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Racial and Ethnic Groups in the Gulf of Mexico Region

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Racial and Ethnic Groups in the Gulf of Mexico Region October 2013 Research Report #121 Racial and Ethnic Groups in the Gulf of Mexico Region Introduction this group was the foundation of will find the seventh in a series of the culture, economy and history of reviews. This review discusses the As part of a larger project that the region, and many Southerners experiences of African-Americans in examines demographic and com- can trace their ancestry to Native the region. African-Americansmunity-level changes in the Gulf of American roots. Mexico region, we reviewed racial African-American or Black? and ethnicity literature for eight These eight groups emerged as The terms African-American and key groups with significant influ- significant through the existing black will be used interchangeably ence in part, or all, of the region. literature that details their unique within this report. The Gulf of Mexico region is incred- effects in building the culture, eco- ibly diverse, with more than 13.5 nomic stability and political climate Research has shown the in-group million residents who trace their ori- in the region, as well as their ties to preference between these two labels gins to scores of places in Europe, the oil and gas industry operating in has fluctuated throughout history. A Africa, Asia and Latin America (see the Gulf of Mexico. For each group, 1991 survey conducted by the Joint Table 1). we have focused our review on com- Center for Political and Economic mon elements such as the culture, Studies found nearly three-fourths Of these various groups, we have history, immigration, ties to the of African-Americans prefer the focused our reviews on eight specific oil and gas industry and economic term black to African-American. racial, ethnic and ancestry groups: standing. In addition to these com- Those results challenged the rising African-Americans, Cajuns, Creoles, mon elements, we examined other popularity of the term African- Croatians, Latinos, Native Ameri- prominent themes that emerged American following the 1989 cans, Vietnamese and Other Asians for particular groups. For example, African-American Summit in New (not Vietnamese). Although some the effects of Hurricane Katrina Orleans, where it was suggested this of these groups may be small in on the Vietnamese fishermen living identification would provide people number, their effects on the region in southern Louisiana were widely a better sense of their cultural have been substantial (see Table discussed by scholars and thus be- heritage (Social Science and Citizen 2). For instance, although less than came a prominent discussion in our 1991). Gallup polls throughout the 1 percent of the residents in the review of the literature on Vietnam- 1990s and 2000s suggest the ma- region identify as Native American, ese living in the region. Below you jority of black Americans do not Table 1. Diversity in the Gulf of Mexico Region. Table 2. Groups of Interest in the Gulf of Mexico Region. Percentage Percentage Ancestry Category of Total Number Racial/Ancestry Group of Total Number Population Population British 15.36 2,147,789 African-American 19.14 2,568,703 French 7.81 1,092,377 Cajun 7.81 1,092,377 German 8.71 1,218,236 Croatian .05 6,422 Middle Eastern .49 68,544 Latino 29.72 3,988,491 Northern/Eastern European 5.24 733,424 Native American .64 85,455 Southern European 3.09 432,724 Other Asian 2.95 396,007 Subsaharan African/West Indian 1.22 170,670 Vietnamese 1.15 154,669 Total Population: 13,985,914 White 63.72 8,912,239 Table 1 data from ACS Five-Year Estimates. Table 2 data from ACS Five-Year Estimates and 2010 Decennial Census. Percent- ages do not add to 100 percent because individuals can indicate more than one race, ethnicity or ancestry group. “Other Asian” refers to Asian groups other than Vietnamese. LSU AgCenter Research Report #121 Racial and Ethnic Groups in the Gulf of Mexico Region: African-Americans 1 have a preference for either term. African-American history in the (1969) describes the Canary Island Since 1994, however, respondents Gulf of Mexico region dates back to origins of many of the people who have been more likely to identify as the 17th century. In this section, we settled in St. Bernard Parish, in- African-American than black (New- describe the literature that covers cluding a large number of Spanish- port 2007). three broad historical periods: (a) speaking blacks who lived along the the origins of the Louisiana Settle- northern end of Bayou Terre-Aux- The racial heritage of the Gulf ment to the Civil War; (b) the Civil Boeufs in Verrette (Verret). Coast region has resulted in numer- War and Reconstruction; and (c) the ous groups with partial African- Jim Crow era and the civil rights In Louisiana, the Code Noir American ancestry. Some of the movement. (Black Codes) served as a legal most notable groups of mixed basis for creating a third class of African-American ancestry include Early Settlement Through the free blacks and mulattoes (Everett Creoles of color (Brasseaux, Fon- Civil War 1966). Kein’s (2000) edited volume tenot and Oubre 1994; Dormon includes 14 essays that describe Historical studies suggest the Gulf 1996), mulattoes (Everett 1966, Us- the histories and lifestyles of the Coast region included both African ner 1981) and black Indians (Powell free people of color in Louisiana. slaves and free blacks dating back 2004). A significant number of Loui- Aslakson (2007) argues that the role to the original settlements in the sianans who identify themselves as of free blacks in creating the three- region. Settlers brought slaves with Creole are African-American. The caste society of New Orleans from them as they occupied the territory term Creole, as used in Louisiana 1791 to 1812 was critical in shaping of present-day Louisiana. Begin- technically refers to anyone who the history of both the city and ning in 1719, thousands of slaves traces their heritage back to the the broader region. Foner (1970) were transported directly to New early French, Spanish and Haitian compared the three-caste system Orleans, many of them thought settlers who came and lived in the that emerged in Louisiana to that to be from the Senegambia region area before the Louisiana Purchase. in Haiti and argued that, in both (Sydnor 1927; Usner 1981). Early Although many modern-day Creoles cases, the goal of the middle caste in the history of this region, there are mixed-race people of African, was to integrate into white society, were also free persons of color, some European and possibly Native but those goals were not realized who arrived on ships coming from American ancestry, some Creoles because the structure of the caste the French West Indies, some who have no African ancestry at all and system prevented it. purchased their own freedom and therefore are not also considered some who were manumitted (set African-American by the wider Free blacks enjoyed many legal free) by their masters (Sydnor 1927; society (Brasseaux, Fontenot and privileges, including the right to Nordmann 1990; Brasseaux, Fon- Oubre 1994; Dormon 1996). Gram- own property in Louisiana and tenot and Oubre 1994). ling (1982) asserts the ethnic mix of thus became the most prosperous group of African-Americans in Creole, Cajun and Indian culture led In the 18th century, New Orleans’ the South during the antebellum to many shared characteristics as population grew partially due to the period, but black ownership of Cajuns assimilated certain African in-migration of slaves. They were property led to backlashes against linguistic and cultural traits that joined by Haitian refugees who fled the black property owners by poor persist even today. While we touch their homeland following rebellion whites (Schweninger 1990). At on some aspects of the multiracial (Fussell 2007). Free blacks repre- times, hostile reactions even led to identities and histories of African- sented a significant percentage of government action. For instance, an Americans in this report, the final New Orleans’ population during the escaped slave known as Bas-Coupé report in our series will discuss Cre- late 18th and 19th centuries, attain- was a victim of a manhunt during oles and multiracial groups in more ing their freedom through manumis- the 1830s that was supported by detail. sion, migration and coartacion (the the New Orleans city government right of self-purchase). Although (Wagner 2005). In some instances, Origins and History many former slaves earned their free blacks owned their own slaves. From the early 18th century to liberty, they rarely enjoyed the Whitten (1995) notes that Andrew now, African-Americans have lived same freedoms and rights extended Durnford, who established a planta- in Louisiana and the other Gulf to whites (Hanger 1997). Hanger tion in Plaquemines Parish on the states and played an integral role in (1997) argues free blacks had more Mississippi River, owned as many as shaping the linguistic and cultural opportunities to succeed under 37 slaves. traditions of the region. Spanish rule, as opposed to French rule or the United States. Shumaker 2 LSU AgCenter Research Report #121 Racial and Ethnic Groups in the Gulf of Mexico Region: African-Americans In addition to the free blacks and African-Americans in the Gulf of Mexico Region mulattoes, historical literature also suggests significant interactions by State: 2010 between African-Americans and 3.5 Native Americans in the Gulf region 12.42% 16.54% 3 (Powell 2004). During the frontier period (1699-1783), Usner argues 2.5 that the substantial economic and 2 social interactions between three 32.37% Millions 1.5 26.70% major racial/ethnic groups – whites, 37.47% blacks and American Indians, made 1 the Gulf region and Louisiana, in particular, unique in many ways.
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