The first Spanish speakers in Louisiana were the members of the De Soto expedition nearly five hundred years ago. Since that time, diverse Spanish-speaking communities have called Louisiana home.

Researchers have identified three distinct dialects of Spanish that arose in Louisiana during the colonial period and endured into the late twentieth century, preserving traditions like songs, foodways, and place names.

This project is named for the unique tradition of songs which the Isleños of St. Bernard Parish called décimas, and brings together audio and video materials from across these traditions to engage researchers, Spanish-language learners, and general audiences with Louisiana’s diverse Spanish-language heritage.