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Coonass is a controversial term in the Cajun lexicon: to some Cajuns it is regarded as the supreme ethnic slur, meaning "ignorant, backwards Cajun"; to others the term is a badge of pride, much like the word Chicano is for Mexican Americans.� In South Louisiana, for example, one can often see bumper stickers reading "Warning � Coonass on Board!" or "Registered Coonass" (both of which generally depict a raccoon�s backside). � The word�s origin is unclear: folk etymology claims that coonass dates from World War II, when Cajun GIs serving in France were derided by native French speakers as conasse, meaning "dirty whore" or "idiot." � Non-French-speaking American GIs allegedly overheard the expression, converted it to the English "coonass," and introduced the term back in the United States. � There it supposedly soon caught on as a derisive term among non-Cajuns, who encountered many Cajuns in Gulf Coast oilfields.� It is now known, however, that coonass predated the arrival of Cajun GIs in France during World War II, which undermines the conasse theory. � Indeed, folklorist Barry Jean Ancelet has long rejected this theory, calling it "shaky linguistics at best."� He has suggested that the word originated in South Louisiana, and that it derived from the belief that Cajuns frequently ate raccoons.� He has also proposed that the term contains a negative racial connotation: namely, that Cajuns were "beneath" or "under" blacks (or coons, as blacks were often called by racists).� Despite efforts by Cajun activists like James Domengeaux and Warren A. Perrin to stamp out the term�s use, coonass continues to circulate in South Louisiana and beyond.� Its acceptability among the general public, however, tends to vary according to circumstances, and often depends on who says it and with what intention.� Cajuns who dislike the term have been known to correct well-meaning outsiders who use the epithet. Sources: Ancelet, "On Coonass" [unpublished essay]; Domengeaux, "Native-Born Acadians and the Equality Ideal"; Robertson, Robertson�s Oil Slang; Bernard, The Cajuns. � |
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This page last edited on 11/18/00 05:42 PM � 1997 �cu Media Design |
