Isleño
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Isleño (plural isleños) is the Spanish word meaning "islander." The Isleños are the descendants of Canary Island immigrants of Louisiana. The name islander was given to the Canary Islanders to distinguished them from Spanish mainlanders known as "peninsulares." But in Louisiana, the name has evolved from a category to an identity. So much the name evolved to the point that when addressing the Canary Islanders of Louisiana, they would be referred to as the "Islenos", 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 Venezuela and the Spanish speaking Caribbean, the term "isleño" is still used to distinguish a Canary Islander from someone from continental Spain.
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[edit] 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. They settled near New Orleans in what is today St. Bernard Parish. Many of their descendants remained insulated from New Orleans, and continued to speak an archaic version of 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. 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.
[edit] St. Bernard (Terre aux Boeufs)
This settlement was first called La Concepción and Nueva Galvez by the Spanish officials, but