America has its unique parts of the land, featuring all sorts of spectacular cultures that feature wildly different attributes.
Take a trip to American Indian reservations in Arizona, and then take a trip to Quaker areas in Pennsylvania. And stop by to see the French-Canadian types in Maine. It's definitely a diverse country.
This week we are going to check in on one of those unique cultures, and the trip leads us to the southern reaches of Louisiana. There we find the
Metairie Park Country Day (La.) Cajuns.
The Cajuns are an ethnic group originally from the eastern shores of Canada (maybe a little bit of Maine too) and they migrated to Louisiana mostly due to the French and Indian War (1754-1763). Now the French influence is easily seen in cuisine, language and even the Fleur de Lys that is seen on the New Orleans Saints' helmets.
Metairie Park Country Day was formed in 1929 and is in the heart of Cajun Country near New Orleans. They're obviously loyal to the area's heritage.
And that heritage plays a huge role in America. When you see Mardi Gras, you're seeing Cajun heritage. When you watch the Adam Sandler movie "The Waterboy" you will be hearing plenty of Cajun regional dialect. And when you see Andouille Sausage on the menu somewhere, that's Cajun cuisine as well.
As for a logo, it's hard to make a Cajun. After all, people all look quite different. They decided upon a crayfish, and the lobster does play a huge role in Cajun cuisine.
In looking at all the mascots across America, we see a lot of American Indian references. This one is along the same thinking, but obviously the Acadians (ancestors of the Cajuns) don't get as much publicity.
You won't find any other Cajuns in America. But you will find plenty of other ethnic names.
So make note that the Cajuns are indeed a special influence upon America, and make note about how Metairie Park Country Day chose a mascot name that no other school went with.
