Euspora derives from Euskal Diaspora and it relates to the global
Basque Diaspora
defined as people living outside the Basque homeland in Europe who
identify as being Basque.
Global
Basque Association
While historical
references to the formation of Basque associations outside the Basque
country date from the 17th (Lima, Peru) and 18th (Madrid & Mexico)
centuries, the real expansion of the global Basque Diaspora is only over
the last century. About 200 such voluntary associations continue
in 21 countries around the world. Estimates vary (as high as ten
million) but there are now more people of Basque descent living outside
than in Euskal Herria (Basque homeland in Europe where three million
people live).
The logo above of
intertwined laces (from the traditional "Zinta dantza" or Basque version
of the Maypole dance) toped by the globe denotes the intention of this
webpage: the connecting of Basques all around this world. To date most
Basque-American communication has been between here (U.S. Basque
community) and there (the Basque Country) and not among the various
Basque communities in various other countries.
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ZINTA DANTZA
The logo above of intertwined laces (from the traditional "Zinta
dantza" or Basque version of the Maypole dance) toped by the
globe denotes the intention of this webpage: the connecting of
Basques all around this world. |
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The North
American Basque Organizations (a.k.a. N.A.B.O.) was founded
decades ago with the intent of
helping its member organizations to help each other in
the pursuit of the same objective: the perpetuation of "Basqueness"
(Basque culture and identity). NABO
promotes expanding communication networks with our fellow Basques for
practical and pleasing reasons: practical because now with the
world of the Internet new opportunities are afforded us to learn from
one another as we encounter many of the same challenges in sustaining "Basqueness."
There is also a personal benefit because of the gratification derived
from meeting others of a like-minded commitment to sustaining Basqueness.
To the extent that NABO has found success it has been
based on multi-directional communication among our various member
organizations; note that NABO is only federation and its strength
derives from what our member organizations provide. Understandably until
now, this communication remained concentrated here in the United States.
But the same formula that helped to animate our Basque-American can also
serve us again in relation to Euspora.
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EUSKALDUNEN ERRONKA
These are easy questions to ask, but it is much harder to come
up with substantial answers. This is the challenge for
Basques--those of the Basque Country and the Diaspora-of today.
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Practical and pleasing
purposes prompted NABO in the Fall of 2006 to invite representatives
from Basque clubs in Canada and Mexico (visit
Ipar Amerikako Euskal Elkartea)
to a get-acquainted meeting in the hope of opening up communications and
to see if we could not fulfill the mission implied by our organization's
name: North American. Then in the summer of 2007 NABO entered into
a collaboration with the federation of Basque organizations in Argentina
(visit
FEVA-NABO Collaboration)
for those same practical and pleasing reasons. A final example was
the IV International Congress of Basque Entities hosted by the Basque
Autonomous Government of Euskadi that brings together in one place
representatives from most all of these Basque Diaspora countries (visit
International
Congress).
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While historical references to the formation of Basque
associations outside the Basque country date from the 17th
(Lima, Peru) and 18th (Madrid & Mexico) centuries, the real
expansion of the global Basque Diaspora is only over the last
century. About 200 such voluntary associations continue in
21 countries around the world. The
IV World
Congress of Basque Collectives
drew delegations from eighteen of those countries, and for a
week in Bilbao they together formulated a plan of action to
coordinate activities among themselves and the Basque Autonomous
Government of Euskadi.
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Whereas the meaning of
Basqueness has changed over time (e.g., at one time Basques were
predominately rural whereas they are now urbanites) one constant has
been their language Euskara--Europe's oldest language. It is a
language unrelated to its Indo-European neighbors that were all
introduced after the Basques were situated in their homeland. For
example, when the Romans arrived 2,000 years ago speaking Latin that
later spawned Romance languages (i.e., Spanish, French, Italian,
Portuguese & Romanian) they found a people inhabiting this corner of
Europe speaking a language all their own. Basques have been around
for a long time as a self-defined community, and this cultural trait
seems to have clearly animated Basque migrants who went about creating
Basque associations where-ever they went.
EUSPORA: the global Basque Diaspora
The term diaspora
(in Ancient Greek, διασπορά – "a scattering or sowing of seeds")
is used to refer to any people or ethnic population who are forced or
induced to leave their traditional homeland. Over the last five
centuries, Basques migrated for many reasons including political and
economic hardships. This webpage provides some general information
about this global community that maintains Basqueness in the Euspora.
Then again, being Basque is largely a state of mind--these days one
decides to what degree s/he chooses to define as being Basque. Here are
some related websites; please send along your link recommendations, and
we hope you enjoy our Euspora portal.
