On National Acadian Day last year, Alexis Belliveau discovered the absence of an Acadian flag emoji while searching for one to use in a social media post promoting his band. Emojis are symbols that convey emotions, ideas, and objects in text messages and emails, with a vast array available, including numerous flag representations.
Belliveau and his associate Julien Robichaud from Moncton, N.B., are currently preparing a proposal for the development of an Acadian flag emoji to be submitted to Unicode, a California-based non-profit organization responsible for evaluating and sanctioning emoji concepts.
Expressing the significance of the Acadian flag, Belliveau emphasized the desire for a digital platform to convey Acadian pride through an emoji, highlighting the importance of engaging younger generations in Acadian heritage.
To bolster their submission, Belliveau and Robichaud initiated an online campaign, featuring a website detailing Acadian history, flag symbolism, and a petition with over 10,000 signatures. Belliveau emphasized the importance of community support in strengthening their proposal’s credibility.
While acknowledging the existing practice of using emoji sequences to express Acadian pride, Belliveau stressed the necessity of a dedicated Acadian flag emoji. He identified a workaround to Unicode’s restrictions by proposing a combination of the star and the flag of France emojis, which are already in existence.
Unicode’s evaluation criteria for approving emojis encompass uniqueness, global usability, potential multiple interpretations, and applicability in sentences. Belliveau aims to raise awareness among Acadians worldwide and intends to formally submit the proposal in the upcoming winter, targeting Acadian communities in regions such as Louisiana, France, Quebec, and throughout Canada.