were looked down upon, derided as "backward, ignorant, and un-American" (p. xvii). They spoke a separate language and lived a life-style that emphasized isolation and separation from traditional American culture.

World War II changed that. Thousands of Cajuns served in the armed forces, and for the first time many were exposed to outside influences. Those influences were, of course, accelerated by such postwar developments as the introduction of television into typical homes and the creation of the interstate highway system. In addition, young Cajuns found themselves strongly influenced by the advent of rock and roll music and other national cultural trends that led to a sharp reduction in traditional Cajun habits.

Most people think of the Cajuns as Caucasian, but in 1960, 28 percent of Acadiana's population was black. Although several violent incidents did mar the region's integration, in general it progressed quite peacefully. One reason lay in the large degree of racial intermingling that the region had historically experienced. Another lay in the strong support for desegregation by the Roman Catholic Church. Today, many African American Cajun families have surnames such as Doucette and Thierry. Many are as proud to proclaim themselves "coonasses" (p. 109) as their white counterparts.

By the early 1970s the Americanization of the Cajuns had proceeded so rapidly that some of the region's leaders organized efforts to preserve its rich heritage. The Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL), for example, forcefully espoused the teaching of French in the schools and helped to restore some of the traditions and values of the Cajun language. CODOFIL also became known for its promotion of Cajun pride and empowerment. Cajun music and cuisine also became highly publicized features of this movement.

Bernard concludes that during the last sixty years of the twentieth century the meaning of the word Cajun was redefined from the popular perception of a lazy, shiftless, ignorant people; Cajuns came to be recognized as a unique and valued ethnic group. The core identity of the Cajuns has transformed itself into one of pride.

Bernard has done an excellent job in treating this neglected aspect of Cajun history. His sources include a wide variety of both primary and secondary works. His chapters on the influences of World War II and of the atomic age on the Cajuns are fine interpretations. He also gives full credit to the important roles played by women and blacks in the region. This reviewer highly recommends this immensely readable and informative volume to anyone interested in learning more about one of America's most fascinating peoples. -- The Journal of American History (June 2004)

Shane K. Bernard, a descendant of Acadian exiles who settled in Louisiana, wondered why in his lifetime, "after more than three hundred years in the New World, [his] family had suddenly lost the ability to speak French" (p. xii). He, and Cajuns in general, Bernard concludes, had been "Americanized." That transformation, which he thoroughly explores and examines, was "rapid, widespread . . . sparked by the onset of World War II and fueled by the convergence of several ensuing trends and events during the postwar period: the advent of mass communications, rampant consumerism, interstate highways, the jet age, educational improvements, even the rise of rock 'n' roll". . . . The strength of this study rests in the way Bernard follows the effects of postwar changes as they ripple through Cajun culture. . . . Bernard, as both scholar and participant, has written a thorough and interesting study of that transformation. -- Journal of Southern History (August 2004)

From the Inside Flap

A history of how Cajun culture coped with forces that threatened its uniqueness

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Mississippi (March 12, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578065232
• ISBN-13: 978-1578065233
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #371,644 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A Cajun from Lafayette, Louisiana, Shane K. Bernard holds a Ph.D. in History from Texas A&M University, as well as degrees in History and English from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Bernard is often consulted by the media as an expert on south Louisiana history and culture. He has appeared on The History Channel, The Food Network, NPR's "Morning Edition," CNN, CNBC, the CBC, and the BBC, as well as in the pages of National Geographic.

He serves as official historian and curator to McIlhenny Company, maker of Tabasco brand products since 1868, and to its sister company, Avery Island, Inc., which traces its origin to 1818.

He is the son of 1950s rock 'n' roll (or swamp pop) musician Rod Bernard, whose hit songs include "This Should Go On Forever" and "Colinda."

Bernard lives in New Iberia, Louisiana, a short distance from the historic Bayou Teche.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Compelling, Sometimes Sorrowful Look At The Modern Cajun, January 10, 2005

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K. Fontenot "Prairie Cajun Lives!" (Louisiana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Cajuns: Americanization of a People (Paperback)

When I first purchased Mr. Bernard's book, "The Cajuns: Americanization Of A People," I initially expected it to be a summary of the last few decades covering every festival, pilgrimmage to Nova Scotia, and Edwin Edwards. In other words, I expected it to be just like a lot of other things labeled Cajun these days: commercial. Although Edwards and Nova Scotia are covered in good detail, this book is anything but commercial. In fact, it can be utterly depressing at times.

When reading the book, one is introduced to a time period for Cajuns that is often glazed over or not even mentioned in Louisiana's colorful history. Most folks are told when the Cajuns landed in Louisiana and how the popularity of their food and "culture" brings loads of tourists and their money to the state. What we aren't told is how prejudice and hate almost forced this group into oblivion. Fortunately for us, this book brings these problems into focus.

To know that fellow countrymen ridiculed the Cajun soldiers for their weak English skills and considered them dumb isn't very good news. Things get bleaker as the decades pass. We are told how children are punished at school because they are speaking Cajun-French instead of English. We are given examples from prominent newspapers and other media in which Cajuns are considered backward, ignorant, stubborn, etc. We learn about the struggle over the term, "coonass," and how many people wear it as a badge of honor whereas others hate it entirely. We are told of how Cajuns are coupled with New Orleans, though New Orleans is one of the least Cajun places in Louisiana. Not only that, but it seems that Canadians and the French, with misguided good intentions, also looked down on Cajuns for their "broken" French language and attempted to repair it and give them a proper culture by introducing Parisian French in the classroom via CODOFIL.

Ah yes, CODOFIL, if you aren't aware of them, you'll know quite a bit about them by the end of this book. Bernard hammers them pretty hard(justifiably) for their early actions in trying to "save" the Cajun culture. He also praises them for their actions in the 1990's. What really amazed me about this group in particular is that they merely asked for an apology from the English for exiling the Cajuns to Canada instead of attempting to sucker reparations out of the British government. Kudos to CODOFIL for taking the high road on that one.

Bernard's book isn't entirely bleak. He does mention many of the contributions that Cajuns have made to society. He tells us how many Cajuns served as translators during WWII. He talks about the colorful and crooked Edwin Edwards and how he used his "Cajun Power" to ultimately become governor of Louisiana. We learn about Zachary Richard, an amazing artist and a rebel. Dewey Balfa, Barry Ancelet, and numerous others are introduced to the reader as positive influences on society.

Although I haven't stated it yet, I am a Cajun. I grew up on the fringes of Acadiana in Allen Parish. I was brought up Baptist(I became Catholic in 2000), can't speak enough French(Cajun or Parisian) to save my life, and yet I have come face-to-face with some of the prejudices that Bernard mentions in his book(though not nearly as extreme as those before me). I've been called a "dumb coonass" before, even though I kept a 4.0 GPA throughout high school and graduated with honors from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LA with a degree in Mass Communication. I was also referred to as "one of those Frenchmen" when I worked in Beauregard parish for awhile. At a technical training class in Dallas, TX, I was amazed at how I became a sort of spectacle to the rest of the guys in my group. They were amazed that I ate crawfish and could say a few cusswords in French. When we all went out together, I always managed to sit at the "ethnic" end of the table with the black guy, the Navajo guy, the Mexican guy, and the Spanish guy from Texas(He was very aggressive in letting everyone know that he wasn't Mexican). In essence, I was considered a minority by the group as a whole. It's funny how having an "un-American" accent can make one feel like an outsider. I didn't hate anybody for considering me an ethnic. Heck, I enjoyed it because I was the center of attention. I've been barraged by questions about gumbo, accordians, the Rayne Frog Festival, and even pet alligators! In other words, I have stared into the face of commercial Cajunism all over the United States. I've also come into contact with people who try very hard to distance themselves from their heritage in an attempt to seem more intelligent or better than their Cajun roots.

Being a Cajun is something that any man, woman, or child should take pride in. Granted, these days most of us probably listen to Top 40 radio or gangsta rap more than the Balfa Brothers or BeauSoleil, and we can't speak French very well, but we are still Cajun deep inside. I am proud of and love my heritage and this book solidifies that pride and love.

Highly recommended to folks who aren't Cajun and mandatory reading for those who are. This book is important for those of us who don't want to see our heritage die.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cajun Power...., June 20, 2003

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Byron N. Sonnier (Louisiana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Cajuns: Americanization of a People (Paperback)

This book changed my life! Mr. Bernard does a great job of putting the culture in perspective. His history is accurate, interesting and inspiring. As a full blooded cajun, living outside of Louisiana, this book really hit home. I'm convinced I must return and learn the cajun french language and encourage the rest of the younger people in my family to do the same. Thanks for a great book.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it., August 18, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Cajuns: Americanization of a People (Paperback)

It is like he interviewed my grandparents. This book is incredibly accurate and covers the most dynamic period of the Cajun history. This book should be mandatory reading for young people from this area. His coverage of the old perceptions regarding the Cajun people are particularly humorous and his arguments for the dilution of the French traditions well stated. Informative read.