ike most Spanish immigrants in the late 19th century, Catalans originally flocked to the West Village, alongside Asturians and Galicians. Most immigrated either directly from Catalonia or via Cuba, particularly after the latter became a U.S. territory in 1898 folloing the Spanish-American War. In 1920 NYC saw its first casal — a Catalonian government-funded society created to promote Catalan culture abroad. In the 1940s, a politically active casal grew from the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, transporting and promoting anti-Franco sentiment across the Atlantic. Today, one member of the Catalan community estimates that roughly 3,000 Catalans inhabit the metropolitan New York area, primarily in Manhattan and Brooklyn as well as New Jersey suburbs like Montclair and Maplewood. The group is small but active, connected by a calendar of annual celebrations such as the Festival of Sant Jordi in April and Sant Joan in June and with the Institut Ramon Llull as one focal point.