Basques of the American West

According to Elizabeth Shostak (http://www. 1848, those Basques already living in South everyculture.com/multi/A-Br/Basque-Americans. America were perfectly poised to move on to html), the Basques were very successful at the United States for work. With little success defending themselves against invaders, and in gold mining, however, most Basque im- unlike other groups on the Iberian Peninsula, migrants turned to raising livestock, sheep in were never conquered by the Moors. Main- particular. taining independence for some 1,200 years, By the 1870s, according to William A. the Basques fi nally succumbed to Spanish Douglass (http://zimmer.csufresno.edu/~johnca/ occupation in 1512. Spain incorporated most humanities/Sheep.htm), Basque sheepherd- of the Basque territory, giving them only the ers were moving from California eastward northern section to France, known today as into the high desert areas. Douglass says the BASQUES OF THE Basque Country. Basque sheepherders occupied a large region Basques likely had been in American wa- of the Intermountain West bordered by the AMERICAN WEST ters well before Columbus’ voyage of 1492. Cascade Mountains on the west, the Rockies Known for their fi shing and sailing expertise, on the east, the Basin and Range on the south The April issue of Smithsonian magazine Basques were probably the fi rst Europeans to and the Columbia Plateau on the north. highlights Basque food in the United States. hunt for whales off North America’s north- The Basques were very hard workers, will- A hearty, classic cuisine, Basque food has a eastern coast. The Basques did not begin to ing to toil long lonely hours in the desert for special place in towns like Bakersfi eld, Calif., immigrate to the United States in any great fi nancial stability. Most had the goal of some- where the Basques were sheepherders. The numbers until the late 1800s. day returning to the Basque Country of Spain Basque people, originally from northeastern When the political situations in France and or France. Spain and southwestern France, came to the Spain deteriorated in the late 18th century and As small Basque communities sprang up in western U.S. in the mid-1800s. invading armies entered Basque Country in many areas between Southern California and The traditional Basque territory includes France, many Basques left the territory for Boise, Idaho, Basque entrepreneurs built ho- the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spanish colonies in the Americas. In South tels to serve their fellow countrymen. These Spain and extends into the Cordillera Can- America, many worked for the Spanish gov- hotels brought Basque immigrants together, tabrica, the mountain range that parallels ernment and others were simply political ex- serving as boardinghouses, eateries, informal Spain’s northern coast. The Basques, a cul- iles. banks and social centers where the diffi cult tural minority in their homeland, continue Argentina, in particular, received many Basque language was spoken and under- to seek independence for their territory in Basque immigrants in the 1820s, Shostak stood. Spain. Their resilient culture thrives, how- wrote. The Argentine government gladly The food from those old Basque hotels ever, despite past Spanish efforts to destroy it. gave the Basque immigrants unused range- survives today. In Bakersfi eld, Calif., alone, The Basques are perhaps the oldest civili- land. There, on the South American pampas, half dozen restaurants serve only Basque cui- zation on the European continent. When the many became sheepherders, gaining skills sine—hearty multi-course meals served fam- Romans invaded the Iberian Peninsula in the that would later serve them well in North ily style on huge platters on long communal fi rst century B.C., Basques had likely been in America. tables, according to Smithsonian. the Pyrenees for thousands of years. When gold was found in California in Dishes such as tripe (intestines) and pig’s feet, stewed rabbit or lamb, pickled tongue, Basque Communities steak with mushrooms and garlic, and cab- bage soup are commonplace. Ordering one © 2012 Basque main dish ensures that a diner will receive numerous other side dishes, such as N cottage cheese with mayonnaise or boiled A E Idaho vegetables with white sauce. C According to Smithsonian, the world’s food- O New ies are currently obsessed with the Basque York C Wyoming Country foods of Spain and France. Travel- I F ers wishing to experience the wide range of I Basque foods are drawn to that region, which C Nevada partly owing to its culinary arts, has become A California P one of the most prosperous in Europe. In our own American West, however, we have the opportunity to witness the imprint of Basques on the regions’ cuisine in many ATLANTIC small towns where the heritage persists. Percent Basque Texas OCEAN And that is Geography in the News™. May Population 25, 2012. #1147. 1% 0 400 mi Co-authors are Neal 2% 0 400 km Lineback, Appalachian 3% State University Professor 4% Source: http://www.epodunk.com/ancestry/Basque.html Emeritus of Geography, and Geographer Mandy Geography in the News 5/25/12 M. Shears Lineback Gritzner. University News Director Sources: GITN #830, “Basques: A Move Toward Peace, Apr. 28, 2006; Gold, Jonathan, “The Jane Nicholson serves as Basque Revolution,” Smithsonian, Apr. 2012, pgs. 18 and 19; http://www.everyculture.com/multi/ technical editor. A-Br/Basque-Americans.html; and http://zimmer.csufresno.edu/~johnca/humanities/Sheep.htm.

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