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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The City of Port Arthur has been steeped in Cajun |
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culture for nearly a century; and |
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WHEREAS, Located in the southeastern corner of Texas, Port |
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Arthur is a close neighbor to the Louisiana bayou region where the |
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Acadians, or Cajuns, settled in the mid-1700s after being forced |
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out of Nova Scotia; in 1927, the Great Mississippi Flood drove tens |
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of thousands from their homes in the Acadiana parishes of |
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Louisiana, and many of those displaced made their way to Port |
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Arthur, drawn by the ample employment opportunities in the |
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burgeoning petroleum industry and other sectors of the coastal |
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economy; and |
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WHEREAS, Louisiana Cajuns brought their distinctive culture, |
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which took root and flourished in their adopted city; local cuisine |
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acquired a Cajun flavor, with a boost from the family that opened |
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Judice's French Market in 1927; the restaurant helped popularize |
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such delicacies as crawfish, gumbo, and hot boudin, and its |
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longtime spokesman, A. J. Judice, "the Crazy Frenchman," became a |
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beloved ambassador of Cajun heritage; among other achievements, he |
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served as the impresario of the improbable pastime of crawfish |
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racing, which led to his tongue-in-cheek appointment as the sport's |
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commissioner by Texas governor Preston Smith in the early 1960s; |
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Port Arthur's Cajun community was also home to whiskey distiller |
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and entrepreneur Jack LaBove, who helped the city survive the dark |
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days of Prohibition; and |
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WHEREAS, Renowned for their love of music, Port Arthur |
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residents danced to such artists as Harry Choates, the "Godfather |
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of Cajun Music" and the "Fiddle King of Cajun Swing," whose 1946 |
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recording of "Jole Blon" is considered iconic; favorite venues |
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included the Rodair Club, which showcased the music and nurtured |
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aspiring musicians such as accordionist Jude Moreau; today, younger |
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players like Donovan Bourque continue the tradition, keeping the |
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infectious Cajun rhythm part of the city's soundtrack; and |
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WHEREAS, Warm and friendly Cajun hospitality thrives |
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everywhere in Port Arthur, from fais-dodo house parties to major |
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events, among them the annual Cajun Heritage Fest; moreover, the |
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Museum of the Gulf Coast does its part to preserve and focus |
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attention on Cajun history and traditions; and |
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WHEREAS, Port Arthur takes great pride in the Cajun influence |
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that pervades so many aspects of life in the city, and residents of |
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all backgrounds enjoy celebrating these distinctive elements of |
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their culture; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate Port Arthur as the official Cajun Capital of |
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Texas; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section |
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391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in effect |
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until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally |
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passed by the legislature. |