Re: The Campaign for Albineaux continues…
Alright. So there's a section in the Phase 2 presentation about this very thing. From the start, I have always said I am open to a name change, but it would just have to come from the fans or the university. But I'll give y'all a sneak peak of what I wrote.
Albineaux is an albino alligator- not a white gater, but specifically an albino alligator. Whatever his name can be, albinism is intrinsic to the character. Al having albinism is important because it ties his origin on a similar path with the origin of the Cajun people.
Albino animals in the wild have a low survival rate. Obliviously the white makes them easily spotted, making it hard to hunt, and even harder to hide. These objectively beautiful creatures have something they can not change about themselves that puts them in danger in their natural born habitats. However, once you take them out of that environment and put them in a safe place, they thrive--so much so that people from across the world come to marvel at how special they are.
Albineaux came to live in Cypress Lake the same way the Cajun people came to Acadiana. Under threat from the British, Cajuns had to migrate across two countries just to settle on land that was barely desirable at the time. But look at them now, world renowned and the envy of cultures across the planet.
We can say, "The Ragin Cajuns embraced Albineaux because Cajuns know the plight of Albineaux."
If you're wondering how appropriate is the name Albineaux, well he's actually more PC than you think. The word "albino" is an acceptable word in the Albinism community; what's important is how it's used. People with Albinisim hate when people call them "an albino." Which is understandable to me because I am a very proud Black man, but I would take issue to someone calling me "a black." Using descriptors like nouns can be very dehumanizing (making it offensive), but used like an adjective can be empowering. Albineaux is proud to be albino. His name is a great example of how to refer to people with Albinism in short hand. You can call him albino, because that's what he is and that's his name sort of, but never call him AN albino.
I hope all that clears up some things.
Quote
Originally Posted by Ragin9221
