PLONGEZ-VOUS DANS LA CULTURE Immerse yourself in culture
Credit: Zoom Photo Studio, LLC
Lafayette is located along Interstate 10, between New Orleans and Houston, Texas. It is 35 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico, known for its abundance of seafood and recreational opportunities, and 15 miles west of the Atchafalaya Basin, America’s largest river swamp.
Downtown Lafayette initiated a revitalization effort in the 1990s and today is once again the cultural center of the city. The continuing proliferation of restaurants, galleries, shops, museums, bars, and weekly live music events is evident in the vibrant core of greater Lafayette.
Lafayette is the government seat for Lafayette Parish, which is located in the hub of the nine-parish region in the heart of Acadiana which includes Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Jeff Davis, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, and Vermilion Parishes.
Today, about 45 percent of the people in Acadiana still speak French as a second language, although the “Cajun French” dialect has words unique to the area, like “cher,” “canaille,” “boucherie,” and “ca c’est bon.”
A large number of the 230,000 Lafayette Parish residents are called Acadians or “Cajuns.” The name comes from the Acadian settlers who were forced to leave Canada in 1755 and migrated to this region in search of a new home. The Cajuns are famous for their style of cooking, which includes well-seasoned dishes like gumbo, crawfish etouffée, and jambalaya.
16 | PLONGEZ-VOUS DANS LA CULTURE
LA-LAF-CG-14 design5_upload.indd 16
4/1/2015 11:18:36 AM