Library of Congress Cuban influence in New Orleans goes back more than 200 years. Spain ruled Louisiana from 1762 to 1800. They governed the vast territory from Havana, Cuba. The Spanish rebuilt the city in the 1790s after fires burned most of the wooden structures built by the French. They modeled their reconstructed city on Havana. This means the French Quarter looks more Cuban than French! Trade between New Orleans and Cuba was constant under Spanish rule. Many families had relatives and business in both cities. More Cuban influence arrived after the successful slave rebellion in French Saint-Domingue. Many Europeans and free people of color to seek refuge in Cuba. Others moved on to seek their fortunes in Louisiana. Each added a little more Cuban influence to the area. By the mid-1800s, New Orleans was a hotbed of political intrigues. Many local people had family and economic connections with Cuba. They were of the opinion that Cuba should be independent or annexed by the United States. Narciso López led two filibusters, or armed invasions intended to overthrow the government, to Cuba in the 1850s. Prominent New Orleanians were among his supporters. Neither invasion was successful, but López remains a national hero in Cuba. New Orleans was a staging ground for American forces sent to invade Cuba during the Spanish-American War in 1898. The war resulted in Cuban independence. It also fostered stronger cultural/economic ties between the United States and Cuba. Another revolution brought more Cubans to Louisiana. Fidel Castro led the overthrow of Cuba's government in 1959. He reformed the country's government and economics along communist lines. Many Cubans came to Louisiana, attracted by family ties and jobs in the area's sugar industry. A Cuban community still exists in New Orleans, though not in any specific neighborhood. Cuban celebrations, music, traditions, cuisine, and saint's days have integrated into New Orleans' culture. |
Last updated: May 8, 2025