Since that fateful day when Christopher Columbus, sponsored by the Spanish monarchs Isabel and Ferdinand, stepped onto what he mistakenly took for the East Indies, Spain has had a deeply inextricable and complicated relationship with America.
At 2:00 in the morning on the 12th October 1492 after five weeks of sailing across the Atlantic, a Spanish sailor on the caravel ship La Pinta spotted land. This land was promptly named San Salvador (Holy Saviour) by Columbus. The inhabitants called it Guanahani.
The indigenous populations of Latin America who were about to have their whole world turned upside down, were referred to as “indios” due to the Spaniards’ major geographical miscalculation. Today, most of their descendants speak Spanish, are predominantly Catholic, and can trace their ancestry to 16th or 17th century Spain.
Emigration from the Old World to the New began almost at once. Between the colonial period of 1492-1832, an estimated 1.86 million Spaniards settled in the Americas, with a further 3.5 million in the years between 1850-1950. While the indigenous population plummeted across the continent, European culture, language, and religion flourished.
The tradition of colonialism is a nasty messy affair, but for many Latin Americans who celebrate their cultural heritage today do so with a deep connection to their Spanish roots. The colourful tapestry of Latin American identity is a fusion of European and indigenous cultures and where better to commemorate this than in Asturias – land of the ‘indianos’.
There is a bronze sculpture in Gijon, on the Asturian coast called The Emigrant's Mother by Ramón Muriedas Mazorra that pays homage to Asturian emigration. The woman is windswept as she looks out at the Cantabrian Sea, arm extended, waving goodbye to her family as the ship that carries them away disappears over the horizon.
In Cangas de Onis there is another statue, this time of a young man with a suitcase in hand. His whole world is packed in that small suitcase and his head full of dreams of making it big in an exciting new land. Thousands like him headed off for economic reasons and a sense of adventure. Many left to work in the zinc and coal mines of West Virginia and Pennsylvania or in the tobacco fields of Tampa, Florida.
The indianos were those who did make their fortunes and returned to their homeland every summer, building large houses to show off their new wealth. They brought back their ostentatious cars to drive in streets that had rarely even seen an automobile. These cars were known as “haigas” from the old Spanish “haya”, supposedly from when they bought “el coche mas grande que haya (haiga)” – (the biggest car there is.)
Some of these returned emigrants built houses, schools, streets and squares in their villages and towns and many of the indianos houses can still be seen today, especially in Colombres, Ribadedeva. There are 68 of these majestic mansions, reminiscent of the style typically found in Havana or parts of Mexico, several of which you can visit.
You can also visit the The Indianos Archive-Museum of Emigration, a museum housed in one of the stunning indianos mansions, dedicated to Asturian emigration and full of stories about those who left, made their fortune and returned. Or simply wander the town – the city is an open-air museum of American architecture.
The city of Oviedo, capital of the autonomous region of Asturias in the north of Spain pays tribute every year to the countless journeys made across the pond and the numerous emigrants who left their homes and families in search of work, a new life, and expected riches.
America Day is celebrated on the 19th September as part of the city’s San Mateo festival as a reminder of Asturias’ unique relationship with the Americas. Every year since 1950 Oviedo has come alive with large folkloric parades of music, dance and colourful costumes with thousands of representatives from Latin American cities and nations.
Declared a ‘Festival of National Tourist Interest’, America Day is a massive parade of dancers, musicians and Americans who have come back to reconnect with their heritage. There are floats decorated in flags and people dressed in traditional clothing. There are Mexican Mariachis in sombreros, Brazilian samba dancers in feathers, Cuban mambo dancers and brass bands, Peruvians in colourful designs, Asturians playing bagpipes in folkloric costume, “haiga” cars with elegantly dressed passengers, and so much more.
The parade kicks off at 17:00 so be sure to grab a seat along the main street early enough to enjoy the performances. The sheer energy and enthusiasm are a wonderful tribute to both the Asturians who emigrated and the immigrants who came to make Asturias and other parts of Spain their home. The festival is a reminder of the rich contributions made through immigration that continue to make cultures diverse and interesting.