Nina Darbonne
Dr. Carrie Hall
English Comp 1 1101-D355
12 March 2019
Creole
Growing up in Jackson Heights I’ve been surrounded by a diverse melting pot of cultures. Take a walk down 74th Street and Roosevelt Avenue and you will be assaulted with the smell of spices that is heavy in the air. But wander a few blocks over and Mariachi music can be heard mingling in with blaring announcements from La mega noventa y siete punto nueve. The smells wafting through the air comes from pop-up taco stands, food trucks, shopping carts, you name it and we have it converted into a food dispensing vehicle. It doesn’t stop there though we have a further break down in our realm of Hispanic cultures, because everyone knows in my neighborhood they can’t all be lumped together. This is painfully apparent with the different Latin pride parades that block off Northern Blvd damn near every Sunday during the Summer. Ecuadorian, Colombian, El Salvadorian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, and last but not least Dominican. The Spanish community is probably the largest component in Jackson Heights at the moment. However, we do still have our tiny group of hipsters and the power of their influence is apparent in the solitary Starbucks that sprang up a few years back on 37th Avenue amidst the slew of Spanish bakeries.
My family is from Louisiana, but we feel quite cozy in Jackson Heights. My grandma always said the myriad of different cultures reminded her of home back in New Orleans. No there aren’t revolving Latin pride parades and richly Indian spice scented areas down South. However, down South the mixture of cultures is more a blast from the past that is still prevalent today in the Creole and Cajun populations.
Now a brief cultural history: New Orleans, Louisiana commonly referred to as “NOLA” by many natives of the region; has a rich history that affects the makeup of the culture to this day. Creole people of NOLA are the result of a melting pot of several cultures. The term “creole” ties its roots to “the sixteenth century to identify descendants of French, Spanish, or Portuguese settlers living in the West Indies and Latin America.” (Countries and their Cultures) The actual genesis of the word “creole” may have Spanish or Portuguese roots. One theory being, “the word Creole comes from the Spanish word, criollo, which roughly translates to native or local. People used this term to describe things that were part of the New World during the time that the Spanish and French controlled Louisiana.” (WiseGeek) However, another possibility is “the term ‘Creole’ derives from the Portuguese word crioulo, which means a slave born in the master’s household.” (Countries and their Cultures)
Another prominent group of people found in western Louisiana are the Cajuns. The difference between Creoles and Cajuns revolves around migration history of the two groups. Creoles are essentially the product of the merging of several different cultures as Louisiana was colonized. However, Cajuns are said to have travelled from Canada and settled in Louisiana. Another subtle difference is the language utilized by either group. “Although both types of people use French as a basis for their speech, Creoles rely more heavily on other languages.” (WiseGeek) Additionally, most Cajuns are Catholic; while many Creoles practice Catholicism, elements from influencing cultures are often present. This is evident as “some people… lean toward Native American spirituality, using medicinal healing. Others focus on folk religions from Africa or the Caribbean. In some cases, individuals mix a little bit of everything together, using an eclectic combination of prayer, voodoo, charms, candles and ‘wild’ church services that emphasize being ‘possessed’ by the spirit.” (WiseGeek) Wasn’t that enlightening and refreshing.
Works Cited:
“Creoles.” Countries and Their Cultures, www.everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Creoles.html.
Hobby, Jessica, and Bronwyn Harris. “What Is the Difference Between Creole and Cajun?” WiseGEEK, Conjecture Corporation, 4 Feb. 2019, www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-creole-and-cajun.htm.
