Two years after the great hurricane Katrina, the Nation's eyes are focused on the rebuilding of Louisiana. One of the most devastated parish was St. Bernard. The neighborhoods that I saw on the news reveals that St. Bernard Parish has yet to be rebuilt, in fact many may never be rebuilt.
Somewhere under all that muck and debris is the evidence of the remnants of a people who were known, over two centuries ago, as "Islenos." These Spanish speaking people came from the Canary Islands. They sailed to Louisiana in the years 1778-1783. Some of these Islenos settled in St. Bernard Parish and were farmers.
Will the 18th century Spanish-American heritage that was once a part of St. Bernard Parish become lost in time?
"The islanders, or islenos, were classified upon arrival as farmers or soldiers; those who were soldiers were enrolled in various Spanish regiments for training, and those who were farmers were settled in the Parishes of St. Bernard, Iberville, Assumption, and Iberia. The 2,000 Canary Islanders, who are listed by vessel and separately indexed thereunder, are named, first by the head of the family and then by relation to the head of the family, as, for example, wife, son, daughter, etc. Further information includes the ages of the children, dates of embarkation, and names of captains of the vessels...,"
Sample of 1779 Passengers
Abreu, Maria De
Absar, Antonia Francesca
Acebeda, Francesca
Acosta, Cecelia Sardina
Acosta, Francesca De
Acosta, Josefa
Acosta, Maria
Acosta, Pedro
Aguiar, Isabel Francesca De
Aguilar, Andres
Aguilar, Antonia
Aguilar, Antonia
Aguilar, Antonio Romo Y.
Aguilar, Bernardino
Aguilar, Catalina
Aguilar, Catalina DeJesus
Aguilar, Francesca
Aguilar, Josefa
Aguilar, Juana
Aguilar, Maria De
Aleman, Antonia Espino
Aleman, Josef
Aleman, Juan
Aleman, Maria
Aleman, Mathias
Aleman, Ysabel
Aleosia, Ana Alvarez
Aleosia, Domingo
Aleosia, Gaspar Antonio
Aleosia, Maria
Source: Passenger and Immigration List Index by Borderbound.
