Delacroix island was once a thriving Isleño fishing community established by Spanish immigrants. Now the community is on the brink of disappearing. Only a small number of the original inhabitants remain after hurricane Betsy and Katrina completely devastated and reshaped the community. Born and raised in Delacroix, Thomas Gonzales is one of the island's last remaining residents. This thin strip of land surrounded by marshland and estuaries that flow into the gulf is his home. Three different houses were built on the same foundation, two of which were leveled by hurricanes and then rebuilt. Thomas’s identity is woven in the island and he isn't going anywhere.
Delacroix island was once a thriving Isleño fishing community established by Spanish immigrants. Now the community is on the brink of disappearing. Only a small number of the original inhabitants remain after hurricane Betsy and Katrina completely devastated and reshaped the community. Born and raised in Delacroix, Thomas Gonzales is one of the island's last remaining residents. This thin strip of land surrounded by marshland and estuaries that flow into the gulf is his home. Three different houses were built on the same foundation, two of which were leveled by hurricanes and then rebuilt. Thomas’s identity is woven in the island and he isn't going anywhere.
Keely Kernan
,
