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*Note: Joe Eiguren has been interviewed several times since 1990. The following indexes summarize 5 interviews. Each index is separate. For a complete, detailed account of Mr. Eiguren's life, see his autobiography, Kashpar (copyright 1988 by Joseph Eiguren, printed by The Caxton Printers, Ltd., Caldwell, Idaho.) Contact the Basque Museum and Cultural Center's gift shop for copies.
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Basque Oral History Project Index Interview Tape Index
NAME: Joe
Eiguren TAPE MINUTE SUMMARY OF CONTENTS Tape 1, Side 1
0-7:00 Joe talks about a discussion he had with a fellow sheepherder (when he had just arrived) about when they might return to the Basque Country; the man told Joe he would be herding sheep the rest of his life—a future Joe wasn’t willing to accept. While he was shepherding, Joe often carved into tree trunks (he had a girlfriend named Carmen at the time, and carved C and J, surrounded by a heart, into several trees). Joe didn’t nap much because he had trouble sleeping, but he was always working at something. He was always reading something, and recalls purchasing Hoe to Learn English in 20 Lessons; sheepherders had to ask the ranchers to order their supplies for them. He often read American magazines even if he didn’t understand them. After Joe came back from the war, he was 100% disabled for 18 months—he had lost 40% of his right lung—so he couldn’t shepherd any more, but rather went to work for Consolidated Freightways. He didn’t have the strength to do this for more than a month, and so got a temporary job recruiting and working with the braceros (Mexican contract laborers), which he did for 3 years, until the farmers fired everyone but him. Joe managed the camp for 23 years, and spent much of that time in Homedale. 7-15:00 Joe married Aurora during the war, in December of 1942, in an army camp in Redwood City, California; his son Al was 11 months old when he returned from the war. His family moved around with him as he transitioned from job to job. When he 1st arrived in the US, Joe stayed with the (Navarro) family before moving to Jordan Valley to the sheep camps. He sent the 1st $50 dollars he earned to his mother. When he was in Boise, Joe stayed at the Delamar boarding house (run by the Arreguis). He says boarding houses were nice places to talk with people in your one’s own language, even if it was easy to spend more money than one had while in town. Rooms were about $1 a day, and the proprietors often opened credit lines for their boarders, knowing they’d be paid back. Joe remembers hanging out with young sheepherders in the off seasons, many of whom spent all their money gambling, drinking, and dating women. 15-23:00 Joe recalls the 1st Sheepherders Ball he went to: it was very well organized, men were required to wear jeans and women had to have aprons. He had a lot of fun that night; there were 4 bartenders (1 in each corner) with full bars even though it was illegal to serve alcohol. Joe used to write to his mother all the time, and sent money whenever he had it. Franco took 20% of everything, however, and so at one point, when Joe sent $250 to her, she wrote back and told him he didn’t need to send any more. He even supported 2 aunts for a while. Joe liked America from the very beginning; it was a land of beauty and opportunity, even if some people didn’t like the Basques. He liked especially that he could come home early enough in the evening to spend time with his family. On a recent trip back to Euskadi, Joe observed that many things have not changed since he first left, and that some political and cultural conventions should change. He wants kids in the Basque country to have the same opportunities as the ones here.
23-30:00 The most helpful person to Joe when he arrived in America was Mateo Arregui, the proprietor of the boarding house. Joe returned to the Basque country for the first time in 1973 (39 years after leaving). His 1st wife Aurora passed away from cancer 19 years ago, and they had tried to visit, but she got sick, and they cancelled the trip. Joe was surprised at all the changes he found in his hometown of Lekeitio, notably the women who smoked, went to bars, and wore pants. He says these habits can be attributed to American influences. In Homedale, Joe worked for the Department of Employment as a liaison with the Hispanic migrant workers; he retired in 1977. The 1st piece of property Joe ever bought was in Boise, where he only lived for 6 months. He then bought a house in Homedale, where he has been ever since. Joe was always able to get good credit, which was important to a man who only had $400 to his name after the army. His wife also sold her Boise beauty salon to support the purchase of their new home. Joe was actually born in the US, but grew up in Lekeitio; he had to return to the US before he was 21 to avoid forfeiting his citizenship, so he came back when he was 19. Both of Joe’ sons, Al and Roy, grew up in Homedale, and didn’t have any problems with discrimination. The hardest thing for Joe to adjust to when he moved here was the language. Side 2 0-10:00 The most satisfying part of living in America, for Joe, is the lifestyle: for example, a man of his position was able to send his kids to school and watch them succeed. Many men lost their minds herding sheep, and Joe explains why being isolated and not living up to one’s capabilities can do this to a person. The longest Joe ever spent in a boarding house was 1 month, so he didn’t have the occasion to see too many crazy people, but before he cam to the US, he saw several guys who had been sheepherders and who had returned, talking to themselves and doing other crazy things. Many sheepherders also froze to death. Joe has always had a really active mind, and his isolation was hard for him. His sons used to tell him it was a shame that he had to herd sheep when he should have been in college, and join the army when he should have been in graduate school. 10-20:00 If Joe had gone to college, he thinks he would have been a history teacher. Most Basque immigrants of Joe’s generation were peasants, and few cared to broaden their intellectual horizons, choosing instead to make as much money as possible. Even today, many kids are the same way. The Basques have a good work ethic, but the Spanish oppression made most immigrants concerned with escaping poverty, and intellectual pursuits were squashed (Joe remembers finding 1 book during his childhood—a Spanish one—but his mother burned it when she found it). The only newspapers available when he was young were Spanish, and many Basques looked down on Joe when he tried to read them. By the time he arrived in America, most other Basque immigrants had the desire to learn sucked out of them, but Joe was thirsty for knowledge. He bought an encyclopedia, and remembers reading it until 1 or 2am. Urban immigrants tended to be more interested in education than those from the baserris. Joe remembers teachers coming to Homedale just to teach grown men and women how to sign their names.
20-30:00 The children of many immigrants have educated themselves and become successful, a lot of which is due to their parents’ desire for them to succeed in ways that they themselves could not. Families were close and loving, a good environment to raise decent, motivated kids. Basque children in America knew that their parents worked so hard for them, and so they wanted to meet their expectations. Joe began teaching Basque classes not because he had always wanted to be a teacher, but because he wanted to preserve the Basque culture. A group of Oinkaris asked him to teach them, and so he accepted. The method he developed was almost published by the Riverside Press by a man named Bill Douglass (now the director of the Basque program at the University of Nevada, Reno), whose friend Grant McCall had talked to Joe about the manuscript and thought it was very good. Tape 2, Side 1 0-15:00 Joe’s method was not published by the Riverside Press, even though Joe demanded no remuneration. Joe taught his Basque classes for 3 years, then 1 year at Boise State University, and has given many speeches to various organizations since then. He considers himself an American of Basque ancestry; he is proud of both associations. To be a Basque, Joe thinks that one must have some Basque ancestry. As a race, he thinks the best qualities of the Basques are honesty and integrity; they work hard, pay their debts, and keep their promises. (Anecdote: he knew a man in Homedale who loaned $20,000 to someone after he had found out he was a big risk, just because he had already given his word). Strong families are also a great feature of the Basques; children are cherished, and women are the masters of the households. To their detriment, Basques are very competitive, and jealousy among them often causes problems; this, however, is a common trait among minority groups. When they first immigrated, Basques were cliquish out of necessity, but they are not snobby people. 15-24:00 Joe is very proud to be a Basque, because of what his people have accomplished throughout their history. They have been invaded and beleaguered countless times, and yet have managed to preserve their language and culture for so long. They have traveled all over the world, and yet have never adopted a conquistador mindset. Joe thinks it’s sad that many Basques are only proud of their ancestry because they feel it makes them mysterious and special. Even after a century of oppression by the Spanish government, Euskadi now seems on the verge of coming back stronger than ever. He talks about the recent visit of the Basque president to Boise, and how happy he was to meet him. The president didn’t speak Basque until he entered politics (much like Sabino Arana), but learned afterwards and became a prolific speaker in the language. 25-30:00 Joe thinks that the cohesiveness of the Basque culture in Boise will dissipate within 2 or 3 generations, but in the Basque country, it will probably persevere indefinitely. Even though half the people in the Basque country are not Basque, Joe thinks the strength of the culture will endure. He speaks about the haven for Basque culture that Jordan Valley provided around the time Joe came to the US. Even though it was a small town, the majority of the population was Basque, and at its peak, there were as many as 5 boarding hotels. Joe doesn’t think that shepherding was too difficult, and that Basque immigrants fell into this vocation because of their ancestral inclination toward livestock and agriculture (not just in Idaho, but wherever they moved); after all, they are the oldest race in Europe, so it makes sense. Additionally, there was little industry in the American West at the time. Side 2 0-10:00 Joe thinks that most Basque people moved to South America, and then flooded to North America with the gold rushes. He describes a man named Pedro Altube, who came to Argentina and then to California, and made good money providing meat to mining camps. He and his brother moved to Nevada and started a livestock business there, being among the first to bring sheep to the area (from Ohio). Joe thinks that the majority of Basques in Nevada and California are French Basque or from Navarra, whereas Idaho Basques tend to be from Gipuzkoa or Bizkaia (2 of the 3 provinces that now hold autonomy), which makes them more active in upholding their ancestry, since they’ve chosen to fight for it for so long. He thinks that Basques in the West have contributed a lot to business and agriculture, but have not done much with art and literature, which he attributes to the fact that Basques are a relatively new people in America. He feels that the 3rd generation will see more authors, musicians, and poets. 10-19:00 Joe feels comfortable speaking in Basque, English, or Spanish. Basque is the hardest, because he never learned it formally in school, and doesn’t get the practice he’d like. He believes that the Basque culture of Boise as we know will die whenever the language does. At first, he was really opposed to Batua (unified Basque language) because he thought it would be schismatic among Euskadi Basques. Now however, he sees it as a good way to keep the ancient language alive for generations to come, although he wishes they would accept less foreign words as a part of their vocabulary. He talks about the etymology of the word “tree”. Of the first 16 words of the Gernika anthem, 7 come from Spanish. Joe would visit the Euskadi again (he’s been back 5 times), but would not choose to live there. 19-24:00 When Joe and Pete Cenarrusa visited the Basque country for the Idaho Governor’s Council, Joe was interviewed by a reporter in Spanish. When Pete came down and greeted Joe in Basque, they soon discovered that neither the reporter nor the interpreter spoke Basque. The reporter expressed his embarrassment. He talks about his Basque classes for the Oinkaris, in which he taught as much history as language. He drove to Homedale all the way to Boise, in all kinds of weather, to teach the classes.
NAMES AND PLACES NAMES:
Altube, Pedro: instrumental in bringing
sheep to Nevada
Bizkaia: a Basque province in Spain
Agriculture
Basque Oral History Project Index Interview Tape Index
NAME:
Eiguren, Joe TAPE MINUTE SUMMARY OF CONTENTS Side 1 0-6:30 Joe describes what Basque immigrants felt as war erupted in Spain; most had relatives caught up in the struggle, and many felt a desire to go and help, or at least to find out what was going on. He heard about the bombing of Gernika: he subscribed to the Spanish newspaper La Prensa (even though he got it very late, as a sheepherder), and he remembers being in a trance as he read under a tree about the bombing. The image of bleeding mothers digging in the rubble until their skin tore off, looking for loved ones. He wrote to the Basque government to ask what he could do to help; they assumed he was rich since he was in America, and asked him for money. Joe, even though he was told to keep his mouth shut, wrote a pamphlet about the atrocity—his first published work. Basques in America wanted to help, but were afraid their efforts would cause more problems for relatives in Euskadi.
6:30-14:00 If Joe could clear up one myth about the Basques, he
would say that the Basques aren’t as mysterious as everyone thinks—unique,
perhaps, but not mysterious. Modern anthropology is resolving the origins
of the Basques. His favorite memories of childhood in the Basque country
are limited because he began work at the age of 13 and worked so much, but
he does recall exploring the caves of Markina by candlelight with friends.
He remembers leaving his mother at the harbor when he went away; they both
knew they would never see each other again. NAMES AND PLACES NAMES: La Prensa:
Spanish language newspaper PLACES: Gernika,
Spain: bombed in 1937 Bombing of
Gernika by Hitler's air force
Basque Oral History Project Index Interview Tape Index
NAME: Joe
Eiguren TAPE MINUTE SUMMARY OF CONTENTS Tape 1, Side 1
0-3:00 Joe is always eager to talk about the Basque people and culture, but admits he’s nervous about his accent when addressing American audiences. In this interview, he’d like to talk about Basque history and their presence in America. Most people think that the Basques only arrived in the US at the turn of the century, a notion he’d like to correct. [Throughout the rest of the interview, Joe makes use of maps and charts in his possession] 3-11:00 Joe references linguistic and political maps of Euskadi, including a map that shows where Basque was spoken 2000 years ago, 1000 years ago, and today (the area has shrunk). The universally accepted theory for the origins of the Basques, according to Joe and Jesuit historian José Miguel Barandiaran, the Basques are direct descendants of a domesticated Cro-Magnon man, which went extinct 12000 years ago, and probably went to the Pyrenees. He also speaks about the influence of the Celts and Iberians, who mingled, became Celtiberians, and contributed to the gene pool of modern Spaniards. Science seems to have disproved the link between the Iberians and the Basques. Since most of names for sharp instruments in the Basque language begin with “aitz”, which means “stone”, it is accepted that Basques are descendents of the Cro-Magnon man. He points out migration trails of this early man on a map. 11-18:00 From the beginning of Basque civilization, each of the 6 provinces that today make up Euskal Herria were independent. As early as 2000 years ago, the Basques were democratic, composed of general assemblies represented by male or female heads of households (Navarre was eventually made a kingdom). The Basque country was free until recent centuries, when French and Spanish political turmoil spread. By the 1970s, there was little political or cultural freedom for the Basques. A young man named Sabino Arana founded the Basque Nationalist Party at the turn of the century in order to address this problem, but died when he was 38 in 1903, after years of persecution by the Spanish government. After his death, the BNP exploded in popularity. 18-30:00 Here in America, Basque seems to be synonymous with ‘sheepherder’; but in the Basque country, most men had never seen sheep. The main industry in Euskadi is fishing. Most men didn’t immigrate because they really wanted to leave their hometowns, but rather felt compelled to in order to make money for their families. Joe himself came to Idaho to work as a sheepherder for 6 years, but missed his hometown of Lekeitio. He talks about the cruelty of the Spanish Civil War. Joe mentions that there are 7 main Basque dialects, and as many as 53 smaller ones, none of which are related to any other language we know of. Joe lists some universities around the world (including Norway, Japan, and Germany) that teach Basque because of its uniqueness and its special interest. Spain, however, was doing as much as possible to exterminate the Basque culture and language. In the intervening years between Sabino Arana and the advent of the republic (in the early 1930s), anything remotely Basque was banned in Spain. Side 2 0-12:00 Joe discusses the oppression of the Basques in Spain, and how Sabino Arana deserves much credit for the survival of the culture. Jotas were allowed, but only because they are Arabic in origin. When the republic was formed in 1931, Basques were given semi-autonomy, but the government fell in 1936 because people mistook it as communist. Enter Francisco Franco, who oppressed the Basques after they resisted his rise to power. He talks about the power elite at the time (2 men initially more powerful than Franco died in a mysterious plane crash, piloted by a Basque man with grievances towards them). Today, Basques in Euskadi enjoy more political freedom than ever. 12-30:00 Joe discusses the Basque presence in America. Immigration reached a peak at the turn of the century, but Basques had been to America prior to Columbus. A Biscayan ship was marooned on the Atlantic island of Madeira in 1488, and the pilot, whose name was Landaluze which means nothing in Spanish, but “long meadow” in Basque (Basque surnames are tied to land and not to parents, physical characteristics, or profession) survived. The pilot of the Santa Maria was also Basque, and was probably the first white man to see the Mississippi River. Joe talks about the etymology of several Basque names. Juan Zumarraga, a Basque, was the first bishop of the Americas, and brought the first printing press there; he was from Durango, and is responsible for giving the Mexican state the same name. Juan Oñate is the founder of Santa Fe, the second oldest city in North America. The word Basque is the French and English spelling of 2 Basque words “baso” (wilderness or woods) and “ko” (from). Tape 2, Side 1 0-9:00 He talks about how Navarra (“town in the hollow”) is now called Nafarroa, but the letter ‘f’ hardly exists in Basque. He explains that the dialect differences in Euskadi stem from the physical isolation of each province from the others, and more recently, the limited public dialogue in Basque imposed by the Spanish government. 9-15:00 Joe says that the Spanish so butchered Basque surnames, that many of them changed more than the requisite spelling, opting instead to translate them into Spanish (Joe knows an Uribarri who changed his name to Villanueva). When they came to America, some Basque immigrants even translated their names into English (he knows a Kepa Echevarria who changed his name to Peter Newhouse—he speaks English worse than Joe!). Joe also knows a Monasterio whose Basque name was formerly Elizetxe. These days, many later generation Basques are changing their names back to the original spellings.
15-18:30 Joe jokes that the only
times he’s been to school in America was for PTA meetings; he left school in
Lekeitio at the age of 13. Nevertheless, he has taught many Basque
language classes in Idaho. Joe finishes his story about the pilot who
shipwrecked on Madeira; Christopher Columbus was on the island, and found
out from the documents in the pilot’s possession (after he died) that he had been to America. There are many
goodbyes exchanged between Joe and his audience. NAMES AND PLACES NAMES: Arana,
Sabino: founder of Basque Nationalist Party Boise, ID History Basque Oral History Project Interview Tape Index
NAME:
Eiguren, Joe TAPE MINUTE SUMMARY OF CONTENTS Tape 1, Side 1 0-10:00 Joe first started teaching Basque classes on September 10, 1963, on the 2nd floor of the Basque Center. He was asked by some of the original Oinkaris to teach them Basque; since they were representing Idaho at many fairs across the world, they wanted to be able to speak as much as they could learn to appear more authentic. Joe had no material to work with, but he didn’t want to disappoint the genuinely concerned kids, so he decided to do it. He was living in Homedale at the time, and asked the parish priest there, Father Brennan (who learned how to speak Spanish and Basque in order to better serve his multicultural congregation), for help. The priest loaned him a Basque grammar book written in Basque and Spanish. He had never seen such a book growing up, since the language was prohibited. From then on, it was tough for Joe to teach, since he had to do a lot of translating from the book. He came the 80 miles to Boise once a week, for free, to teach his 1st 57 students. He lists a few of them. In 1965, he wrote only the second Basque language manual in English (and the 1st in the 20th century). Practically all of his students continued, and they also became interested in Basque history. At the time, he subscribed to a Mexican magazine published by Basques in exile since the Spanish Civil War, and so knew a lot about history. His class then began publishing their own Basque history pamphlets. Joe became convinced that the Oinkaris would be responsible for the revival of the Basque language in Idaho. 10-19:00 All of the students in Joe’s class had grown up in English-speaking families (except for possibly Jimmy Jausoro). They came to Joe because everyone knew he loved to talk about the Basques and their history. The Oinkaris came to see him initially (a few months before they came back to ask him for classes) at the invitation of Father Brennan, who suggested to Joe that he should give a speech in the rectory. Joe praises Father Brennan’s intelligence and cultural appreciation; unfortunately the 2 men had a falling out before the priest died. (Anecdote: Father Brennan, before he learned Basque, once asked Joe to translate a funeral mass into Basque for him and record it onto a tape. The following day, he had memorized the sermon flawlessly, in time for the mass). 19-30:00 Joe’s Basque classes coincided with the academic calendar, and lasted for 2 years. He also taught on several other occasions, including at BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY. To his knowledge, he gave the first organized Basque classes in Idaho, and possibly in the US. He discusses his teaching method. He got many complaints from older Basque speakers who could speak but not read or write (spelling everything phonetically when they tried), and looked upon the formal Basque grammar with disdain. Joe thinks that one of the greatest problems with Basques is that they are incapable of admitting that they don’t know something. The classes ended when they did because it was too difficult for Joe to travel that far, and also because the students thought initially that they could master Basque with classes 1 day a week, and got bored when they found out how hard it was. The Basque Center was not very supportive of Joe’s efforts, either; they wanted to charge rent even though Joe offered his services for free. His students paid for that, and even set aside money to compensate Joe’s gas expenses. The Center also wanted to limit the classes to Basque children (like the Oinkaris; Joe asks: “do you have to be Scottish to learn to play the bagpipe?”). Joe thinks that some people are proud to be Basque because that means they get to be different; they lose sight of what’s really important, which is their history and culture. Side 2 0-9:00 Joe says that if people spend millions of dollars preserving endangered animals, they should do so with languages, too; it’s the most valuable relic of antiquity because it is still alive. Even though the Basques weren’t as numerous as the Spanish, they also brought their language to America. Language is the lifeblood of a culture, and he talks about its importance. 9-18:00 According to Joe, many people think that Basque is too difficult to learn (he compares this attitude to a boxer facing Muhammad Ali—they act like they’re already defeated). Joe describes the movement for Batua (the official unified Basque); he thinks that authorities allow too many Spanish derivatives into the official Basque dialect. He deplores the decline of the use of Basque among modern generations. He blames this on the Spanish suppression of the language, the inadequate education of the immigrants to the US, and on the desire for immigrants to fit in. 18-30:00 Joe describes his experience learning languages. He was born in the US, but moved back to Euskadi as a young child, where he learned Spanish in school. He spoke Basque at home throughout his life. Joe learned English when he moved back to the United States, perfecting it in the military. His first wife was a second generation Basque who spoke like a native, even though she couldn’t read or write Basque. He regrets speaking in English at home with his own children. Joe talks about the Basque tendency to indiscriminately adopt words from Spanish, French, and, in America, English. He describes how the Basque language and culture are inextricably linked. Joe sees a renewed interest in the Basque language among the Boise community, which he hopes will help preserve the culture. Nevertheless, it will be as necessary to organize Basque language classes as it is to continue with more spectacular elements like music and dancing. Joe is optimistic about the future of Basque. Tape 2, Side 1 0-8:00 Joe believes that difficulty with the Basque language may turn modern generations away from other aspects of the culture; they don’t realize that it really isn’t that hard to learn Euskera. Young people want things the easy way. He talks about the kids of today: they need recognition, but don’t get it, and learning Basque may be a way to give it to them. Joe praises Batua’s unifying effect, as long as it remains true to Basque roots. He laments the Spanish oppression, and how the country’s mockery of the culture made some people embarrassed about their heritage (he knows a Pete Echevarria in Homedale who legally changed his name to Newhouse). Some of this embarrassment translated into a weakened Basque culture in America. 8-22:00 Throughout his life, and especially during his army days, Joe didn’t quite know how to define himself, either as a Basque or an American. At times, he wanted to say both. (Anecdote: Joe once met Duke Ellington, the famous jazz musician, and remembers having to explain the difference between a Basque and a Spaniard). At a seminar, he finally settled on ‘American of Basque ancestry.’ He talks about the Oinkaris, and how he thinks they should display the American flag as well as the Basque one; after all, it was the US that let them display the Basque flag when Spain would not. Joe has traveled back to Euskadi, but feels most at home in Idaho. Joe thinks that some aspects of the cultural festivals are overdone. He speaks a bit about the history of Basque family crests and their self-pride, something that may have led to the tendency to focus more on “external demonstration than a feeling in your heart.” 22-30:00 Joe remembers his shepherding days (he did it for 6 years), and also his days in the US military, and yet still being able to send his kids to school, allowing them to make something of themselves. He says that it was America that allowed all this, and he is thankful (this doesn’t diminish his love of the Basque country, however). Joe says that the explanation behind all the pro-Basque paraphernalia you see today is two-fold: first is greed on the part of companies trying to make a profit, and second is ignorance on the part of modern Basque-Americans who don’t understand that what makes them unique can’t be put on a bumper sticker. Joe speaks about the change from an Idaho community that occasionally mocked the “dirty black Bascos” (probably due to jealousy from sheepherders “invading” their territory), to one that respected them. Side 2 0-2:00 Joe talks about his son Roy, and how his 2 grandchildren don’t speak Basque, but do speak Spanish. Joe’s daughter-in-law Miren is a native Spanish speaker.
NAMES AND PLACES
NAMES:
Ali, Muhammad: famous boxer
Basque Center (ID): housed Joe’s Basque
classes
Batua Basque Oral History Project Interview Tape Index
NAME: Joe
Eiguren TAPE MINUTE SUMMARY OF CONTENTS Side 1 0-10:00 Joe describes life in a town of the Basque country in the early 20th century. He picks Lekeitio as his example. There were 3 kinds of people: fishermen, baserritarrak , and the chapuceros. The language, attitudes, and likes/dislikes between the three groups varied greatly, and there was tension among them. The poor tended not to be very educated (“the Spaniards didn’t give a damn about us”), whereas the families who were able sent their kids to private schools. Joe describes the outfit of a typical Basque fisherman. Everybody, no matter what group or age, wore a black or blue txapela; there were 2 different kinds, 1 for everyday use, and another for Sundays. Fishermen wore wooden clogs on their boats, and canvas and rope shoes while on the shore. 10-20:00 Joe explains what a typical street looked like; they were always full of people. Women would stroll with their babies along the narrow cobblestone streets, and people visited with each other from their geranium-covered balconies. Street signs were in Spanish. Joe talks a bit about the Spanish monarchy’s recent history, especially the struggle between the Carlists and the Nationalists. He talks about the suppression of the Basque language after 1839, when the war was over. Joe remembers that if there were no officials around, people still spoke Basque; everyone knew whom they could trust. Unfortunately, since the language could only be spoken conversationally, Basque people couldn’t practice the language formally or mechanically. 20-24:00 Joe talks about meals. Breakfast was continental: bread and café con leche. Lunch was very large, and often had beans and heavy soups, as well as bread and tortillas. Desert was either fresh fruit or something like arroz con leche. Supper was usually a potato or egg dish, along with fish. Even for children, wine was served all the time. 24-27:00 Joe remembers that religion was an important part of life; most Basques were very devoutly Catholic. Priests were some of the most highly respected people, because they were more educated than the commoners and stayed among the Basque people through everything, even though many were executed throughout Spanish history. Joe’s family used to go to church every day, and he himself was an altar boy. Religion gave the Basques strength to face their problems and persecution. 27:30:00 Joe discusses social life in Euskadi when he was young. Even in very small towns without daily papers, everyone from kids to old people was very politically aware. He recalls being aware of the Basque oppression at an early age. Joe describes some of his and his friends’ strong nationalistic sentiments. He remembers many festivals; most of them saints’ days, although the traditional Basque fiestas were as suppressed as the language. Side 2 0-11:00 In Joe’s time and long before, public jota dancing and Basque songs were prohibited. He discusses the music that people did enjoy; there was a band shell in Lekeitio where musicians would play on Sunday evenings; it was always the same 6 songs, and people would waltz (as long as the priests were not present) and do other accepted dances. It wasn’t common to travel from town to town for dances. Even though wine was everywhere, Joe doesn’t remember seeing anybody drunk; women drank special wines only rarely. Joe’s mother, who had lost a husband, and her oldest son and daughter, always wore black. Women always wore dresses. (Anecdote: a French couple came to Lekeitio, and that was the first time anyone had seen a woman wearing pants. The whole town followed her and stared). 11-20:00 Joe recalls that people in even the smallest Basque towns were aware of people like Sabino Arana and the movement for the preservation of the Basque culture. He remembers clandestine meetings about Euskera, and police raids of the city hall, where they burned books. Joe thinks that the bulk of Basque immigrants to the US came from remote areas of Euskadi and left before the big push for cultural autonomy. This may partly explain why they did not concern themselves much with their history or politics once they began life in America. He remembers that those immigrants who left after 1931 were more passionate about the preservation of their language and culture. 20-26:00 Joe talks about emigration from the Basque country. Most people didn’t want to leave, but it was too hard to earn a living there. Joe remembers that he earned the equivalent of a nickel a day building boats as a young man. He says that contrary to what many think, feudalism did exist in the Basque country; Joe’s grandparents worked for a rich man called Adan de Yarza on some of his hundreds of farms, milking cows and working the land. Joe’s father was the heir to his father’s job, but didn’t want it, and so gave the position to his younger brother in order to go to America. Joe says that he liked it here because people could send their kids to school and pick the direction of their lives.
26-30:00 Joe says that people respected the US because the
government worked for the people, and not for their own pocketbooks. People
liked how corrupt government officials were held accountable for their
crimes (even though this is changing for the worse, now). Joe thinks that
religion (Basque priests in particular) had a lot to do with the survival
and integrity of the Basque culture. NAMES AND PLACES NAMES: Arana,
Sabino: founder of Basque Nationalist Party Lekeitio,
Spain: town where Joe grew up Dancing |
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Basque Museum & Cultural Center, Boise, Idaho USA All rights reserved. Webpage designed by Lisa Corcostegui, Center for Basque Studies, Reno, Nevada USA |
