French Louisiana

The term French Louisiana (French: Louisiane française [lwizjan fʁɑ̃sɛːz]; Louisiana Creole: Lwizyàn françé) refers to two distinct regions:

• First, to historic French Louisiana, comprising the massive, middle section of North America claimed by France during the 17th and 18th centuries; and,2
• Second, to modern French Louisiana, which stretches across the southern extreme of the present-day State of Louisiana.
• Often called Acadia, Cajun Country, or Creole Country

Each term has been in use for many years.

In contemporary cultural discourse, Louisiana French (particularly Cajuns) culture has multiple dimensions. Firstly, concerning its origins, it is widely regarded as a culture of mixed origins. It is not the culture of a single ethnic group but was jointly shaped by the different immigrant groups who historically settled in Louisiana, including the original French settlers, Acadians, Spanish, Irish, as well as Black and White Creoles, among others. Furthermore, other Creole groups and Native American groups also made contributions to the region's culture, for instance, the use of filé in the culinary specialty gumbo originates from Native Americans, and these collectively form the region's unique cultural mosaic.

Against this backdrop of mixed culture, another definition is the emphasis placed by many Cajuns on the "blood" relationship with the Acadians from the Canadian Maritimes Provinces, which gives rise to a strong sense of belonging to the broader Acadian diaspora, transcending geographical boundaries.