Louisiana Creoles

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The term Creole means many things to many people. It originates from the Latin word “creare” which means create. The Webster Dictionary states that a Creole is a white person of French or Spanish descent. Which means that Creoles are descendants of French and Spanish settlers.
White Creoles are the French speaking descendants of early French and Spanish settlers. Black Creoles are mostly the French speaking Louisianians of mixed race. Black Creoles have
their own culture and customs and even there own language, with most of it coming from French.
In Latin America, the term Creole may refer to people of direct Spanish extraction or just part of families whose ancestors go back to the Colonial time period. In the West Indies the term Creole is used to identify descendants of any European settlers.
The Spanish word for Creole is “criollo”and during 1699- 1803 the word Creole meant persons of African or European heritage born in the New World.
Creole also mean people born in New Orleans or those who have African, Caribbean, French, or Spanish ancestors. Creoles have had a heavy influence on the heritage of New Orleans. A New Orleans Creole is a French or Spanish descendants of settlers born in the colony, not in Europe.
Most Creoles call themselves “French”. They also consider themselves as the only true “natives”. They found a spot in society for themselves between whites and unslaved blacks. Today Creole is most often used in Acadiana to refer to a person’s full or mixed African heritage.
Creoles have very popular music. It’s known as Zydeco. There is a celebration for Zydeco music which is called the Zydeco Festival. Creoles of African descent had a strong influence on the Cajun culture. Its been told that Creoles are black Cajuns.
In 1952, Creoles founded a preservation group called C. R. E. O. L. E., Inc. It stands for Cultural Resourceful Educational Opportunities toward Linguistic Enrichment.
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