VISITE http://emigrantecanario.com
“Canarians of the Mississippi: The Canary Islanders In Louisiana” is the lastest work by Manuel Mora Morales, for his unfinished series “La Ruta del Gofio: History of the Canarian Immigration.” The documentary was filmed around the marshes of the Mississippi river in Louisiana, USA in 2005 and 2006. It tells the story of the Canarian Islanders who immigrated to Louisiana in the 18th century in order to establish colonies and to defend Spanish territories from the British and French forces in the area. “Canarians of the Mississippi” is produced by Amazonas Films and is being released in Spanish and English versions.
To this day there are descendants of the first Canarian immigrants, known as “islenos,” that continue speaking the Castilian language with the same accent as their ancestors. During the last 200 years the islanders have been subject to perhaps the most unusual story of the Canarian Migration; while it is full of unusual tales and events the story of the islanders is the least known inside and outside the archipelago.
Mention could be made of their important contributions to the American War of Independence, the islander battalions under General Lee and their presence in the American congress, as well as other numerous political figures whom have influenced politics in the United States government.
Many traditions and folklore in the islander community that exist today came from the Canary Islands over two centuries ago: music (the decima,) food (the caldo) and folk healing known as Curanderismo.
The documentary also contains historic interviews with islanders as well as antiquated film footage of the great flood of 1927. Canarians of the Mississippi is more significant though for its treatment of the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the Islander community and it’s struggle to survive.
While most of the documentary was filmed shortly before the hurricane, Mora Morales returned to Louisiana in 2006 and found that many people and places had disappeared or no longer existed. Many of the films informants have been direct or indirect victims of the Hurricane, including Charles Robin who died in January 2006.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Manuel Mora Morales was born in Canary Islands in 1952. He has spent many years as a writer, editor and filmmaker and is currently President of the Canarian Editors Association. His most important work has been writing and directing the documentary series La Ruta del Gofio: History of the Canarian Migration. The first part of the series has been televised TV several times (Television Autonomica Canaria). Mora Morales is currently still working on the subject of the Canarian migration to the United States.
Duration : 0:9:59
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October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
je ne comprends pas …
je ne comprends pas ce que vous avez juste dit
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
Entonces tendrás …
Entonces tendrás ambas nacionalidades ¿no? La española y la estadounidense ¿verdad?
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
Como da vueltas el …
Como da vueltas el mundo. Mis abuelos emigraron a Cuba de Canarias. Mis padres despues emigraron a los Estados Unidos, yo naci en Colorado en 1971. Cuando tenia un ano me mandaron a vivir a Tenerife, ahi me crie en La Laguna y Santa Cruz. Despues regrese a USA para la Universidad y mucho mucho despues en el 2005 (Katrina) estoy en el Army que fuimos destinados a rescatar gente justamente a Saint Bernard Parish a la parte en donde estan todos los Canarios y termino rescatando a uno.
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
aeseeke, Acadians …
aeseeke, Acadians were the original French inhabitants of Nova Scotia (Acadie), who were exiled by the English in 1755, and their descendents. Louisiana-born Acadians are called Cajuns.
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
Yes Puerto Rican …
Yes Puerto Rican Spanish is marked by Canary Island Spanish regionalisms, as well as Andalucian. Don’t let linguistic prejudice ever knock Puerto Rican Spanish. Also look at a map and look at where the Canary Islands are…closer to Northwest Africa than Spain…and where the Spanish first experimented with slave plantation labor and colonial administration before doing so in the Americas.
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
Pero que hacen …
Pero que hacen Canarios alla tan lejos…Que se vuelvan pa´ca que hace tiempo bueno y echense un vaso de Leche Con Gofio.
El Tete A Primera O Si Nena.
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
isn’t every thing …
isn’t every thing ignored about the south
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
Who are the …
Who are the Akadians?
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
yes! lol..it sounds …
yes! lol..it sounds VERY puerto rican…
i thought that the puerto rican accent was based on the native tainos of puerto rico influencing the spanish language but i heard that its the CANARY islanders that came to cuba/puerto rico that gave the puerto ricans their accent…its surprising…perhaps the islanders and other spaniards influenced LATIN america even more then i originally thought….like the food horchata/platanos etc
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
i know!…not all …
i know!…not all latinos/hispanics/spaniards
are the same…i count latino exclusively as latin american and hispanic including spain and spanish as only spain..but yeah i feel sorry for that man who died…imagine how U would feel if u were 1 of only 5 ppl in another country that was a great culture that now the generation forgot their culture died out and forgot their language it would suck…its VERY similar to what native latin americans do by tryina conserve their indian traditions.
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
me too…i guess …
me too…i guess they just dont have too many spaniards left in new orleans/louisiana :/
and even if they do they themselves differ from a canary islander a bit lol i wish they had more spaniards here…spain in this day is always seen as nothing or ignored…ppl forget that (MOST) latinos dnt even have any spanish blood and that spanish ppl r actually white bcuz they have too many latinos and not enough spaniards.
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
you made a good …
you made a good point!…and you canary islanders ive noticed ONLY refer to yourselves as canary islanders or islenos but not espanoles or spaniards/spanish/hispanic…
i went to a canary islander festival in st bernard parish only like late march this year it wasnt wat i expected but i rlly didnt know what to expect anywayz lol…and the culture seems rlly cool! i wanan go next year even tho im not a canary islander! lol
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
123
123
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
I am a …
I am a Cuban-American, and I live in Tampa. It’s funny, but when people tell me that they get mad when they hear Spanish spoken because they believe in English should be the only language spoken. I tell them that Spanish has been spoken in these lands long before English ever was. It is very refreshing to see this video! Cubans and Canarios and identical in so many ways! LOL Que vive la cultura Española, Cubana y Frances aqui en Estados Unidos.
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
the canary islands.
the canary islands.
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
i myself am born in …
i myself am born in new orleans and am 1/2 spanish, 1/2 acadian.of course i can’t openly say that since most inhabitants of the u.s. are brainwashed to believe spaniards are mexicans. if i mention it, it suddenly becomes a huge dominating issue somehow. folks should see more educational videos like this.
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
beautiful, …
beautiful, important, and sad. I’m a New Orleanian working in St. Bernard on an art installation/garden and I am honored to be there. Thanks for posting this – wonderful work.
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
canarias,las islas …
canarias,las islas mas bonitas del mundo
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
La sangre Canaria, …
La sangre Canaria, la Sangre Guanche! Los gringos de Estados Unidos no tienen!!! Soy Canario-Americano!
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
OMG, thank you so …
OMG, thank you so much for posting this. My maternal great-grandmother’s family were true Creoles (Arcadia and St. landry Parish) – French and Spanish. The Spanish were from the Seville and the Canary Islands (Rasco family and others).
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
I think that we did …
I think that we did an amazing achievement to have kept the Spanish alive for 236 years in Louisiana. We came here before this was United States, when Louisiana was owned by Spain. I think that is an amazing thing. Some of us speak with a Canary accent and some of us speak with an American accent. Depends.
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
After 200 years in …
After 200 years in this country, your great great grandchildren probably won’t even speak spanish anymore. I think that its quite an achievement that we kept the Spanish language alive for over 200 years. Besides some of us speak with acento Canario and some speak with acento Americano. Hablo espanol con el acento Canario. Soy de Louisiana y soy descendiente Canario de San Bernardo tambien. You said ya dad is from Cuba, ok you don’t think the first born Canario in Louisiana didn’t speak well?
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
I had Canary Island …
I had Canary Island and Acadian ancestors my ancestors also intermarried with other Europeans as well as the Mississipian natives (five civilised tribes who are consistently overlooked in many peoples history) my ancestors took on many cultural customs of the natives especially the food..corn, squash, beans..chili peppers even tomatoes and potatos come from the Americas..i always knew the south had a Spanish history but wondered why it to was always ignored.
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
thank you for …
thank you for producing this and the other videos about the Canarios. My family in Puerto Rico is Canarian and very proud of it.
Sadly, many have come to the States and are clueless about their European history and have been brainwashed into thinking that Puerto Rican history began in the Bronx. Your video speaks to the truth of the Canarios and for that I thank you immensely. I hope these words reach you. It would be an honor to commuicate directly with you. Please feel free to do so.
October 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
Gracias
Gracias