Spanish immigration to Cuba: regions, waves and records
Spanish presence in Cuba began in 1492, and immigration from Spain shaped Cubans' European heritage. For descendants researching their ancestors, two details are key: the region of Spain an immigrant came from and the wave of immigration during which they arrived. Cubans' European heritage comes primarily from Spaniards. This overview provides context before you begin working with records.
The Beginnings: From Baracoa to Havana
Spanish presence in Cuba began in 1492. In 1511, Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar founded the first Spanish settlement at Baracoa, and in 1514 the settlement that grew into Havana was established. Successive waves of immigrants then arrived from the Iberian Peninsula and the Canary Islands.
Cubans' European heritage comes primarily from Spaniards, including Canary Islanders, Asturians, Catalans, Galicians, Andalusians and Castilians. Spanish immigration to Cuba consisted of distinct regional movements, each with its own history and traces in the records. For family researchers, identifying Spanish roots is only the beginning.
Why Did Spanish People Immigrate to Cuba? Canarians and Galicians
Canary Islanders were a major group. From 1585 to 1655, they accounted for an estimated 25.6 percent of immigrants to Havana. Mass emigration from the Canary Islands began in the 17th century, especially during the period of the so-called blood tax (1678 to 1764). In the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, Cuba was the main destination for people leaving the Canary Islands. Most came from Tenerife, Gran Canaria and La Palma and worked in agriculture. Their influence can still be heard today: Cuban Spanish most closely resembles the Spanish of the Canary Islands, a connection tied to mass migration in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Galicians were another major group. From 1821 to 1877, they sailed from Vigo to Havana, fleeing famine and political pressure. The reasons people left Spain for Cuba varied by region and period. In 1900, the three largest groups, Galicians, Asturians and Canarians, together made up 68 percent of Spanish immigrants in Cuba. These regions offer a starting point if you do not yet know your ancestor's place of origin.
The Largest Wave of the 20th Century
The largest wave of immigration occurred in the early 20th century. From 1902 to 1931, 780,400 people came to Cuba from Spain, accounting for 60.8 percent of all immigrants. From 1916 to 1920, Cuba was the leading destination for Spanish emigrants to Latin America, receiving about 60 percent. From 1900 to 1930, it ranked second, after Argentina. This wave provides context for researching ancestors who arrived during this period.
Not every immigrant stayed on the island permanently. Many Galicians and other arrivals from the Iberian Peninsula moved on to Mexico and the United States during the 1920s to the 1940s. Keep these departures in mind if an ancestor's trail ends in Cuba. A lack of further records does not necessarily mean the family stayed on the island.
Cuba Immigration Records and Spanish Citizenship
Cuban records often give an immigrant's birthplace in Spain, pointing to a specific parish. Immigration records and other Cuban documents are therefore a useful starting point for research across the Atlantic. Record the birthplace listed in each document you find and compare the entries. The document you need may not have survived, so check several sources.
This immigration history is also reflected in law. The Historical Memory Law (Law 52/2007) allowed descendants of some emigrants to obtain Spanish citizenship. In 2009, about 17,000 Cubans received citizenship on that basis. These ties between Cuba and Spain extend beyond the history of settlement and immigration.
Knowing your ancestor's region of origin and immigration wave can help you find the right parish. Continue reading on our site to learn how to search Spanish records.