Isleños

Isleño
Islander

Notables:Alcide Nunez was an early American jazz clarinetist  · Francisco de Miranda  · Fidel Castro  · Juanita Garcia Peraza  · José Martí  · Maria Montez · Romulo Betancourt  · Andrés Quintana Roo  · Julio Herrera y Reissig
Total population
Canarian diaspora unknown
Regions with significant populations
Venezuela	42,671-600,000
Cuba	30,400-900,000
Argentina	2,390
United States	37,008
United Kingdom	2,114
Germany	1,471
Uruguay	628
Brazil	620
Puerto Rico	unknown
Dominican Republic	unknown
Mexico	unknown
Languages
Spanish, English
Religion
Roman Catholic
Related ethnic groups
Spanish, Portuguese, French

Isleño settlements in Louisiana

"Spanish" trapper and sons, Delacroix Island, 1941

Isleño (Spanish pronunciation: [isˈleɲo], pl. isleños) is the Spanish word meaning "islander." The Isleños are the descendants of Canary Island immigrants to Louisiana, Cuba, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and other parts of the Americas. The name "islander" was given to the Canary Islanders to distinguish them from Spanish mainlanders known as "peninsulars" (Spanish: peninsulares) But in these places or countries, the name has evolved from a category to an identity. The name evolved to the point that when addressing the Canary Islanders of Louisiana, they would be referred to as the Isleños, or Los Isleños.

In Latin America, the Canary Islanders or "Canarians", are known as Isleños as well. Another name to refer to a Canary Islander is "Canarian" in English, or Canario in Spanish, as well as Isleño Canario.

In Latin America, at least in those country in wich had great Canarian populations, the term Isleño is still used to distinguish a Canary Islander from someone from continental Spain. By the early eighteenth century be said there had many more canarian and descendants of them in the Americas that in Canary Islands. In addition, the Canarian had many children, so that now, the number of descendents of those first immigrants must be very superior to number of migrants that arrived to Americas. The culture of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Uruguay partially derive of the Canarian culture, as the accents of this three first countries and of the Dominican Republic. Although most of the Canarian who emigrated to the Americas from the sixteenth to the twentieth century are well mixed with the population, still remain some communities that preserve the Canarian culture of their ancestors in some areas of the continent, such as in Louisiana, San Antonio of Texas, Hatillo (Puerto Rico), San Carlos de Tenerife (now a neighborhood of Santo Domingo) and San Borondón in Peru.

General history

The Canary emigration to America began as early as 1492, with the first voyage of Columbus, and did not end until the early of 80´s of twentieth century. Between 1492 and 1493, Columbus made ​​a stopover in the Canaries, with several people there to America. These people would be established in Cuba and Puerto Rico. In the early sixteenth century, probably some Guanches of the Canary Islands were exported as slaves to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Also, in the first half of the sixteenth century, Europeans organized several groups of people chosen in the Canary Islands to colonize parts of Latin America (Mexico, Peru, Venezuela and Colombia). To these conquerors, some of whom settled permanently in America, followed some groups of canaries who settles in Cuba and Puerto Rico. In 1678, the Spanish crown published "The tribute of blood," whereby, for each ton of cargo for a product that some Spanish colony of America sent to Spain, this send five Canary families, but applied generally, the number of families exported exceeded the 10 families. Thus, during the late seventeenth and eighteenth century, hundreds of Canarian families were exported to Venezuela Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, and some more places like Uruguay, Mexico, Argentina or the south of the present United States. These families were designed to settle various parts of Latin America. The tribute of blood was forbidden in 1764. Despite that, many canaries continued to migrate to America. Because acquire better jobs in America ue to help them escape poverty. After the independence of most Latin American countries (1811 - 1825) and the abolition of slavery in Cuba and Puerto Rico, this colonies impulsed the Canary emigration. Thus, the most of these emigrated to these colonies, where they were exploited at work and were paid for their little heads. Although there were also thousands of canaries who emigrated to other countries like Venezuela, Uruguay and Argentina. After the annexation of Cuba and Puerto Rico to the United States and the prohibition of Canary emigration to Puerto Rico, Canary emigration is directed mainly to Cuba, with certain flows to other countries (especially Argentina). Since 1948, most of the islanders emigrated to Venezuela because the country prompted the international immigration, especially Spanish. From the 80, with the improvement of the Islands' economy (and Spanish in general), Canary little immigration records, but with the worsening of the Venezuelan economy, many Venezuelan children and grandchildren have returned to the Canary Islands.

Isleños in United States

During the eighteenth century, the Spanish crown sent several groups of canaries to their colonies in the contemporary United States. His goal was to replenish some of their regions. Thus, between 1731 and 1783, settle several Canarian comunities in San Antonio (Texas), Florida (that, althought they promoted its agriculture of state, the most of the Canarian settlers of Florida emigrated to Cuba when Florida was sold to the UK in 1763, well as when, after being recovered by Spain, was ceded to the United States in 1819) and Louisiana.

Louisiana Communities of the Isleños

In Louisiana, the Isleños are the descendants of Canary Islanders who migrated to Louisiana under the Spanish crown between 1778 and 1783. In 1778, he left a boat in the Canary Islands with more than 4,000 people in Louisiana. However, during the journey, the ship made ​​a stop in Havana, Cuba, where he stayed half the people going on the boat. In the end,, 2736 people arrived to Louisiana and settled near New Orleans in what is today St. Bernard Parish, in Valenzuela, in Barataria and in Galveztown. During the American Revolution, Bernardo de Gálvez Recruited to Isleños people of the four Canarian settlements of Louisiana to participate with him in the revolution. Thus, the islanders he participated in the three major military campaigns (Baton Rouge, Mobile and Pensacola), who expelled the British ded the Gulf Coast. Later, in September 1814, the islanders learned the news of a possible British invasion. Therefore, due to fears of farmers islanders, these were organized into three companies of the regiment. Thus, the December 16, 1814 fought against the British.

Many of their descendants remained insulated from New Orleans, and continued to speak a rustic and antiquated Castilian well into the 20th century. The geographical isolation helped to preserve their language and traditions. Today, some Isleños still speak Spanish with a Canary Islander accent. However, in Louisiana there four differents comunity of Canaria descent, arrived there in the XVIII century (Isleños, brulis and the two comunity of Adaeseños) and of them only elders who are over 80 years in Saint Bernard speak the Spanish language, the place isleño that by more time speak Spanish. The others comunities speak French and Nahuatl dialect by the influence of those people. However, has interviewed to the four communities and has been recorded conversations with them (especially the older people of these communities, who are concervan the Spanish language) on video and DVD, that now is in the Museo Canario in Saint Bernard to prevent their languages ​​and, perhaps in the future, their cultures, may be lost completely. The Canarian accent sounds extremely similar to Caribbean Spanish.

The Louisiana Isleños still maintain contact with the Canary Islands, and have an annual "Caldo" festival named for a native dish, in which native Canary Islanders travel to the United States to take part in the festivities. There have been Canarian dancers, singers, and even the King and Queen of Spain have attended. After Hurricane Katrina, the Spanish government in the Canary Islands donated money to help repair the Canary Islander museum in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, as well as historical properties.

St. Bernard (Terre aux Boeufs)

This settlement was first called La Concepción and Nueva Gálvez by the Spanish officials, but later renamed Terre aux Boeufs (French), Tierra de Bueyes (Spanish) or "land of cattle". However, by the end of the 1780s, St. Bernard, the patron saint of Bernardo de Gálvez, was used in documents describing the area. The majority of the Isleño population were long concentrated in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, where some of the most traditional Isleño customs continued. Other Isleños have settled throughout Southeast Louisiana and the Greater New Orleans area. Saint Bernard was populated by two Canarian families groups between 1778 and 1784. The first group settled in St. Bernard and the currents St. Bernard and Toca Villages en 1779. While the second group was established in a region which they named Benchijigua, in honor to the mountain and region in the Gomera´s island that have this name and of the that from several colonists. However, with the arrived of French-speaking sugar planters to the region, the name of village derived to Bencheque, and is currently known as Bencheque-Reggio. After reaching the island, the colonists built their own houses and the Spanish government decided to give them a land each family. The size of the land given depended on the size of each family. Thus, a large family obtained a larger area of land than smaller families. They got the money, tools and clothing they needed to survive the government of Spain. Although the area was settled by people from all islands (mostly by people of Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Lanzarote. was the people of Tenerife who took the domestication of cattle to Saint Bernard. The Isleños, who were mostly farmers, are also devoted to sugar plantations, harvesting sugar cane and cypress. After of fought in the American Revolution, the St. Bernard Church was founded in 1785 and was the first parish church in New Orleans. Also, the first permanent building of church was built in 1787 in Bayou Terre-aux-Boeufs. Although the islanders founded also in 1787 a cemetery, the burials were taken shortly after to a zone located in front of church. Between 1800 and 1900 was developed a important trade in seafood and fish that were caught by Isleños fishermen and sold to restaurants in New Orleans. After know the possibility of a British invasion, many islanders joined the three most important militia of Louisiana, to fight them in 1814. In the year 1820, many Isleños farmers abandoning agriculture and settled in the eastern basin of Saint Bernard where developed a fishing community in Delacroix. So, it developed a large trade in shrimp, fish and crabs that were sold in New Orleans. In 1850 when the railroad was in Saint Bernard, despite the strong opposition of the Isleños, it also meant the marketing ue of most sugar cane, harvested produce and game´s animal in New Orleans. In the 60´s these Isleños of Louisiana fought also in the American Civil War. After the Civil War, the animals hunting was very important to the Isleños of Saint Bernard, as it already was for the French colonies of New Orleans. Since early of century XIX, some groups of Isleños emigrated to other areas of Louisiana and of south of United States. Some of these islanders and his descendants founded regions such as Gonzales or Marrero. In the early 20 th century, the government of New Orlean built Saint Bernard roads linking the city metropolitan area. Thus, many fishermen of Saint Bernard, began traveling to other areas of the city for its seafood trade and fur pelts. The Isleños also fought in the two World Wars. After finishing the II World War, the islander who participated in it, looking for work in urban areas of New Orleans that had developed along the Mississippi River. Therefore, many islanders left Saint Bernard in 1940 and 1950. His children were raised in these areas that have English as the majority language and them not learn to speak Spanish. On the other hand, also were builded colleges in Saint Bernard that forced all students to speak only English, punished if they spoke their native language. In the 60´s the Isleños fought the Vietnam War. The islanders were evacuated when Hurricane Katrina came, although some of them could not be evicted because they refused to leave their home.

Currently, although many Isleños have since traveled to New Orleans (although most of them have returned to the island by not being able to adapt to urban life of that), due to the education in the colleges, the most of the isleños of Saint Bernard only can speak English now, except for elderly that have more of over 80 years (that is the same Spanish dalect that speak in Canary Island in the XVIII century). On the other hand, the community built a museum to preserve the Canarian culture there. The Islanders travel to the Canary Islands every year, for not to forget their roots and keep in touch with the land of their ancestors. Many were displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Over time, many Isleños have returned to Saint Bernard and back to build his home there. But more than half the island's population emigrated to other areas of Louisiana (where they had family) or to other areas of the United States; and the comunity still continues to decline. Thus, of the near of 40.000 or 70.000 isleños that, according with different estimates, had in Saint Bernard in the year 2,000, now only remain some 19.826 of them in Saint Bernard. Currently, thousands of descendants of islanders live in urban New Orleans. The isleños of Louisiana are very family and profess, like their ancestors, Roman Catholicism. Each family was subject to the power of leadership of a patriarch. The religious festivals of the Isleños of Saint Bernard are characterized by having a big celebration, dancing and lots of food.

Traditional Isleño communities in St. Bernard include:

• Delacroix Island
• Wood Lake
• Reggio (Bencheque)
• Yscloskey
• Shell Beach
• Hopedale
• Poydras
• Violet

Barataria

After the arrival of the Canarian colonists to Barataria, located across the Mississippi, this site suffered two hurricanes in 1779 and in 1780, so it was abandoned and its population is distributed in other areas of Louisiana.

Valenzuela

Originally referred to as "Valenzuela dans La Fourche", today the location is at the site of the Belle Alliance plantation. These groups came from the Parish of St. Bernard (in fact, they were the founders) but settled in Valenzuela in 1802 and engaged in agriculture. This peoples called themselves "brulis" (of French "Brulé", burned), already that live in little zones of field with this name, that originally were forests and marshes to which caught fire and then cleared to make room for houses and farmland. Originally, these groups were engaged yeoman horticulture (but ended up engaging in planting sugar cane in the nineteenth century). They collaborated in the American Revolution, after being recruited by Bernardo de Gálvez, with the other islanders of Louisiana. These Isleño communities, as wich Donaldsonville, are very influenced by the French language of the descendants of French that live in the surroundings or near of there, so they speak French and many of their names are Frenchified. The French influence in this area is such that many Brulis have forgotten their origin canarian. However, the Isleño master Frank Fernandez, who also served as Historian Emeritus of San Bernardo, confirmed to the community Isleña (and Bruli) that him and his neighbors are descended from people from the Canary Islands and that his speech, food and culture were originated in the eighteenth century. He also explained that it would be possible to recover the memory Canary and contact again with his brothers across the Atlantic. So he did. This caused many of the Brulis, with French surnames, which until then dared to claim cayun culture, declared that they were canaries. So, they joined Spanish surnames to their English and French names. Then they began to make the holidays canary, museums, genealogy and even a movie. This is remarkable in Valenzuela (although it also occurred in St. Bernard, where the Canarian culture, however, always had more importance than in Valenzuela, so that the words of Fernandez were not as ifluyentes in St. Bernard as Valenzuela).In addition, the brulis also created organizations for try to preserve their culture Canary Islands. However, now there also many brulis that, still know speak spanish, dare not speak Spanish outside the home.

Traditional Isleño communities around Valenzuela include:

• Donaldsonville
• Plattenville
• Belle Alliance
• Palo Alto
• Labadieville
• Napoleonville
• Paincourtville
• McCall

Galveztown

In 1778, during the American Revolution, the Spanish were not pleased with the amount of commerce that was bypassing New Orleans via Bayou Manchac. The Spanish Governor of the Isle of Orleans, Don Bernardo de Gálvez, allowed Americans fleeing the hostilities in the colonies to establish a village on high ground they discovered just below the juncture of Bayou Manchac and the Amite River. The grateful villagers named their settlement "Galveztown."

By 1779, Gálvez realized the strategic importance of Galveztown and began bringing in Spanish Settlers, most from the Canary Islands, but also some others Spanish group. He also had Mexican military, which serve to protect the region and that move in a garrison constructed around the town. But by 1800, Galveztown, due a his bad location, that caused fast floods and prolonged droughts was abandoned and the settlers moved to Baton Rouge. The area they settled there became known as "Spanish Town" and is where the Pentagon Barracks now stand. The inhabitants of this region call themselves "Adaeseños" and they are divided, since long time ago, in two communities in remote areas together and have not maintained any contact between them. But despite this, still today their culture and language are identical. Due to that they are a blend of the Mexican military established here with there to end of XVIII century with the Canarian people and others Spanish groups, the majority language is the language native Mexican "Nahua" (unlike Saint Bernard Parish, where the isleños have maintained their language until very recent times), but many people in the community still can speak Spanish. Although not of fluent form. However, many Isleños today still have contacts with the Canary Islands.

Traditional Isleño communities around Galveztown include:

• Galvez, Louisiana
• Spanish Town, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• St. Gabriel, Louisiana

Canary Islanders in the foundation of San Antonio, Texas

On February 14, 1719, the Marqués de San Miguel de Aguayo made a report to the king of Spain proposing that 400 families be transported from the Canary Islands, Galicia, or Havana to populate the province of Texas. His plan was approved, and notice was given the Canary Islanders (isleños) to furnish 200 families; the Council of the Indies suggested that 400 families should be sent from the Canaries to Texas by way of Havana and Veracruz.

By June 1730, twenty-five families had reached Cuba and ten families had been sent on to Veracruz before orders from Spain to stop the movement arrived. Under the leadership of Juan Leal Goraz, the group marched overland to the Presidio San Antonio de Bexar.

The party had increased by marriages on the way to fifteen families, a total of fifty-six persons. They joined a military community that had been in existence since 1718. At eleven o'clock on the morning of March 9, 1731, sixteen Spanish families (56 people) often referred to as the "Canary Islanders," also known as "isleños", arrived at the Presidio of San Antonio de Bexar in the Province of Texas. The immigrants formed the nucleus of the villa of San Fernando de Béxar, and established the first regularly organized civil government in Texas. The Marquis of Casafuerte, Viceroy of Spain, (Vice-King of Spain) bestowed upon each Canary Island family titles of nobility. Many descendants of these first settlers still reside in San Antonio.

Several of the old families of San Antonio trace their descent from the Canary Island colonists. María Rosa Padrón was the first baby born of Canary Islander descent in San Antonio.

Memorial to the Alamo defenders

San Antonio grew to become the largest Spanish settlement in Texas, and for most of its history, the capital of the Spanish, later Mexican, province of Tejas. From San Antonio the Camino Real, today Nacogdoches Road in San Antonio, ran to the American border at the small frontier town of Nacogdoches. In the Battle of the Alamo that took place from February 23 to March 6, 1836, the outnumbered Texan force was ultimately defeated with all of Alamo defenders killed. There were Canary Islanders and descendents among these men, that were seen as "martyrs" for the cause of Texas freedom and "Remember the Alamo" became a rallying cry in Texas' eventual success at defeating Santa Anna's army. However, there were also some descendants of Canary Islanders in San Antonio Texas who joined the Mexican army to try to stop Texas independence from Mexico, as is the case of the soldier and landowner Juan Moya. The last people to speak Spanish in the community 50 years died in the twentieth century, though they kept alive their cultures. Now, live some 5.000 isleños in San Antonio, Texas.

Aerial view of the city, San Antonio, December 4, 1939

Isleños in Florida and in others place of United States

Also, La Florida colonial was sparsely populated and occupation basically stood at the port of Saint Augustine, protected by a military fortress. Therefore, La Real Compañía de Comercio de La Habana (The Royal Society of Commerce of Havana), a monopolistic corporation that tried to encourage the commercial traffic between Cuba and the peninsula, was forced to carry, by their statutes, annually two vessels of 50 Canarian families for Florida. Thus, between 1757 and 1759 were sent 154 families to Florida (42 in 1757, 76 families several month after and others 36 to following year). However, in 1763, after of the defeat of Spain by the United Kingdom, this country was forced to cede Florida to him, causing repatriation of most of its inhabitants to Cuba, although some groups of them definitely be established in the region, where they are considered the impellers of agriculture. In 1783, Spain recovered Florida, but it is ceded to the United States in 1819, emigrating almost all population that living in this state (then province) to Cuba again, although some people remained, in that place again. Currently, there is a recent immigrant community of the Canarian people and their descendants living in Miami, incluided, in a greater Spanish community there. Many of the Canarian who live there, live there only temporarily and for work motives.

Some places and peoples of Southern California were founded also by colonists Canary Islanders. Also recorded Canary Island colonists in New Mexico. Now, also there some canarian living in places as Massachusetts (Boston), New York, New Jersey, Washington D.C. and California.

Isleño influence in Hispanic Antilles

Louisiana's Islenos are somewhat connected by Cuban, Puerto Rican and Dominican culture for over 200 years. These Caribbean countries are highly influenced by an earlier wave of Spanish settlers Isleños a.k.a Canarios from the Canary Islands, who first arrived in the Americas in the late 16th century.

Most Jíbaros were of Canarian stock.

Louisiana's Islenos are somewhat connected by Cuban, Puerto Rican and Dominican culture for over 200 years. These Caribbean countries are highly influenced by an earlier wave of Spanish settlers Isleños a.k.a Canarios from the Canary Islands, who first arrived in the Americas in the late 16th century.

Cuba

Cuba was the most influenced by Canary immigration of all Latin American countries. In 1853, a royal decree permitted emigration to all American territories, whether Spanish colonies or free nations. This increased Canary emigration to other Latin American areas, especially Argentina and Uruguay, as well as providing more immigrants for Venezuela, but the majority continued to head for Cuba. Accurate figures for immigrants during the 19th century do not exist, but an approximate picture can be reconstructed (Hernández García 1981). In the 20-year period from 1818-1838 for example, more than 18,000 islanders emigrated to the Americas, most to Cuba and proportionately fewer to Venezuela and Puerto Rico. This represents a significant proportion of the islands' population, and given the relative size of cities in Latin America in the early 19th century, a not inconsiderable shift in the linguistic balance of such places as Caracas, Havana and Santiago de Cuba. In the half century from 1840 to 1890, as many as 40,000 Canary Islanders emigrated to Venezuela alone. In the period from 1835–1850, more than 16,000 islanders emigrated to Cuba, a rate of approximately 1000 per year. In the 1860s, Canary emigration to the Americas took place at the rate of over 2000 per year, at a time when the total islands' population was perhaps 240,000. In the 2-year period 1885-6, more than 4500 Canarians emigrated to Spanish possessions (including the Philippines and Fernando Poo), of which almost 4100 went to Cuba and 150 to Puerto Rico. During the same time period, some 760 Canary Islanders emigrated to Latin American republics, with 550 going to Argentina/Uruguay and more than 100 to Venezuela. By the period 1891-1895, Canary emigration to Argentina/Uruguay was slightly more than 400, to Puerto Rico was 600, immigrants arriving in Venezuela numbered more than 2000, and to Cuba more than 17,000. By comparison, in the same half century or so, emigration to Cuba from other regions of Spain included: 14,000 from Barcelona, 18,000 from Asturias and more than 57,000 from Galicia. During the same period more than 18,000 Galicians arrived in Argentina/Uruguay, but only a handful arrived in Venezuela. These are only official figures; when clandestine emigration is taken into account, the numbers would be much larger. For example, Guerrero Balfagón (1960) has documented the illegal but significant immigration of Canary Islanders to Argentina and Uruguay in the first half of the 19th century.

Following the Spanish-American War of 1898, Cuba and Puerto Rico were no longer Spanish territories, but Canary immigration to the Americas continued. Until the Spanish Civil War of 1936, most islanders arrived in Cuba, and it is difficult to find a Canary Island family today in which some family member did not go to Cuba during the early decades of the 20th century. In some of the poorer regions, entire villages were left virtually without a young male population. Many islanders returned after a few years, although some made several trips to Cuba or remained indefinitely, thus increasing the linguistic cross-fertilization between the two regions. Following the Spanish Civil War, which created even more severe economic hardships in the Canary Islands, and in view of the 1959 communist revolution in Cuba, islanders once more turned to Venezuela as the preferred area of emigration, a trend which continued until the early 1960s.

Main article: Cuban Spanish

Many words in traditional Cuban Spanish can be traced to those of the Spanish spoken in the Canary Islands. Many Canary Islanders emigrated to Cuba and had one of the largest parts in the formation of the Cuban dialect and accent. There are also many elements from other areas of Spain such as Andalucian, Galician, Asturian, Catalan, as well as some African influence. Cuban Spanish is very close to Canarian Spanish. Canarian emigration has been going on for centuries to Cuba, and were also very numerous in emigration of the 19th, and 20th centuries.

Through cross emigration of Canarians and Cubans, many of the customs of Canarians have became Cuban traditions and vice versa. The music of Cuba has become part of the Canarian culture as well, such as mambo, son, and punto Cubano. Because of Cuban emigration to the Canary Islands, the dish "moros y cristianos", or simply known as "moros" (Moors), can be found as one of the foods of the Canary Islands; especially the island of La Palma. Canary Islanders were the driving force in the cigar industry in Cuba, and were called "Vegueros." Many of the big cigar factories in Cuba were owned by Canary Islanders. After the Castro revolution, many Cubans and returning Canarians settled in the Canary islands, among them were many Cigar factory owners such as the Garcia family. The cigar business made its way to the Canary Islands from Cuba, and now the Canary Islands are one of the places that are known for cigars along side Cuba, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Honduras. The island of La palma has the greatest Cuban influence out of all seven islands. Also, La Palma has the closest Canarian accent to the Cuban accent, due to the most Cuban emigration to that island.

Many of the typical Cuban replacements for standard Spanish vocabulary stem from Canarian lexicon. For example, guagua (bus) differs from standard Spanish autobús the former originated in the Canaries and is an onomatopoeia stemming from the sound of a Klaxon horn (wah-wah!). The term of endearment "socio" is from the Canary Islands. An example of Canarian usage for a Spanish word is the verb fajarse[19] ("to fight"). In standard Spanish the verb would be pelearse, while fajar exists as a non-reflexive verb related to the hemming of a skirt. Cuban Spanish shows strong heritage to the Spanish of the Canary Islands.

Many names for food items come from the Canary Islands as well. The Cuban sauce mojo, is based on the mojos of the Canary Islands were the mojo was invented. Also, Canarian ropa vieja is the father to Cuban ropa vieja through Canarian emigration. Gofio is a Canarian food also known by Cubans, along with many others.

Puerto Rico

In the second voyage of Columbus in 1593, Columbus took some canaries to Puerto Rico. Then in the early sixteenth century, according to historians of Puerto Rico, were exported as slaves some Guanches since island of Tenerife to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Between 1678 and 1764 takes place called "Tributo de sangre" (Tribute in blood), by which for every ton of cargo shipped from the Spanish colonies in Americas to Spain, in exchange for 5 canarian families were sent to populate any of these colonies. However, the number exported of families to Americas often exceeded this figure. So, the first wave of Canarian migration seems to be 1695 in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico with Juan Fernández Franco de Medina [born 1646 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and was Governor of Puerto Rico (1st term (1685–1690) and 2nd term (1695–1697)], who arrived with 20 Canarian families. This was followed by others in 1714, 1720, 1731, and 1797.

Between 1720 and 1730 some 176 families with a total of 882 Isleños or Canarians emigrated, with 60% married and the rest married in Puerto Rico.

The numbers of Canarians to Puerto Rico in its first three centuries is not known to any degree of precision. However, Dr. Estela Cifre de Loubriel and other scholars of the Canarian Migration to America, like Dr. Manuel González Hernández, of the University of La Laguna, Tenerife, agree that they formed the bulk of the Jíbaro or white peasant stock of the island.

The tribute of blood was forbidden in 1764, but the poverty and overpopulation in the Canaries remained open immigration to Puerto Rico and other parts of Latin America. Now they migrated to these places to try to alleviate their poverty. After of the independence of Spanish America (1811 - 1825), most Canarian immigrants are directed to Cuba and Puerto Rico (the only colonies that remained Spain in Americas), both places get a lot of canaries, which were exploited at work, basically after of that those places abolish slavery. The Isleños increased their commercial traffic and emigration concentrated to the two Spanish-American colonies, Puerto Rico and particularly Cuba. Following the Spanish-American War of 1898, Canarian immigration to the Americas continued. Successive waves of Canary Island immigration came to Puerto Rico, where entire villages were formed of relocated islanders.

In the 1860s, Canarian emigration to the Americas took place at the rate of over 2000 per year, at a time when the total islands' population was 237,036. In the 2-year period 1885-6, more than 4500 Canarians emigrated to Spanish possessions, with only 150 to Puerto Rico. Between 1891-1895, Canary emigration to Puerto Rico was 600. With these being official figures; when illegal or concealed emigration is taken into account, the numbers would be much larger.

In Puerto Rico whole towns and villages were founded by Canarian immigrants and the lasting influence of Canarian culture can still be seen and heard in the Puerto Rican accent and in the Cuatro, a small guitar with origins from the Canary Islands.

Dominican Republic

Another country with great isleño influence in the Caribbean islands is the Dominican Republic. Thus, in the early sixteenth century, according to historians of Puerto Rico, were exported as slaves to some Guanches since island of Tenerife to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. However, the Dominican Republic in the mid-seventeenth century had, still, a very small population and suffered economic hardship. Thus, believed that the French, who had occupied the western part of the island of Santo Domingo (now Haiti), could also take the east of the island. Therefore, the authorities in Santo Domingo asked the Spanish crown sent Canarian families as the only way to stop French expansion. Thus, 97 Canarian families arrived in 1684 to the Dominican Republic and founded San Carlos de Tenerife (which in 1911 be become in a neighborhood of Santo Domingo). The Dominican authorities decided to concentrate on agriculture and livestock. They created a municipal corporation and a church for Their patroness, Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (Our Lady of Candelaria). The population increased with the arrival of 39 families in 1700 and another 49 in 1709. Canarian families arrived in this year had to bribe the Governor to be added to San Carlos. In the first decades of the eighteenth century, another group of Canarian emigrated to Santiago de los Caballeros, where he will have an exclusive isleño militia, and another in Frontera, where the group founded Banica and Hincha in 1691 and 1702 respectively. In these latter developed a livestock region that grew thanks to trade with Haiti. The lack of financial resources and the War of Spanish Succession dilated and spaced greatly the number of families that arrived in those years. It was from that time when you increase significantly the number of migrants canaries, but suffered a standstill between 1742 and 1749 as a result of the great war with England. The canarian inhabited mainly the French border to prevent the territorial expansion of the country (founded San Rafael de Angostura, San Miguel de la Atalaya, the Caobas and Dajabón) and the founding of port areas of strategic interest, such as ports of Montechristi in 1751 with the arrival of 46 families between 1735 and 1736, Puerto Plata (1736), Samana (1756) and Sabana de la Mar (1760). Since 1764, the canaries are directed essentially to the Valle del Cibao. The thriving border towns would be abandoned in 1794 and ultimately become part of Haiti during the Haitian domination (1822 - 44). A portion of the population, specialty was the Cibao, he moved to Cuba, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. other side of the Frontera´s population moved into the island. The isleños were, at least for a long time, the fastest growing group in the Dominican Republic. In the nineteenth and twentieth century, the flow of canaries who emigrated to this country was much less. Santana, the first president of the Dominican Republic chartered several ships to Venezuela to take them to the canarian immigrants in Venezuela who lived in the Federation War era, but most of them would return in 1862, when the government of Paez seemed to give security who wanted. During the first half of the twentieth century some groups of canarian came, mostly after the Spanish Civil War, when Trujillo picked Republican exiles, and in 1955, to increase the white population in the country, when arrived 300 canarian, but most emigrated Venezuela, because the negative conditions, that were unlike wich were promised. .

Venezuela

During colonial times and until the end of the Second World War, the bulk of European immigrants who arrived in Venezuela were canaries and its cultural impact was significant, influencing both the development of Castilian in the country as well as food and customs. In fact It is considered that Venezuela is the country with the largest population of the world from the Canary Islands and it is common to say in Canary Island that "Venezuela is the eighth island of the Canary Islands." Thus, in the XVII century, Venezuela was the seconds place of Canarian emigration (after of Cuba), the first in the XVIII century, third in the nineteenth century (after Cuba and Puerto Rico) and almost alone in the second half of the twentieth century (in the first half was as many the fifth, after Cuba, Uruguay, Argentina and the Dominican Republic). Thus, in the sixteenth century, the German Jorge de Spira in the Canary Island recruited 200 men to colonize Venezuela, although regardless of whether they were canarian or just people settled down in the islands. In 1681, 31 canarian families and three persons of the same origin were transported and to port of Cumana, but this area was so unsafe that people settled in villages already founded or marches to the Llanos. Also the 25 Canarian families that were transported to Guyana in 1717 to found a village there, then migrated to the Llanos. In 1697, Maracaibo was founded with 40 families canarian, which was followed in 1700, another 29 in the town of Los Marqueses. Maracaibo also get 25 Canarian families between 1732 and 1738and in 1764, another 14 families arrive. To which are added another 300 families exported to Venezuela. Many members of the military independence of Venezuela in the first half of the nineteenth century were descendants of canaries or canaries. Thus, also several notable leaders and Venezuelan descent have canaria, such as the precursor of independence Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda, Andres Bello, Jose Gregorio Hernandez and Jose Antonio Paez presidents, José María Vargas, Carlos Soublette, Monagas, Antonio Guzmán Blanco, Romulo Betancourt and Rafael Caldera. Notably, the Simon Bolivar himself had ancestors on his mother's canary. More than 9,000 canaries emigrated to this country between 1841 and 1844. In 1875 to Venezuela reached more than 5,000 canarian. Between 1936 and 1953, there comes hundreds of canaries immigrants, mostly illegal, in Venezuela. Some of them from Cuba. In the second half of the twentieth century, most of the Canarian who emigrate go to Venezuela, a massive migration that will not end until the early 80 (although there was a significant decrease of this migration in the 70, with the beginning Canarian migration to Europe). Now, the Canarian and their descendants are scattered throughout Venezuela and many Venezuelan children and grandchildren of Canarian inmigrants are returning to Canary Island by the poverty of the Venezuelan population and improvements in quality of life in Spain in general, including the Canary Islands.

Canary Islanders in Uruguay

The firsts canarians who came to Uruguay, were established in Montevideo to found and populate the region. Thus, the foundation of this city had formed by two waves of Canarians. The first one was established in the city on November 19, 1726 when 25 Canarian families came to Montevideo. They organized quickly to survive in that area. Thus, the first civilian authorities of Montevideo were Canarian. They gave names to roads and geographic features. The second group of Canarians arrived in the city on March 27, 1729. In this second expedition 30 families arrived. Others places in Urugay where they settled were: Colonia, San José and Soria. In 1808 the Canarian merchant Francisco Aguilar y Leal sent an expedition of 200 people from the eastern islands of Canary Islands to Montevideo, recovering so the Canary emigration to Uruguay, although it was quantitatively superior in size to that of the first half of the eighteenth century. This emigration basically will not terminate until 1900. Thus, during the nineteenth century more than 10,000 Canarians settled in Uruguay, mayority from of the eastern islands, depopulated leaving more than half of Lanzarote´s island. However, in the late nineteenth century, only 5,749 persons remained permanently in Uruguay. During the twentieth century also arrived some groups of canaries, which are still mainly of the eastern islands. Although specific figures of this emigrate are not known, the Canary emigration to this country in the twentieth century, not due have been very great, although itself enough to form specific associations of canarian people. The Canarian and their descendants are scattered throughout Uruguay. Thus Uruguay ranks post five after Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Dominic Republic in the number of people of Canarian descent.

Canary Islanders in others places of Americas

The Canary emigration in Argentina before the nineteenth century was very low, except the people who participated in the first foundation of Buenos Aires by Pedro de Mendoza in 1535 (that were three companies of soldiers from Tenerife). In 1830, came to Buenos Aires several ships with immigrants canaries. A group of the immigrants settled in the interior and other group settle in the capital (In any case, the descendants of some Canarian families established in Buenos Aires, have faded gradually throughout Argentina). Although the number of canaries who immigrated during the nineteenth century to Argentina was not comparable to those who emigrated to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Uruguay, in some years, the number of canaries was remarkable. Thus, between 1878 and 1888, emigrated to the 3,033 canaries with this target. In the twentieth century, emigration was relatively high among the islanders, but did not reach the target volume of Cuba and Venezuela and only got to be the 5 th Spanish autonomous community of immigrants in this country. Despite of this, in the 30 of that century, the Canarian government put the number of canarian and descendants of them in that country by about 80,000 people. In 1984 there were 1.038 canaries in Buenos Aires. To preserve their identity and mutual aid they created several organizations. In the eighteenth century, several Canarian families of Buenos Aires, were established and Paraguay, founded the town of Candelaria.

Some Canarian participated in the conquest of Mexico and Canarian families emigrated to Mexico in the seventeenth century (as is the case of of Azuaje Family). In the eighteenth century, when the Spanish crown encouraged the Canary emigration to America through the Tributo de sangre (tribute of blood), many Canarian settled in the Yucatan Peninsula, controlling for a large part of the eighteenth century the foreign trade which served the peninsula and still an important part of Spanish families established there. Later in the twentieth century, another group of canaries was established in Mexico. His arrival came in the early 30's. However, after the Spanish Civil War, canary exile in Mexico led the country canaries prominent intellectuals like Agustín Millares Carlo and Jorge Hernández Millares

In Colombia, in 1536, Pedro Fernandez de Lugo formed an expedition of 1,500 people, half of them canaries, for the conquest of Santa Marta. In addition, Pedro de Heredia lead 100 men from the Canaries to Colombia, Diego de Ordaz, governor of Paria, took about 350 persons and his successor Jerome of Ortal to 80 people from Tenerife. However, in the sixteenth century, a period in which Canary was still repopulating , many people who emigrated to America from the Canary Islands were, in fact, Spaniards or foreigners, making it difficult to know how many of immigrants were really canarian. On the other hand, it is remarkable the foundation and original settlement by Canarian in Cartagena de Indias.

In 1787, 306 canaries arrived to Mosquito Coast in Honduras. However, the plan for populating the area failed, owing to the hostility of the Zambos and Miskito Indians and the unhealthiness of the area. Only bear fruit in the Honduran port of Trujillo, where they would engage in agriculture in the surrounding lands and the highlands where they would found Macuelizo in 1788. and in 1884, emigrated more of 8,000 canaries to a small town in Costa Rica, when this country promoted Canarian emigration to populate the uninhabited town. In 1903, a fleet arrived in the Lago Budi,Chile, with 88 canaries families -400 persons- that currently have more than 1,000 descendants. They responded to the government's call to populate this region and signed contracts for the benefit of a private company. Some were arrested while trying to escape and indigenous communities, the Mapuches, took pity on the plight of these canaries that were established in their former lands and they be did their part. The Indians welcomed them and made demonstrations in the so-called "revolt of the canaries.

Also, some groups of Canary Islanders who sailed by boat to Venezuela during early of twentieth century were pushed to Brazil and the French Antilles, which definitively established, to which be should include some Canarian persons who traveled from Canary Island directly to Brazil as inmigrant.

See also

• Louisiana (New Spain)
• Louisiana Creole
• Isleños Fiesta
• Criollo people
• Canarian people
• Canarian dialect
• Spanish American
• Spanish in the United States
• San Antonio, Texas
• History of San Antonio
• Tejano

References

• [2]

External links

• Isleños
• Canary Islanders Heritage Society