Isleños (from the Spanish, meaning "islanders") are descendants of Canary Islanders who came to America and settled in the lower Mississippi River Delta of Louisiana between 1778 and 1783. The geographical isolation helped to preserve the language and traditions of this minority. Some of the Isleños still speak an archaic Spanish dialect. In many parts of Latin America, the term "isleño" is also used to distinguish a Canary Islander from a "gallego" which is a nickname used to identify an immigrant from mainland Spain. During the 18th, 19th and early part of the 20th century, large waves of Canary Islanders emigrated to Cuba and Puerto Rico and as such the term "isleño" is widely used by the locals when referring to themselves. Also, in Puerto Rico the term is sometimes used to distinguish someone born on the island as opposed to someone born in the mainland United States of Puerto Rican parentage.

Communities of the Isleños

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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 Southeastern Louisiana and the Greater New Orleans area. Many were displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Traditional Isleño communities include:

• Delacroix Island, Louisiana
• Wood Lake
• Reggio
• Yscloskey, Louisiana
• Shell Beach
• Hopedale

See also

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• Hispanic
• Spanish in the United States
• Latino

External links

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• Isleños

St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana | Louisiana culture | Greater New Orleans

Isleños | Isleños