Coonass, or Coon-ass, is an epithet used in reference to a person of Cajun ethnicity. An epithet (from Greek ἐπίθετον - epitheton, neut of ἐπίθετος - epithetos, "attributed added" is a Cajuns ('keʒən les Cadiens are an Ethnic group mainly living in Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles and peoples of other
Although some Cajuns use the word in regard to themselves, other Cajuns view the term as an ethnic slur against the Cajun people, especially when used by non-Cajuns. The following is a list of ethnic slurs that are or have been used as insinuations or allegations about members of a given Ethnicity or to refer to them in a derogatory (critical Socioeconomic factors appear to influence how Cajuns are likely to view the term: working-class Cajuns tend to regard the word "coonass" as a badge of ethnic pride; whereas middle- and upper-class Cajuns are more likely to regard the term as insulting or degrading, even when used by fellow Cajuns in reference to themselves. [1]
Despite an effort by Cajun activists to stamp out the term, it can be found on T-shirts, hats, and bumper stickers throughout Acadiana, the 22-parish Cajun homeland in south Louisiana. Acadiana (also called Cajun Country) (L'Acadiane is the official name given to the French Louisiana region that is home to a large Cajun population The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America [1]
Contents |
Etymology
The origins of "coonass" are obscure, and Cajuns have put forth several folk etymologies in an effort to explain the word's origin. Folk etymology is a term used in two distinct ways A commonly held misunderstanding of the origin of a particular word a False etymology. Some amateur linguists believe that the word refers to the Cajuns' occasional habit of eating raccoons, or from the use of coonskin caps by the Cajuns' ancestors while fighting in the Battle of New Orleans or in the Revolutionary War under Spanish colonial Governor Bernardo de Gálvez. The raccoon ( Procyon lotor) (sometimes spelt as racoon) also known as the common raccoon, North American raccoon, northern raccoon A coonskin cap is a cap fashioned from the skin and fur of a Raccoon. The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815, and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid Viscount of Galveston and Count of Gálvez (Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid vizconde de Gálveztown y conde de Gálvez ( July 23, 1746 Other amateur linguists attribute the term to the racial slur "coon," used in reference to African-Americans — thus implying that Cajuns are lower than African-Americans in social standing. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Yet others hold that the term derives from the shape of Cajun women after having children (like a raccoon viewed from above). [2]
The most popular folk etymology, however, stems from late Louisiana congressman and cultural activist James "Jimmy" Domengeaux, who maintained that "coonass" derived from the continental French word "connasse," which means "stupid girl/woman" (the qualifier for a male is "connard". James R "Jimmy" Domengeaux ( January 6, 1907 - April 11, 1988) was a Lafayette attorney U According to the French Wiktionary, the French Larousse dictionnary, and the French Wikipedia, "conasse" enterted the French language at the beginning of the 19th century and the term pejoratively indicates the vulva to designate a stupid person. Le Petit Larousse is a French-language reference book (the Spanish-version "El Pequeño Larousse Ilustrado" and Italian-version "Il Piccolo Rizzoli The closest translation in English would be "stupid cunt. "). Domengeaux asserted that Frenchmen used the term in reference to Cajun soldiers serving in France during World War II, and that Anglo-American soldiers overheard the term, transformed it into "coonass," and brought it back to the U. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including S. as a disparaging term for Cajuns. Citing Domengeaux's etymology, Louisiana legislators passed a concurrent resolution in the 1980s condemning the word. In the United States, a concurrent resolution is a legislative measure passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives. (Contrary to popular belief, the lawmakers did not ban the term. )[2]
Research has since disproved Domengeaux's "conasse" etymology. Indeed, photographic evidence shows that Cajuns themselves used the term prior to the time in which "conasse" allegedly morphed into "coonass. "[3] As a result, the origin of "coonass" remains uncertain.
Examples of Use
- Cajun governor of Louisiana Edwin Edwards often used the word "coonass" in reference to himself and other Cajuns
- In the early 1980s, a Cajun worker sued his former employer over repeated use of the word "coonass" in the workplace. Edwin Washington Edwards (born August 7, 1927) served as the Democratic Governor of Louisiana for four non-consecutive terms (1972–1980 1984–1988 The lawsuit led directly to the federal government's recognition of the Cajuns as a national ethnic group as protected by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Origins The bill was introduced by President John F Kennedy in his civil rights speech of June 11 1963, in which he asked for legislation "giving
- While campaigning for President in Louisiana, Ronald Reagan once suggested his own appointment as an "honorary Cajun coonass. "
- Although the Louisiana state legislature condemned the word's use in 1981, the Louisiana Air National Guard's acclaimed 159th Tactical Fighter Group referred to itself as the "Coonass Militia" until 1992. The Air National Guard ( ANG), often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the several states and [4]
- University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban came under fire in early 2007 for using the term while speaking "off the record" to a reporter. Nicholas Lou "Nick" Saban (born October 31, 1951, in Fairmont, West Virginia) is an American College football coach and Audio of the conversation was leaked onto the Internet before garnering mainstream media attention. The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks [5]
- The term is used in a non-disparaging manner in the 1993 movie A Perfect World when Robert "Butch" Haynes (Kevin Costner) complains that he can't "find a good coonass waltz" on the radio. A Perfect World is a 1993 Drama film directed by Clint Eastwood, who co-stars in a supporting role Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American Actor, producer and Academy Award -winning director
Footnotes
- ^ a b Bernard 2003, p. 138
- ^ a b Bernard 2003, pp. 96-97
- ^ Bernard 2003, p. 97
- ^ All above trivia is found in Bernard 2003, pp. 96-97, 109, 136-37, 138
- ^ Saban under fire for derogatory remark - College football - MSNBC.com
References
- Bernard, Shane K. [April 2003]. The Cajuns: Americanization of a People. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1578065233.