Do you understand that you might have Cajun or Creole ancestors? Do you know the difference? I didn’t…………

Creole refers to multiple origins…..like Louisiana Creole. This is a designation of a group of people that refers to their origin, their ancestry, their lineage, their heritage, as direct descendants from the early settlers of the Louisiana colony or territory. These settlers came straight from Spain or France.

Contrast that with Cajuns, or more properly Acadians. These were people from Spain or France who first went to Acadia in Canada and were forced out by the British in 1765 and many of whom went to Louisiana.

Remember: it was in 1763 that the Louisiana colony was transferred to the Spanish crown. That’s why those fleeing Acadia headed south to join other like-minded people.

(Thanks to Belmont F. Haydel, Ph.D., his article in the New Orleans Genesis, Jan 2017.)