James Domengeaux is a lawyer and American politician, originating in Louisiana, born on January 6th, 1907 and deceased on April 11th, 1988.

Representative (appointed) democratic of French-speaking origin cadienne Cajun, it is the personality which started again the French-speaking fact in Louisiana, as from 1968.

This year, it obtains the creation of an public agency, the Conseil for the development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL), charged to start again and develop the practice of French in Louisiana. It thus wished to develop the principal character trait of its State, and to allow the grandchildren cadiens or Creoles to familiarize itself with the language of their elder which was prohibited to them. He wanted to also make it possible the French-speaking populations to be able to integrate the Louisianian company, in particular the illiterate inhabitants of the bayous which were isolated of any schooling. The stake was also to be able to preserve the dialects cadiens, rather than to import international French, even if it knew that it was to be based on the French-speaking nations. Its company succeeds when he convinces Georges Pompidou to support it, by sending French professors to him. Other co-operators, Europeans, American or West-Indian will follow.

Following the creation of the CODOFIL, a true movement of rebirth was initiated, with a revival of the teaching of French the following year, of French in the Louisianian institutions (official bilingualism, academic works), but also on the cultural level (festivals, music, media, edition).

External bonds

• Biography of James Domangeaux

• the Council for the development of French in Louisiana
• Seen and comparison enters the various French-speaking speeches of America
• Statistiques on the French-speaking fact to Louisiana