Cajun and Acadiana are, among other things, tourism/marketing words. I really don't care for either one of them. The words are not really inclusive for everyone.
I do, however, love Acadian/Cadien (other spellings) Creole culture. I believe it was wrong to deny the Acadians the Creole name. Creole should have been kept to the definition of "native to the colony of Louisiana." Creole changed to "aristocratic," or high class, or French/Spanish - non-Acadian et non-African, to multiracial, etc. Man, why change it so much.
My poor country French Creole family was called Cajun because we were very similar to the poor country Cadien Creoles. We all got called Cajun and it was not said as a compliment.
Now, everyone loves "Cajun" and think the Acadian/Cadien Creoles were the only ones who kept the language and culture.
The word Cajun bugs me because it implies the wrong thing to me. It messes with my ancestry and history. It denies my other ancestors who were rural and poor too - but does that mean Acadian? Creoles = aristocrats/ Acadians = peasants? There were French convicts, peasants, working class, soldiers, etc who also came who were not aristocratic and did not come from Acadia. I'm still learning but I believe that is true.
Articles that I read and made me a little fache.
From Evangeline Hot Sauce to Cajun Ice: Signs of Ethnicity in South Louisiana
Barry Ancelet (can be found on this site):http://www.louisianafolklife.org/