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Investigates the phenomenon of contemporary Louisiana Cajun ethnicity.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Paradox of Cajun Ethnicity
The Emergence of the Cajun Label and Identity
The Portrayal of Cajuns: Stereotype and Self-image
The Changing Economic Context of Louisiana
The Cajun Family: Evolution and Endogamy
The Bases of Cajun Ethnicity
The Interrupted Transmission of Cajun French
Festivals of Ethnicity: Cajuns in a Consumer Economy
Conclusion: A Look at the Future
Index

About the Author

JACQUES M. HENRY is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. CARL L. BANKSTON III is Associate Professor of Sociology at Tulane University.

Reviews

"For all the insights this study gives us into (white)ethnicity in a postindustrial society...[t]his is an excellent case study, combining economic and cultural history with qualitative and quanitative analyses of the contemporary scene. The authors' knowledge of Cajun society and culture is deep and they document it in loving detail"-Contemporary Sociology

? Blue Collar Bayou is a solid piece of social history of a little known American ethnic group and it should be a useful addition to the collections of ethnic studies specialists.?-American Journal of Sociology

? Blue Collar Bayou is replete with novel insights into modern Cajun ethnicity and deserves to be considered, without reservation, as a landmark in the field of Cajun studies.?-Louisiana History

?For all the insights this study gives us into (white)ethnicity in a postindustrial society...[t]his is an excellent case study, combining economic and cultural history with qualitative and quanitative analyses of the contemporary scene. The authors' knowledge of Cajun society and culture is deep and they document it in loving detail?-Contemporary Sociology

"Blue Collar Bayou is a solid piece of social history of a little known American ethnic group and it should be a useful addition to the collections of ethnic studies specialists."-American Journal of Sociology

"Blue Collar Bayou is replete with novel insights into modern Cajun ethnicity and deserves to be considered, without reservation, as a landmark in the field of Cajun studies."-Louisiana History