Urazandi

Compiling the history of fifteen Basque clubs

Euskaldun bi Ameriketara joan ezkero, anaiak (Gotzon Garate, "Atsotitzak"; 4819).

• Background

Law 8/1994 marked a milestone in the history of Basque organizations abroad, in addition to paying a historical debt for the important role these clubs have played in the history of Basque emigration; according to this law they are "a preferential channel for relations" between Basque clubs around the globe and official Basque institutions.

From today's perspective we can see that despite the fact that the large‑scale migrations came to an end nearly forty years ago, there are still 130 clubs spread across 19 countries, with varying degrees of cultural and social activity. In any event, bearing in mind that these clubs represent some 18,000 members, we are dealing here with an associative phenomenon that deserves serious consideration.

It is clear that the number of members born in Euskal Herria is dwindling, a fact that leads us to believe that if the testimonies of these people are not compiled promptly, we run the risk of losing them altogether.

Professor Douglass, in a speech made for an awards ceremony at which he was given the Lagun Onari Prize, stated that "we are only at the beginning when we look at the enormous potential of tracing the history of specific Basque colonies in specific periods of time and how they became associated, without forgetting the importance of biographies built from the archives and passed down orally. Intellectually, this work is urgent, because sources are lost over time."

Along these same lines, the Green Paper approved at the 29 June 1999 plenary session of the Basque Parliament urged the Basque Government "to value the consequences the Diaspora had on Euskadi, and to make every effort to recover any related textual, graphic and audio documentation for its disseminating both in Euskadi and in the countries hosting Basque exiles." In spite of the fact that the latter centered on political exile or emigration, the idea is still valid in the case of economic emigration.

As a result, item D.9 of the 2000-2003 Four-Year Institutional Action Plan approved in October 1999, states that the Euskal Etxeak, or Basque Clubs, (in this case, associations -preferential channel) shall undertake to develop a plan to compile documents regarding the history of their institution (records, publications, photographs, etc.), in addition to testimonies of Basque emigrants and/or exiles; where appropriate, the clubs may also donate materials to documentation centers in the Basque Country.

In the same sense, the new regulations governing the subsidizing of Basque clubs, sanctioned by Decree 97/2000 of 6 June, addressed this concern, giving preferential status to programs focusing on the collection of the aforementioned types of documents (such programs are eligible for up to 100% funding).

Urazandi

In recent years, a number of initiatives coming out of different organizations (the Basque clubs themselves, universities, foundations, etc.) have been instrumental in collecting information on the contributions of Basques to the history of such countries as Argentina, Chile and Peru.

However, the work focusing on the history of Basque clubs as institutions in the last fifty or a hundred years are less frequent. This is where greater effort must be made (in the sense pointed out by Professor Douglass).

Some examples of the work carried out are the projects connected to the landmark anniversaries of such publications as "Bahia Blanca" (100 years) and "San Francisco" (40 years).

In 2000 an initiative was set into motion under the auspices of the University of Nevada at Reno. The project, which had already gotten underway in the Seventies in Boise, involved collecting oral testimony in a number of areas in the USA.

In 1999 the creation of the Andres de Irujo Prize, aimed at carrying out research on Basques outside of the Basque Country (both historical and personal experiences) also represented a significant contribution.

Furthermore, last year marked the beginning of a collection known as "Euskaldunak Munduan", which will include work that has been up for competition yet has not managed to win the aforementioned prize.

Finally, "Ameriketako Oroitzapenak", a project launched by the Faculty of History of the University of the Basque Country, with support from Eusko Ikaskuntza, sets out to collect, categorize, conserve and make available for scientific research the oral testimonies of Basque emigrants. This aims to be the initial step of an ongoing project sponsored by the General Secretariat for Foreign Affairs.

As far as written sources are concerned (club records, magazines, publications, brochures, etc.), last month's assault on the Basque club in Montevideo, which resulted in the loss of all of the records pertaining to a specific period of time, sounded the alarm. Are documents at the Basque clubs safe? Is it not time to compile and definitively write up this part of our history?

The idea behind Urazandi is to carry out over the course of 2001 a series of activities connected to the history of fifteen of the most important Basque clubs. These activities would also work towards compiling oral and written documentary sources in hopes of saving this important part of historical heritage as soon as possible.

Promoted by the Department of Relations with Basque Communities, this action will concentrate on the history of the most significant Basque clubs worldwide.

The work would involve research (accounts of the most representative events in the history of these organizations) amounting to some 200 pages (Microsoft Word), plus a CD-ROM containing the documents used throughout the research.

• Funding

Project funding would be provided through the announcement of subsidies for Basque clubs, which, as mentioned earlier, could cover up to 100% of expenses.

• Schedule

Basque clubs wishing to take part in the project will be required to present an application form at the annual announcement of subsidies for Basque clubs, scheduled for released in February. (We will make sure you are immediately informed).

Given the fact that the funding for this project would come from the 2001 budget, you are asked to hand in materials (which will be determined beforehand) by the 31st of December.

In 2002 the General Secretariat for Foreign Affairs will be responsible for publishing the fifteen volumes so that they may then be presented at the next World Congress on Basque Communities (to be held in 2003).

• Criteria

The work shall be based on a variety of documentary sources, including records and publications (magazines, reports, brochures, circulars, photographs), privately-owned photographs, recorded and/or written testimonies, local newspapers and the Basque Government Delegation.

Each club must include in its proposal the name of the person in charge of writing up the project, along with his or her complete resume.

A project budget shall also be included.

All of the projects should be approximately the same length; assessment shall be made according to how well documented they are.

Only the best documented projects whose viability is guaranteed will be selected.

• Publication

Materials may be published in different formats. We are looking at publishing a 15 volume collection (if, in fact, the final project includes 15 clubs), each of which would be bound and contain in the inside cover CD-ROM with recorded testimonies.

Funding for the final phase is expected to be covered by the 2002 budget and the extraordinary budget for the Congress itself.

APPENDIX: Method for carrying out interviews

As far as interviews are concerned, the suggested method is the open interview model used in Ameriketako Oroitzapenak This method comprises the following documentation:

a) Interviews are recorded on tape, each marked with a number.

b) Each interview is accompanied by a file containing the following data: 1. Name of interviewer and interviewee; 2. Place and date of interview; 3. Interviewee's personal particulars; 4. Any pertinent remarks about the progress of the interview; and 5. Any other relevant information.

c) Transcription of the interview on both paper and floppy disk.

d) Permission to use data granted by the interviewee, and, where appropriate, listing any limitations on usage.

In terms of the questionnaire, the following general outline could be used:

Section 1: The emigration process - Reasons for emigrating. Situation in the Basque Country. Calls from family and friends. Native town emigration status (in the case of large numbers of emigrants from a particular place, where they went to, the atmosphere in the town, if there were agents or enterprises dedicated to emigration). News available to emigrants before departing for their new country. Individual or family emigration. Economic or political exile.

Section 2: Introduction in job market and social life of new country - Economic activities. Process of job and social mobility. Work and cultural adaptation: hardships and opportunities. Political and trade union activity. Cultural activity in local environments of adopted country. Relationships with other Basque in economic activities. To what extent were bonds made between these people.

Section 3: Family - Marriage: was the emigrant married there / family emigration . Choice of spouse: Basques, locals, etc. Starting a family: when and how was the decision made. Keeping up relationships with home and family in the Basque Country.

Section 4: Relationships with other Basques - Was there a Basque community in the area? Personal relationship with such a community and reasons for greater or lesser degree of contact. Creation of groups of all types-recreational, political, mutual aid, sports or music- among Basques. Basque participation in these organizations. Problems. Brief history.

Section 5: Concept of the Basque Country from America - News: What sort of new media brought it there? Political development. Social and economic development. Family changes in the Basque Country. For those still residing outside the Basque Country, whether they have returned for a visit, what kinds of changes have they noticed and what they think of such changes. The repercussions of new technologies (ETB-Basque TV, etc.) in terms of information on the Basque Country.

Section 6: Going back - (For those still residing outside the Basque Country) Have they thought about going back? Do they plan on going back? What are the reasons and limitations surrounding their decision? (For those who have returned) Describe the return process. What were the reasons that led to their return? How did they adapt to the new environment in Euskal Herria?

Section 7: Additional information - Data on other immigrants. Correspondence

preserved over the years. Description of old photographs.