Basque identity

By A Basque in Boise April 8, 2008 Basque Community, Chico, Idaho 8 Comments

When EITB decided to open this blog for me, they did tell me that I could write as often or as infrequently as I wanted, but I am sure they didn’t mean for me to take like a three month break after my first two posts. To tell you the truth, I am just lazy. I do have things to say, but I have so little practice with writing them down that it really takes a lot of effort for me to sit down and just do it. But I guess today is different.

There is something I have struggled with for a long time, and more so since I moved to Boise. As you might know there is a huge Basque community here. I am from Bilbao, born and raised there, but my parents are not from the Basque Country. I am able to carry on a conversation in Basque, but my understanding skills are far better than my ability to speak the language. Many times over the years I have felt the need to explain to people why I don’t speak very good Basque even though I come from the Basque Country. It is partly my fault for not making more of an effort to learn it while I had the chance, and partly because I happened to live in an area of the Basque Country were people predominantly spoke Spanish. Since my kids started going to Ikastola in Boise I have had the opportunity to talk more in Basque with the teachers, the parents, and with my own kids, and I love it.

About four weeks ago, I submitted the application to become a member of Euzkaldunak, and just today I got an email from the secretary telling me that before she could go forward with the application she needed to verify my ethnicity. I was so nervous all day long thinking that they would deny me the chance to be a member because my parents are not Basque, and that even though I am, I feel, and do not know anything other than being Basque, they would deny my membership. It’s funny how I have often felt that people who were born here in the US, people who have never even been to the Basque Country have the right to feel “more” Basque than I do because their great-grandfather happened to be from Gernika, Azkoitia, or Lekeitio. I don’t know why I feel the need for other people to validate me as being Basque.

In the end, I stressed out for nothing. I came home to a second email from the Euzkaldunak secretary telling me that my membership would be processed by the end of the week, so I will be able to attend the monthly dinners from now on, my husband and kids in tow. I guess it all comes down to making sure that my kids are integrated from an early age into the Basque community, that they develop a pride in being Basque, that they form long-lasting connections with other Boise Basques. And how could have they done it if their own Basque mom was not able to get them in?

Thanks for passing by: ↓

Steven Roosevelt

8 thoughts on “Basque identity”

Pedro Mari April 8, 2008 at 14:21

Zorionak ¡¡¡ es una forma de empezar ¡¡( is a one form to begin ¡¡)
Beti aurrera
Agur
Igor April 8, 2008 at 14:29

Well, if Regis Philbin is Basque, really Basque, (http://www.eitb24.com/new/en/B24_86654/life/TXAPELA-BURUAN-ETA-IBILI-MUNDUAN-Basque-beret-hits-ABCs/), I would say no doubt your son Andoni is Basque…

And about Maitane, of course, she is so Basque stubborn….. I can still remember the cat-outside-video incident….
Lontzo April 8, 2008 at 23:42

Hi Henar !! I’ll say you again: Don’t worry about the frequency of your posts.

We love and apreciate all of them ;-))
Jabier Santamaria April 11, 2008 at 0:23

Epa Henar !!!

Benetan gustura irakurri dut zure post-a. Ni askotan horren inguruan luze eta sakon pentsatu dut, batzuetan bakar bakarrik, beste batzuetan lagun urkoekin.

Zer esangotsut ba? Antzeko egoera batekoa naizela ni. Ni ere zure modura, herri berdinekoak gara, biok ikastola baten abentura sartu gintuzten, etnikoki ez dut uste nire ‘euskalduntasuna’ %33 helduko denik, gure hizkuntza ere kostata baina azkenean erabat kontrolatuta,…

Argi daukat komunitate baten sentimendua ez dela lotzen soilik osagai etniko batekin, haruntzago den sentimendu eta errealidadea da. Han daukazu, AEBn, adibide argiena. Zein da AEBn hiritarren etnia? Hango indio gixajoenak? (barkatu gixajo esateagatik) Estatubatuetar izatearen sentimendua existitzen da? Bai, existitu eta askotan pasatu ere, ezta? ;-D

Nik ere gure herrian noizbait halako etinicista jarrera igerri eta ikusi dut. Batzuk, gero eta gutxiago, erraz ateratzen dute euren zortzi abizen euskaldunak… hori bai, dena en un perfecto castellano esanda. Bejondeiela zortzi, hamasei eta hogeitahamabi abizen horiek.

Euskalduntasuna beste oinarri batzuk ditu, ez dut ukatu etnikoa edo antropologikoa bat denik, baina XXI. mende honetan eskerrak beste gauza batzuk kontuan hartzen direla ere eta etnia bigarren maila batean geratzen dela.

Bat, duda barik, eta agian indartsuena, gure hizkuntza. Libre delako, erabat, bere mundu zabalean sartzeko edo irtetzeko. Estigmabakoa. Hor bai duzula erronka polita, eta zuk gutxi gora behera ezagututa, ziur erabat lortuko duzula erronka hori. Eutsi bideari! Landu Andonirekin eta Maitanerekin euskara. Meritua zurea, gaur egun nire inguruan hainabt lagun dauzkat, batzuk zortzi abize esukaldunekoak, erderara jotzen dutela euren seme-alebekin. Triste, oso triste niretzat hori ikustea, agian berriro beste belaunaldi bat galduko dela euskara trasnmititzeko.

Beno hor daukazu pista bat, euskal hiritartasuna, modernoak izan gaitezke, sentitzeko, erakusteko eta ondorazteko, gure hizkuntza. Beste bat gure kultura eta ohiturak izan daitezke… eta nork esango du XIX. mendeko edo XXI. mendeko harrizulatzaile bat euskalduna ez zenik? Nahiz eta Galizan, Zamoran edo Bordelen jaio. Nork eman zion bere bizitza eta bere lana herri honi? Agian erraz aberastu zirenak beste batzuen izerdiran kontura? Ziur asko zortzi abizen zeukatenak eta men egiten ziotenak Espainari. Buf! luze hortik joatea, agian beste egun batean.

Besarkada bat zure moduan identitate horren bilaketaren zurrunbiloa sartua egon zena eta gaur egun guztiz, erabat garbi daukana… zuk eta biok euskaldunak gara !

Ja2Er
Henar Chico April 11, 2008 at 6:05

Jabier, eskerrik asko zure mezuagatik. Ikusten dut erabat ulertzen nauzula. Oso saila izan zen nire sentimenduak ateratzea, baina orain, zure post-a irakurri ondoren, pozik nago idatzi dudala.

MIke eta biok gustatuko litzaiguke EH-ra bueltatzea 2010-etan eta han bizi urte oso bat. Mikek zerbait ikasiko luke eta nik euskarazko ikastaro trinko bat aurkituko nuke. Eta noski, Andoni eta Maitane, ikastolara. Ez dakigu nora joango garen, baina agerian dago Ortuella ez denik izango. Ezagutzen ditudan pertsona gehienak erderaz hitz egiten dute, eta euskeraz hitz egiten badute, erderaz hitz egitea ohituta gaude. Adibidez, Terese euskalduna da, eta batzuetan bai, euskeraz hitz egitea saiatu genezake, baina Terese nire lagunarik hoberena da eta badakit dena azkar eta ondo esateko erderaz erabiliko dugula. Post-a hau idazteko hiru hiztegi esberdinak erabili ditudala eta ordubete inguru behar egin dudala esanda…

Beno, orain gauzak prestatu behar ditut bihar Nueva York-era joango naizelako. Hemen edo Facebook-en ikusiko dugu elkar, bale? Musu haundi bat Boise-tik!!
Terese April 14, 2008 at 11:08

Henartxu, zurea meritu haundia da. Espainian EHtik kanpo bizi den euskaldunik badago, %100 euskaldun, 16 abizenekin, eta ume %100 erdaldun daukana… Aitzakiak aitzaki, baina, nahi duenak ume elebiduna (edo hiruduna!) dauka, zuk bezala. Esfortzua egin behar da gero! Jabierrekin ados nago: euskaldun izatea ez datza gurasoen odolean, baizik eta bizi izan zaren kulturarengan… Erderaz esaten da “la vaca es de donde pace, no de donde nace”. Ados nago. ZORIONAAAAKKKK lortu duzunagatik! Ah, traidora, eta, badakizu nirekin euskeraz egin dezakezula beti. Musu haundi bat
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