Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development
Editor and Book Reviews Editor: John Edwards (St Francis Xavier University, Canada)
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Volume: 19 Number: 1 Page: 1–23
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The Silence of the Gators: Cajun Ethnicity and Intergenerational Transmission of Louisiana French
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Carl L. Bankston and Jacques M. Henry
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This study considers the relationship between Cajun ethnicity and the intergenerational transmission of the French language. It questions the commonsensical assumption of a positive relationship between
ethnic identity and language transmission. It suggests that if an ethnicity is associated with socioeconomic disadvantages, then the greater the ethnic identification of parents, the more disadvantageous
for them ethnic traits will be. Therefore, ironically, parents who identify themselves as Cajuns and who live in Cajun ethnic areas may be less inclined to pass on French language abilities than are non-Cajun
parents or parents in non-Cajun areas, once we control for the parents own language abilities. We use US Census data to examine this question and we employ qualitative data to attempt to explain why we
find a particular type of association between Cajun ethnicity and French language transmission.
© Multilingual Matters
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