Creole identity in Louisiana acquired diverse meanings
for several ethnic groups during the French and Spanish
regimes, before and after the purchase of the Louisiana
Territory, and through the last part of the 20th century.
In spite of a strong shift toward “Black” identity
by many African Americans in the state, those who are fluent
Creole French speakers now seem to be the repository of
Louisiana Creole identity. This article presents a diachronic
study of the different meanings applied to Creole identity
which resulted from dramatic social, political, and economic
changes. It also delimits and defines the actual attributes
of Creole identity within two representative African American
communities. Because of the historical and political conditions
underlying Creole identity, African Americans who still
identify as Creoles insist on linguistic attributes, rather
than on the criterion of race, as essential characteristics
of their ethnic identity.