Spain has been united to Cuba for over 400 years in the fields of culture, language, civilization, religion and costumes. Today most of the white population in Cuba is made up by Spaniards’ descendants.

MIGRATION STAGES FIRST STAGE: (1882-1930). This is the time when a massive Spanish migration was heading toward Ibero-America due to problems of different kinds: economic, demographic and so forth. Four of every 10 Spaniards settled in Havana and a similar proportion was established in the sugar provinces of Oriente, Camagüey and Las Villas. SECOND STAGE: (1931-1945). From the economic emigration to political exile. Certain reluctance to the Spanish emigration is seen, the alleged reason behind this was labor problems, but in fact the fear was that these émigrés were dangerous from the political standpoint and could alter their social peace. THIRD STAGE: (1946 -1958). Return to economic emigration. Again another migratory flow took place, thanks to the economic expansion experimented in this area, thus coinciding with the fast development of industrialization. In 1960 the poor rate of emigration resulted in a stagnation in the figures of Spanish residents that same year versus 1950.

VOYAGE EXPERIENCES Voyages heading to Cuba by Spanish emigrants, started in a locality, town or in the capital of Spain. If travelers departed from one of the main Spanish ports, the voyage was less complicated, but if that was not the case then the traveler had to embark on the coast to the appointed port by the corresponding emigration agency. The train became then an important means of transportation until the expected moment of getting aboard arrived. To this was added the complex documentation arrangements, emigrants had to submit before the port civil government to get the authorization to be aboard. The moments of departure and farewell were emotional and sad, many of them won’t see their relatives again, nor their home town, nor their lands. It was a non-return point. However, in many cases, some emigrants couldn’t stand the tension of those moments and not a few changed their minds and decided to stay and return to their villages. Once on board, men, women and children had to endure a trip of not less than 20 days. The journey on these migratory ships was full of hardships, despite the inspections by the Spanish Marine and Immigration authorities. In the 20th century, the conditions of the trips have considerably improved. Laws were more demanding with the shipping companies. Sanitary inspections were carried out repeatedly, the space per passenger was larger, each cabin had more ventilation, a heating system was set up as well as infirmary, baths, medical service, drinking water, enough amount of quality foods and a proper nutrition was being given. The Spanish presence has experimented a significant fall. The census conducted in Cuba in 1970 barely showed changes in terms of the figure compared to 1954. Fifty percent of the foreigners are Spaniards as well as one of every 100 inhabitants of the country. The Spanish population has tended to be concentrated on a single place, in this case, the capital, Havana, is its favorite site to settle.

ANDALUSIANS IN CUBA All the historic regions of Spain did not equally influence on the formation of the present Cuban culture, but there is one in particular, that has influenced the most in the largest island of the Antilles: Andalusia. The first settlers should be registered through the Seville’s Casa de Contratación, work instruments were of Andalusian origin and the food habits, very different from that of the Cuban aboriginal population. In this and in many other aspects, Cuba has also been the indirect recipient of the Al-Andalusian Route, as a part of the human socio-cultural transfer through the Atlantic. In this regard, the Giralda of Seville has its counterpart in one of the main symbols of Havana—La Giraldilla—, whose copy raises today on the roof of the tower of the Castillo de la Real de la Fuerza (Royal Force Castle). Gerónimo Martín Pinzón was his sculptor who designed this piece from its antecedent in Spain. In the 19th century there were prominent Andalusians in Cuba as Antonio Enrique Zafra, native of Seville and Jacobo de la Pezuela orFrancisco Iturrondo from Cádiz.

NATIVES FROM CANARY ISLANDS IN CUBA The emigration from Canary Island was large and sustained, to such an extent that can be regarded as one of the main cultural and ethnographic roots. Today it is not strange to find a Cuban with relatives in the Canary Islands and it’s very common to find guanche surnames. The conditions of the natives from Canary Island were very different from that of the most common Spanish èmigrè. After the "pacification" of the islands, and to prevent possible riots, the Catholic monarchs ordered the transfer of some native groups from the Canary Islands to the new colonies of America. Instead of arriving as settlers or soldiers, the "isleños" (islanders) as they are known in Cuba, came as cheap labor for the sugar-cane plantations. The settlers in Cuba who came from the Canary Islands carried with them their natural devotions. Thus, the cult professed to the Virgin of Candelaria, which emerged in Tenerife in the 14th century, inspired the construction of a hermitage in Guanabacoa, Cuba. The islanders themselves turned it into the beautiful Santo Domingo Church in the 18th century. The Canary influence on the Cuban culture can be easily noted. The characteristic pronunciation of Spanish in Cuba and the preference for the poetic forms as the décima campesina. Improvisation, punto guajiro or "repentismo" (ways of singing as if speaking, using rhymed dialogues), they are a must in the peasant’s parties known as guateques or in the famous street parties as parrandas or charangas. Whole families and successive generations could emigrate to Cuba. For them the sea, far from being an element of separation, has united them. Familiar or social interests moved them to participate in this adventure. Among the illustrious natives from the Canary Islands were Leonor Pérez—José Martí’s mother, the Apostle of Cuba—the Cuban Association of the Canary Islands has been named after her.

GALICIANS IN CUBA Disregarding Christopher Columbus, it has been said that the true discoverer of Cuba was the Galician Sebastián de Ocampo who in 1509 explored the island. Toward half of the 19th century, the Galician presence was rather massive in Cuba and though many came back raising new ideas, others stayed forming families mixed between a Spanish man and a native woman. Galicians settled in Cuba and created a socio-cultural infrastructure, being the Galician Center of Havana, the greatest symbol, set up on November 23, 1879, to provide its members with sanitary assistance, contribute to the prosperity and promotion of the culture of their country of origin and thus fomenting the union between the Galician sons and their descendants, in addition to granting aid to the Galician immigrants. Before December 31, 1871, the Galician émigrés founded in Cuba the Welfare Society of Galician Natives which were the nucleus for the further Galician Center. On October 24, 1886, in the facility of the Association of Commerce Workers of Havana and under the presidency of Manuel Curros Enríquez, a group of members founded the Association, Aires d’a Miña Terra, aimed at "providing health care to the woman and the child." An important national and international work was the building of the new Social Palace, opposite the Central Park of Havana, that included a theater at present known as Great Theater of Havana. Later a group of youngsters founded in 1920, the Galician Artistic Group. There were many and outstanding Galician personalities in Cuba, but worthy of mentioning in the 19th century are Ramón de la Sagra (1798-1871), director of the First Botanical Garden and the author of the work on Economic and Political History and Statistics of the Isle of Cuba.

ASTURIANS IN CUBA Though they populated the entire island, their main settlements are seen today in the urban area of the central and western region. Cienfuegos, Cárdenas, Santa Clara, Pinar del Río, Colón and especially Havana were the cities where they influenced the most. On September 8, 1877, they founded the Asturian Welfare Society to pay homage to its saint patron, the Virgin of Covadonga. After founding other associations, finally they set up on May 2, 1886, what was later the pride of the whole community: Havana’s Asturian Welfare Center. In 1897 the Asturians founded the Casa de Salud Covadonga first with three humble pavilions which in the 1920’s will become in a true hospital city with over thirty medical facilities. The contributions of the Asturian immigration in Cuba are very valuable on the cultural field. A large number of journalists collaborated with publications dealing with general topics as the daily La Marina, owned by the Asturian Nicolás Rivero. Poet and novelist Alfonso Carmín described with sagacity the life of the émigré in Cuba in his novel Entre Palmeras (surrounded by Palm Trees). But what mostly contributes to give rise to syncretism among cultures was the parties (romerías) being held at the gardens of the brewing factories and at the outdoor facilities of that time.

CATALONIANS IN CUBA In Cuba some authors made reference to Miguel Ballester, known as one of the oldest Catalonian immigrants who introduced and set up the first sugar mill in the island. But the largest significance of the Catalonian settlement began with the Royal Decrees (from 1765 to 1778) which used to establish the free flow of goods among the ports of Spain and those of the colonies. The most benefited traders were the Catalonians, especially those dedicated to the sugar trade. Outstanding names as José Baró Blanxart, Juan Güell and Ferrer, Antonio López y López, the owner of the famous company of "Marquis of Comillas" and Narciso Gellats Durall, co-founder of Gellats Bank of Havana. Juan Pedro Baró, junior, the grandson of that industrial entrepreneur, turned his mother’s heritage into the most competent sugar mill of Cuba in 1912, "Conchita". The payroll listed 2,800 employees. Another entrepreneur, Francisco Marty Torrens, amassed a large amount of money with the slave trade and this "black gold" reported to him enough capital, after enduring certain adversities, to found the important Tacón Theater in 1838. This was the origin of García Lorca Theater, the present headquarters of the National Ballet of Cuba. Juan Conill Puig founded the first cigar warehouse in this field ever seen in Old Havana, and dedicated to the exportation of this product. Jaime Partagás Rabell was the founder of the firm "Partagás," "Real Fábrica de Tabacos Partagás" (Partagás Royal Factory) in 1845. Since 1827 he had a cigar factory in Havana. He was shot by treachery and died. This occurred due to rivalries in the cigar trade. It is almost obvious to state that the economic power of Catalonian traders, industrial entrepreneurs and banks in the second half of the 19th century reached a privileged position in the colonial society in the western department which comprised Havana, Pinar del Río and Matanzas, despite the fact that the regional composition of the immigration toward these areas were Catalonians and accounted to 10.23%. The large fortunes amassed in Cuba allowed the creation of a Catalonian aristocracy with Spanish nobility titles as Marqués de Comillas (Antonio López y López), Count of Güell (Juan Güell Ferrer), Marquis of Santa Rita (José Baró Blanxart).

ARAGONESES IN CUBA The Aragonese Society was founded in Havana in 1923, in the facility of the Association of Havana’s Commercial Clerks. The aim was to join and develop welfare works for the natives of the region and their descendents, residing in Cuba and also to keep their culture alive, the best Spanish traditions and the close links existing between the two countries. The Aragonese Society has a Social Pantheon that was built in 1937 in the historic Havana’s Colón Cemetery. There is a great interest in the cultural aspects and traditions of these Spanish groups in the Society. Since its foundation, the Society has established links with the daily Heraldo de Aragón and other press media of the Spanish region and its provinces. One of the most important activities for the Aragonese community is the homage paid to the Virgin of Pilar, Saint Patron of Aragon, every October 12 with a mass held at Iglesia de la Merced (Church of Mercy) located in the colonial area of Havana.

INSTITUTIONS FOUNDED BY SPAIN IN CUBA Colegio de Belén (Bethlehem School), built by Bishop Compostela at the end of the 17th century, established the first school free of charge of Havana. It was entrusted to the members of Belenites, a religious order that established education free of charge and daily distributed food for the poor, plus accommodation and care for the humble people who were convalescing from an illness. Real y Pontificia Universidad de San Jerónimo de La Habana (Royal and Pontifical University of San Jerónimo de La Habana), established by the San Juan de Letrán Convent. Havana’s Real Sociedad Patriótica (Royal Patriotic Society), later named Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País, contributed to the promotion of public instruction of daily publications, means of communications and the popular industry of Cuba and the one that promoted the most the agriculture advancements, trade and the popular industry of Cuba. It is located at present in a building of Carlos III Drive.