Louisiana is one of the top states where residents can now claim Canadian citizenship, surpassing Michigan’s rate twofold.

Thanks to a recent law that eliminated the generational limit for Canadian citizenship by descent, thousands of Cajuns and other Louisianians are eligible to apply for proof of Canadian citizenship, provided they can trace their lineage back to a Canadian ancestor.

Louisiana’s strong Canadian heritage can be traced back to its Cajun roots, a legacy that dates back to a migration predating the Declaration of Independence.

Le Grand Dérangement: Canada’s Great Wound

In 1755, French-speaking Acadians, the ancestors of today’s Cajuns, were forcibly removed by the British government from northeastern Canada, where they had lived for generations as marshland farmers.

Following their expulsion, many Acadians were dispersed across the Atlantic, with a significant number finding their way to present-day Louisiana through a coordinated effort to reunite their diaspora and establish a new homeland.

The Journey to the Bayous

In 1765, Joseph Broussard dit Beausoleil, a renowned resistance fighter, led 193 refugees from Halifax detention camps to Louisiana, where they were granted land, resources, and support to rebuild their lives.

With determination and resilience, these settlers transformed the landscape into thriving farms and welcomed more Acadian relatives from various parts of the world to join them in what they called “New Acadia.”