Flag of Acadiana

The flag of Acadiana (French: Drapeau de l'Acadie) represents the Acadian (Cajun) ethnic region of southern Louisiana. It consists of two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red (bottom) bearing three white fleurs de lis and a gold castle, respectively, and a white isosceles triangle at the hoist, within which is a gold five-pointed star. It was designed in 1965 and officially adopted July 5, 1974. The flag is referred to as the Acadiana flag or Cajun flag.

Not to be confused with Flag of Acadia.

Acadiana
Flag of Acadiana
Other namesAcadiana flag, Cajun flag
UseOther Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Flag can be hung vertically by hoisting on a normal pole, then turning the pole 90°
Proportion2∶3
AdoptedJuly 5, 1974 (1974-07-05)
DesignTwo equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red (bottom) bearing three white fleurs de lis and a gold castle, respectively, and a white isosceles triangle at the hoist, within which is a gold five-pointed star.
Designed byDr. Thomas J. Arceneaux

History

The flag was designed in 1965 by Dr. Thomas J. Arceneaux of the University of Southwestern Louisiana (present day University of Louisiana at Lafayette),[1] who derived it from the Southwestern Louisiana Institute seal. He was an early proponent of the Louisiana French Renaissance Movement, a movement designed to renew interest and pride in the French-Acadian heritage, language, and culture of Louisiana.[2] On July 5, 1974, the State Legislature passed House Concurrent Resolution No. 143 adopting Dr. Arceneaux's design as the official flag of Acadiana.[3]

Symbolism

The various symbols on the flag were each chosen to represent a special aspect of Cajun culture and history. The golden star surrounded by a field of white serves as a symbol of Acadian exiles in America and alludes to their Roman Catholic heritage. The fleurs de lis set against a background of blue represent the French ancestry of the Cajuns. The golden castle set upon a field of red represents Spanish colonial rule of Louisiana, the rule during which the exiled Acadians arrived.[1]

Proposed replacements

While Acadiana derives its name from its Acadian/Cajun population, it is also a legally defined region of 22 parishes which contain large non-Cajun populations.[4] In most Acadiana parishes, African Americans make up between 20 and 40 percent of the population; one parish, St. John the Baptist Parish, is majority African American.[5]

Some residents have expressed concerns that the flag, by highlighting French and Spanish heritage, excludes the region's large Black population. In 2018, University of Louisiana professor Rick Swanson proposed two potential replacement Acadiana flags. One recolors the white triangle yellow and the gold star green to represent the West African origins of most local African Americans. The second reorients the three fields into vertical stripes.[6]

Swanson's proposal generated fierce pushback. He responded that the flag was meant to represent the region, not the Cajun ethnic group: "We’re unique in the sense that we have a very strong regional identity, but we don’t have a flag that was designed specifically for the purpose of representing all of the heritages that contribute to that unique regional identity."[7]

See also

References
  1. Grand Réveil Acadien (Great Acadian Awakening) 2022, Lafayette, Louisiana: Louisiane-Acadie, n.d., p. 23
  2. "Did You Know? ... UL Lafayette and the Acadiana Flag". University of Louisiana at Lafayette. November 19, 1995. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  3. Bernard, Shane K. The Cajuns: Americanization of a People. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. p. 167.
  4. Shane K. Bernard, The Cajuns: Americanization of a People (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2003), p. 80.
  5. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  6. Taylor, Claire. "UL professor designs more inclusive Acadiana flag". The Daily Advertiser. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  7. Mader, Christiaan (August 22, 2018). "That thing about the Acadiana flag isn't really about the flag". The Current. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
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