alternatehistory.com

I think it's a bit of a cultural shame how much French and Cajun-Creole declined in Louisiana.

Most of the decline was just anglos moving into the state in the 19th century, but there was also a drop due to explicitly anti-French policies in the 1920s as the state banned education in french and bilingual english-french education. The same literacy laws that disenfranchised blacks also hurt Cajuns, so they were unable to push back. This is especially disgraceful considering how important Cajun interpreters had been during WWI.


How could the French language get a boost in Louisiana?

If the US had gotten Cuba along with Puerto Rico, I can see New Orleans being a more significant city due to financing the Sugar Industry in Cuba. French might be useful because it'd be closer to Spanish, so when Cuban sugar magnates come to New Orleans they may prefer a French-speaking banker, French-speaking partners, etc. I suppose this might be similarly true if the US had annexed Santo Domingo under Grant (@Soverihn).

Might more national recognition after WWI of the Cajun importance in the war effort lead to a national desire for preservation efforts?

If there were more Italians who immigrated to New Orleans, could they potentially have opted to learn French rather than English on the grounds that it'd be an easier transition?


Maybe if the US had for some reason aligned diplomatically with France more, the language would get a boost? Perhaps France opens a consul in New Orleans and spends money promoting French and Cajun culture, opens French-language schools, etc.


I suppose there's also the idea that many French emigrate from France to New Orleans for some reason or another, boosting the language.
Top