Basque Studies N E W S L E T T E R
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Center for BasqueISSN: Studies 1537-2464 Newsletter Center for Basque Studies N E W S L E T T E R Fund-raising campaign update: Basque-American family donates house to promote SPRING Basque culture 2005 In April, Joseba Zulaika and Sandra Ott of JZ: Did your parents speak Basque? the Center interviewed the Echeverria fam- John: For many years our mother’s mother ily, siblings John Echeverria, Teresa lived with us, and she spoke Basque. Our Maloney, Michael Echeverria, and Cris grandma and our father spoke Basque to NUMBER 71 Welmerink. They have very generously do- each other. Dad learned Basque because his nated their late father’s house to the father refused to speak anything else to him. Center’s Endowment Fund to honor their C: In 1959, for the first Basque festival, we Basque heritage and the legacy of their all learned the jota. Mom taught us so that parents, Peter and Frances Echeverria. we could dance at the festival. She got some In this issue: of the Basque ladies around Reno to teach us Joseba Z.: Why are you doing all of this for with her. There was quite a group who would Family donation 1 the Center, why are you giving this house as come to our house once a week, and we’d a gift? have dance lessons in the basement. USAC receives award 3 Teresa: We are so very Please join us! 4 fortunate. We were given many gifts by our parents, Kukai performance 5 notably a love of our Basque heritage. It is a Highlights 6 way to honor Mom and Conference Papers Series 7 Dad and our heritage. Cris: The gift of our heri- Basque Database 9 tage has given us roots, a Basque Classics Series great source of pride, 10 faith, a strong work ethic, Studies Abroad in all of which are part of the Basque Country 11 who we are. Mike: All my life I knew Douglass Distinguished that being Basque was Scholar Award 12 important, to know what I was. I have a pride in being Basque and in studying all I can about the Basques. These impor- tant principles and values (from left) Mike Echeverria, Teresa Maloney, were passed down from Cris Welmerink, and John Echeverria. our parents. I learned the impact of the Basques in the world: Spain, JZ: So your father was second generation A semi-annual publication of the South America, the Philippines, the U.S. here? (Yes) Where did your grandparents Center for Basque Studies, West. I wanted to honor the pride I feel in come from? University of Nevada, Reno that heritage. This opportunity to help the J: All four of our grandparents came here, so Reno, NV 89557-0012 Center for Basque Studies enables more we’re all third generation. My father’s father people to know about Basque culture. (continued on page 2) 1 Center for Basque Studies Newsletter (continued from page 1) responsibility. She was an example that very few people have as a parent, and I am for- came from Lekeitio; my father’s mother ever grateful for the lessons she taught us. came from Apatamonasterio; my mother’s mother from Ochandiano; and my mother’s JZ: For those who don’t know, your father father from near Pamplona. They all came as was a major political figure in Nevada. Tell young teenagers. Our grandfathers were both us about him. sheepherders. Both of our grandmothers JE: When he got out of law school he came came to work as maids at ranch houses and here and worked for the Nevada Attorney then went into the boardinghouses. They met General. It had something to do with price their husbands in the boardinghouses. controls that were in place right after the Second World War. He became a friend of JZ: And your grandmother had a boarding- Sen. Pat McCarran who in 1952 enacted the house in Reno? McCarran Act which opened the doors to J: Yes, our mother’s mother owned a board- allow the immigration of young Basques to inghouse in Reno where sheepherders stayed the West and particularly Nevada. My dad when they came in from the fields. Our worked with him on that. Poster for Ibilaldia–Walk for the grandfather was killed in 1925 leaving her Basque Language, an event held May with three young children. After she was JZ: Did your father have an influence on 29, 2005 in the Basque Country. A widowed, it was her way to provide a home McCarran in that legislation? similar event was organized on the for her family. The boardinghouse business JE: Yes. He testified in Congress on that UNR campus the same day, to put those three children through the Univer- issue. Nevada was a very small state in those support Basque language schools. sity of Nevada. days, and most people knew everybody else. So Dad became JZ: Any memories of connected through The Center for Basque Studies that boardinghouse? Newsletter is a semi-annual the political pro- JE: It was gone be- “This opportunity to cess, but he didn’t publication sent free of charge fore we were born. ever enter politics to any interested person. If you The interesting thing help the Center for would like to receive the until 1958 when is that our mother and Basque Studies enables he ran for state newsletter in paper format, father met at that please send your name and senator, the posi- boardinghouse. When more people to know tion that Bill postal address to: my father came to about Basque culture.” Raggio now holds. Reno to go to college, In those days Center for Basque Studies / 322 he came with two there was one University of Nevada, Reno other young Basque senator for each county. He ran for the Sen- Reno, NV 89557-0012 men from Ely, John Uhalde and Ray ate on the promise that he would serve his Garamendi. Ray boarded at my four-year term, do what he thought was right, Or e-mail us at: [email protected] grandmother’s boardinghouse. My dad was and then retire. So he did that, and he was Or phone: 775.784.4854 in the fraternity, and he and John Uhalde controversial because he didn’t necessarily Or fax: 775.784.1355 would go down to the boardinghouse to see follow the party lines. He tried to do what he Ray and have dinner, and that’s how our thought was best for the people of Nevada. The newsletter is also available parents met, at that boardinghouse. Then he got out of politics except for serv- electronically, in a printable ing on the Wild Horse Commission at one format. If you would like to JZ: Tell us about your mother. governor’s request. Then in 1972, when receive the newsletter in C: She was a saint. She truly had the kind- Nevada wanted to try to clean up the Mafia electronic format, thus saving est, most generous soul of any woman I have connection, Governor Mike O’Callaghan— printing and postage costs, ever known. Our house was always open to another great friend of the Basques—wanted please specify this option and let our grandmother’s Basque sheepherder to put someone in charge of the Nevada us know your e-mail address. friends, to our father’s political friends, to Gaming Commission who would… have anybody, it didn’t matter. John made a state- little fear, let me put it that way; who would Please visit our web site: ment at Dad’s funeral that it didn’t matter to have courage, and no fear. There was a prob- Dad if you were a sheepherder or a sena- lem in Las Vegas in one of the casinos with a basque.unr.edu tor—he treated you the same. And we were man named Lefty Rosenthal. So O’Callaghan raised that way by both our parents, that appointed our dad to chair the Gaming Com- everyone was welcome in our house. The mission for four years to clean up the image Produced by the Center for door was always open. My old friends from Basque Studies, University of of Nevada. high school and college would call my That became a legendary battle. In fact, last Nevada, Reno. Jill Berner, editor. mother on her birthday ten years later, and Friday I was in Las Vegas, and Oscar go by and visit. She just had a charisma Goodman, who as Lefty Rosenthal’s lawyer about her that attracted people. had bitter clashes with Dad, had some very The University of Nevada, Reno is an Equal She was also a very smart woman, a very nice things to say about Dad. That’s one of Opportunity / Affirmative Action, ADA institu- strong and deeply religious woman. She tion. 05/05 10,000. the great things about my dad, that Oscar taught all of us about independence and Goodman, after all those battles when the 2 Center for Basque Studies Newsletter Gaming Commission finally kicked M: [I recall that] the Vice Consul from the Thornton Peace Prize Rosenthal out of gambling, said that my dad Spanish Consulate in San Francisco went up was the toughest and best and most honest to the stage and saw the Basque flag, which awarded to USAC and straightforward adversary he’d ever you couldn’t even think about displaying Carmelo Urza, Director of the University encountered. After those battles, they had a then in the Basque Country, standing right Studies Abroad Consortium, accepted the respect for each other.