Alexis Belliveau, while seeking an Acadian flag emoji for his band’s promotion on National Acadian Day last year, discovered the absence of such an emoji. Emojis, used to convey emotions, ideas, and objects in text messages and emails, encompass a wide array, including various flags.
Belliveau and his colleague, Julien Robichaud, both from Moncton, New Brunswick, are in the process of proposing the creation of an Acadian flag emoji to Unicode, a California-based non-profit organization that reviews and approves emoji concepts.
Expressing the significance of the Acadian flag in digital communication, Belliveau emphasized the importance of having an emoji to represent Acadian pride. He believes that introducing such an emoji would engage younger generations in Acadian culture.
To bolster their proposal, Belliveau and Robichaud initiated an online campaign featuring a detailed history of Acadians, the symbolism of the flag, and a petition with over 10,000 signatures. Belliveau expressed the importance of garnering support to strengthen their application’s credibility.
Despite the absence of an official Acadian flag emoji, Belliveau highlighted that individuals have been showcasing their Acadian heritage using emoji combinations. Unicode’s regulations state that a request may be denied if the concept is already represented by existing emojis. However, Belliveau noted a potential workaround by combining the star and the flag of France emojis for the proposed Acadian flag emoji.
Unicode’s guidelines for emoji approval include uniqueness, global usage frequency, versatility in meanings, and applicability in sentences. Belliveau aims to raise awareness among Acadians worldwide and intends to formally submit the proposal in the upcoming winter season.
He expressed his determination to reach out to Acadians globally, including those in Louisiana, France, Quebec, and throughout Canada, recognizing the widespread presence of Acadian communities worldwide.