Cajuns

The Cajuns (; French: les Cadjins or les Cadiens; Spanish: Cajunes), also known as Louisiana Acadians (French: les Acadiens), are an American ethnic group mainly found in the US state of Louisiana and the surrounding Gulf Coast states.

Historically, Cajuns are the descendants of the Acadian exiles who went to Louisiana (especially to Acadiana) in the decades after le grand dérangement. Cajuns make up a significant portion of south Louisiana's population and have had an enormous impact on the state's culture.

While Lower Louisiana had been settled by French colonists since the late 17th century, many 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 French and Indian War (1756 to 1763). Most Acadians can trace their ancestry to approximately 50 families who were living in Port Royal, Acadia, now Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, in 1671. The Acadia region to which many modern Cajuns trace their origin consisted largely of what are now Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island plus parts of eastern Quebec and northern Maine.

Since their establishment in Louisiana, the Cajuns have become famous for their French dialect, Louisiana French, and have developed a rich culture including folkways, music, and cuisine. Acadiana is heavily associated with them.

The contention that Cajuns are a subgroup of Creoles is contested by members of the community, as is understandable given their diverse history and culture. The terms Cajun and Creole are to be seen as separate identities, although not everyone who is culturally Cajun must be descended from Acadian refugees. The two groups, which share a strong French heritage (though acquired in different places), have interacted intensely throughout their common history in Louisiana. They can thus be jointly addressed as Louisianais, implying the "people of French heritage of Louisiana", or French Louisianians.