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søren k. harbel's avatar

Excellent!!! Andrea, this is all news to me. I should know this stuff, living where I do, but alas no, so thank you! I am much more familiar with the fish end of things 😃

Great read, great history lesson. I am pretty sure the Basque would wrinkle their noses today at beans from a can, but you never know, could be a new thing! They are nothing if not skilled foodies!

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Andrea Eschen's avatar

Thank you so much for your generous and enthusiastic comments.

I was really pleased to learn more about the Basque communities in the U.S. and to know how their fortitude and determination carried them into those rugged mountains enough to make a go of it. The revelations about the political history weren't pretty, especially because we see very similar actions going on today in the U.S.

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Char Wilkins's avatar

What an amazing piece of this country’s history I knew nothing about. When I was teaching internationally one of our trainings was in Basque country, near Bilbao, a beautiful area but quite troubled at the time as I recall. Our translators and participants at a lovely center in the country were truly delightful.

The item in the High Desert Museum of the dancers looks to be embossed leather, is it? Your photos enrich your thoughtful telling!

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Andrea Eschen's avatar

I bet Bilbao was a very different place then, unless you went after the Guggenheim Museum was built. That transformed the renovation of the city. I'm sure the countryside remains just as lovely.

Yes, the wallet is leather and the jota dancers are embossed on it.

Thanks for reading and commenting, Char.

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Char Wilkins's avatar

The retreat center we taught at was in the countryside. Never made it to the city.

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Andrea Eschen's avatar

Someday you will, I hope. The museum is worth the visit in and of itself.

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Marjie Alonso's avatar

I had no idea about this! On this, the saddest, most disgusting and disheartening 4th of July ever, it's an amazing thing to learn. Thank you - I'll pass it along to my father.

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Andrea Eschen's avatar

Yes, the irony of this posted on the 4th of July and the relevance of it today isn't lost on us. Ugh. I had no knowledge of Senator McCarran, his friendship with Franco, or the invited immigrants either. One more example of history repeating itself in a sad and sorry way.

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Jayne Marshall's avatar

It's amazing how you find these connections wherever you go! Well, I say that, but I also know how much work and research goes into them.

I was struck by your words, 'doing physically demanding, lonely work no one else wanted' as a description that still rings true for migrant workers, now encaspulated by the '3Ds' - dirty, dangerous and demanding' also the demanding is often swapped out for demeaning. Your posts always hold a mirror to our contemporary world ❤️

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Andrea Eschen's avatar

I must confess I was stunned to find this political and immigration connection in and of itself and then to see its relevance to today. It knocked my socks off. It's just one more example of how history repeats itself. I find some comfort in knowing that this too shall pass but very sadly not until a lot of people are hurt and maybe lives lost in the meantime.

Alas, that description and now the 4 Ds remains true. What a mess.

Thank you for reading and commenting, querida escritora, vecina y amiga.

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Jayne Marshall's avatar

History does indeed repeat itself, the trick is to learn from it, which seems to be where we are failing. For now, at least we have words… and cold cañas and good conversation (thinking of this Friday to come 😊)

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Andrea Eschen's avatar

I'm not sure we and certainly not I have words for what's happening. If I do, they're all bad ones. I'm sure a crisp verdejo or refreshing caña will stretch our vocabulary.

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Jayne Marshall's avatar

Absolutely! ❤️

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Joy Overstreet's avatar

Wow. I knew nothing about the Basque in the American west. We like immigrants when it’s convenient for us. In their favor, the Basque were not Brown— although we invited a lot of Mexicans to be farm workers (“braceros”) until we changed our minds …

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Andrea Eschen's avatar

Thanks for reading and commenting, Joy. I didn't know anything about that part of the Basque-American history either, until I started looking into it. It's amazing what can be uncovered with a little digging. I found it fascinating.

You're right about liking immigrants when we need them. And the example about the Mexicans is potent. Probably many people don't know about the massive deportations of the Mexicans, including American citizens, from the country during the 1930s. Another mark of shame on our society.

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Betsey Drake's avatar

Woah! Once again an amazing history lesson with fabulous personalised family anecdotes!!

Speaking of road trips, still laughing about (and quoting) your dad saying, “He won’t have the guts to do that again!” every time a bug squashes against the windscreen. Keep up the good work!

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Andrea Eschen's avatar

Thanks, Betz. I always appreciate your comments for many reasons but one is that you and I shared several of these family memories and excursions. I still repeat that dumb joke of my father's to our children and still we all laugh. I'm sure he said that many times during those trips to Wyoming and Montana.

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Tim Little's avatar

Very interesting story! I had no idea about the Franco link and the immigration boost provided by the anti-communist rhetoric. I fondly remember eating at Basque restaurants in Los Banos, CA and Elko, NV: a plate of spaghetti, a plate of French fries, a plate of buttered bread, a plate of beans, a carafe of cheap red wine... All good! I did field work in far NE Nevada for my MSc. Here the memory of lonely Basque herders was recorded in the bark of trees. Shephards had scratched their odd-sounding names into the trees with knives.

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Andrea Eschen's avatar

Thanks for this wonderful comment, Tim. We can see how the Basque food became Americanized. The only items in your meal that had Basque origins are the beans the wine. It sounds like you were well fed during field work.

Those shepherds must have had some extra time on their hands to carve their surnames into trees. Basque last names are long and complicated: Arrigorriagakoa, Goikoetxea, Zorreguieta.

I had no idea about the link to Franco either until I started rummaging around. Fascinating what comes up!

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Practical Globetrotters's avatar

I think you’re on to something with your immigrant stories… this one was another fascinating read. The Smithsonian summer folk festival in DC highlighted the Basque a few years back. But I think you did an even better job of explaining their story and history in the US.

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Andrea Eschen's avatar

Wow, that's something being compared to the Smithsonian. :) I wish!

When I found the info about immigration and the links to Franco, I knew it would be intriguing. And so relevant to today, alas.

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BIBIANA's avatar

Wow mi corazón de melocotón, cada semana me deleitó más con tus historias y además me enseñas un montón de cosas nuevas. Realmente empiezo a leer y me engancho de tal forma con tu lectura, que no puedo parar. Felicitaciones!! Que orgullo tener una escritora en la familia. ❤️❤️

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Andrea Eschen's avatar

Hola, mi vida. Gracias por el comentario muy bonito y mas que nada por ser una lectora fiel y entusiasmada. Te agradezco mucho. Un día vas a ver un libro mio publicado :)

Mientras tanto sigas leyendo por favor. TQM

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