Oct 11, 2023 - Culture
French is decreasing in popularity in Louisiana homes
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Fewer Louisianans are speaking French at home compared with 40 years ago, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Driving the news: French was the most common language besides English in Louisiana in 1980. Now, Spanish is the most common.
- Vietnamese, Arabic and Hindi are the three other most popular languages spoken at home in Louisiana today.
Flashback: For decades, it was illegal to educate Louisiana students in French and culturally frowned upon to even speak it.
Yes, but: The state's first-ever French immersion school to serve a primarily Indigenous population opened this fall.
Go deeper: French immersion school for Indigenous students is a Louisiana first