Comparisons with Cajuns

French Texans are often compared to Cajuns because both have French roots and experiences that are very different from their lives in America. Unsurprisingly, the Cajuns who immigrated to Texas have a very different experience when compared to French-Texans, The oral tradition of Cajuns states that the twentieth century immigrants were joined by Cajun farmers who lost everything. There were higher wages, but there was also higher employment rates. Later on, the Cajuns had a huge influence on music and many songs were about “the sorrowful departure from Texas. By about 1921, Cajun migration had slowed down, but it picked back up again with the beginning of World War II. By the end of the war, there were many college-aged Cajuns immigrating for educational opportunities. By 1990, there were 105,982 Cajuns in Texas, However, this number is probably wrong because most Cajuns carried a negative self image and may have identified themselves as French or French-Canadian. The real number from a 1980 estimate is 375,000. Texas has a very widely dispersed Cajun population. Many of the Cajuns have forgotten their Louisiana roots, but there are those who organized the Les Acadiens du Texas for Cajuns in Texas. There are also many Cajun dance halls and music chapters. Notably, the Cajuns have a different culture than French-Texans because there is more Cajun culture and opportunity in the Lone Star State.