Houma and the surrounding communities are a blend of French, Native, Cajun, African, and Creole influences. Initially, the area was colonized by French and Spanish who made their way south through
Bayou Lafourche. In the late 18th century, numerous
Acadians (later known as
Cajuns) settled in the region. The Acadians had been expelled by the British from Nova Scotia during the Seven Years' War for their unwillingness to take a loyalty oath to the British King. The number expelled was approximately 15,000, of which 3,000 eventually settled in this region. Others went to France. As the French, Spanish, Acadians, and Native American peoples mixed over the decades, a unique Cajun culture emerged. The swampland around Houma resulted in the area being quite isolated from the rest of Louisiana and the United States well into the 1930s. Outside influences such as radio and concomitant popular culture failed to penetrate Cajun culture, so Cajun culture and the use of French language in this region persevered much longer than in cities on the border of Cajun country, such as
Lake Charles or
Baton Rouge. Traditional Cajun culture in Houma includes the French language,
Cajun cuisine, and celebration of Catholic festivals such as
Mardi Gras. That folk culture remains evident today and attracts many tourists to the region. In the 1970s, many South Vietnamese refugees emigrated following the reunification of Vietnam. They settled in Southern Louisiana to work as shrimpers, just as they had in Vietnam. A fairly significant portion of them settled in New Orleans, and many also settled in Houma, as well as in other locations along the Gulf Coast. Many ethnic Vietnamese families continue to work in shrimping, a tradition that has been passed down through their families for several decades. Downtown Houma has been designated as a
historic district and is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places. It offers a downtown walking tour and attractions such as the Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum, the Folklife Culture Center, the Regional Military Museum, Southdown Plantation, the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, monuments to local armed forces, and local eateries. Although Houma is rapidly changing, many residents in the surrounding communities continue to make their living from the Gulf, just as their ancestors did. They harvest
shrimp,
oyster,
crab,
fish, and engage in trapping, although more have shifted to work in occupations of the oil industry and shipbuilding. According to the United States Government Patent and Trademark Office, Houma, Louisiana, was the site of the deepest oil well in Terrebonne Parish.
Tab Benoit's Voice of the Wetlands Music Festival, established in 2005, takes place annually in Houma, Louisiana, in October. The annual "Weenie Spaghetti Festival" was first held in Houma in 2024. ==Media==