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People call me that "crazy Cajun" or that "CoonAss".
Both the word Cajun and CoonAss are used to refer to people
of Acadian descent. Both have been in a derogatory manner.
Both have been used in pride.
 The
origin of the term is said to have come from the
French word "conasse". During the
Second World War, many Cajun men served in the
armed forces. When in France, many of the French
heard the Cajuns speaking in a French that was
both very old and in a French that had some very
odd words. The Frenchmen called the Cajuns
"conasse" which translates to a very
low-grade prostitute. I would think this comes
from the fact that, although they spoke a form of
French, the Cajuns weren't real Frenchmen.
Of course,
the "American" servicemen heard
"conasse" as "CoonAss". In a
world where "RedNeck" is heard often,
"CoonAss" fits right in. Just like
RedNeck, it wasn't originally used as a term of
endearment. But many Cajuns carry it as a
description of themselves as good as any other.
In Louisiana, you can find vehicles with bumper
stickers reading "Registered CoonAss"
or "I'm a CoonAss, Me!" Wide spread use
came about during the oil boom in Louisiana
during the 60's and 70's.
As I grew up, Cajun and CoonAss were
synonyms for uneducated and uncouth. Now, the
wonders and beauty of the Cajun culture are being
experienced world wide. I carry the name
CoonAss.com as a reminder of how our culture
nearly disappeared and how we as a people have
taken the bad traits outsiders associated with
being Cajun and have turned them into something
good.
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