A global linguistic mosaic
The metropolis of New York is recognized as the city with the greatest variety of languages in the world. In order to illustrate this linguistic wealth, the Endangered Languages Alliance has created a digital map that compiles data collected since 2010. This project focuses on providing visibility particularly to minority and indigenous languages that are mostly oral and lack public presence or official support.
Presence of Catalan in New York
In relation to the Catalan language, it is estimated that it is spoken by almost 10 million people around the world. In New York, this map highlights that there are approximately 3,000 people who speak Catalan. The interactive map explanation mentions that, like many Spanish emigrants at the end of the 19th century, Catalans initially settled in the West Village, Manhattan, accompanied by Asturians and Galicians. Many of these emigrants arrived directly from Catalonia or through Cuba, especially after Cuba became a US territory in 1898, following the Spanish-American War.
Foundation of the first Catalan club
A significant fact on the map prepared by the Alliance of Endangered Languages is the creation in 1920 of the first Catalan center in New York, with the founding of the Center Nacionalista Català. This entity, established by Joan Ventura Sureda together with other Catalan exiles, played a crucial role in promoting Catalan culture abroad. Furthermore, in the 1940s, a politically active casal emerged as a result of the Spanish Civil War, spreading anti-Franco sentiment across the Atlantic.
A small but dynamic community
Today, a member of the Catalan community in New York estimates that some 3,000 Catalans reside in the metropolitan area, primarily in Manhattan and Brooklyn, as well as in New Jersey suburbs such as Montclair and Maplewood. This member highlights that, although the community is small, it is very active and is connected through a calendar of annual celebrations, such as Sant Jordi in April and Sant Joan in June, with the Ramon Llull Institute as a point of convergence.
Geographical diversity on the linguistic map
In addition to identifying the presence of Catalan speakers, this tool also records more than 700 confirmed languages and dialects in more than 1,200 important locations, including neighborhoods, community institutions, and restaurants, among others. In terms of geographic diversity, approximately 38% of the languages represented come from Asia, 24% from Africa, 19% from Europe, 16% from the Americas, and the remainder from Oceania and the Pacific.