University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 1-1-1991 Linguistic and cultural crisis in Galicia, Spain. Pedro Arias-Gonzalez University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1 Recommended Citation Arias-Gonzalez, Pedro, "Linguistic and cultural crisis in Galicia, Spain." (1991). Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014. 4720. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1/4720 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL CRISIS IN GALICIA, SPAIN A Dissertation Presented by PEDRO ARIAS-GONZALEZ Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION May, 1991 Education Copyright by Pedro Arias-Gonzalez 1991 All Rights Reserved LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL CRISIS IN GALICIA, SPAIN A Dissertation Presented by PEDRO ARIAS-GONZALEZ Approved as to style and content by: DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this dissertation to those who contributed to my well-being and professional endeavors: • My parents, Ervigio Arias-Fernandez and Vicenta Gonzalez-Gonzalez, who, throughout their lives, gave me the support and the inspiration neces¬ sary to aspire to higher aims in hard times. I only wish they could be here today to appreciate the fruits of their labor. • My wife, Maria Concepcion Echeverria-Echecon; my son, Peter Arias-Echeverria; and my daugh¬ ter, Elizabeth M. Arias-Echeverria, without whose constant love, patience, and support I would never have finished this dissertation. • My teacher, Don Pedro Franco, the first school instructor to impress upon me the importance of a solid education, for his advice and sup¬ port . • My dear friends and relatives, who are far too many to individually name here, for not allow ing me to give up in this pursuit. • My fellow Galicians, especially those under¬ privileged and embittered souls, who have long awaited freedom and endured much in the IV face of time. I would like to remind them, from personal experience, that anything can be accomplished with tenacity and desire. May God bless and smile upon the future generations in their quest to resurrect Galicia! v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Numerous individuals have contributed both substance and continuous encouragement throughout the completion of this dissertation. First and foremost, I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to members of my Dissertation Committee. It has been a pleasure and a priv¬ ilege to work with such caring, dedicated, and outstanding educators. These individuals were not only great mentors but also great friends. I thank Dr. Benjamin Rodriguez, for finding time to fit me into his busy schedule. His eager interest in my progress, encouragement, and precious advice (which he gave so generously) were particularly impressive and greatly appreciated. The membership of Dr. Jose Ornelas on my Committee could not have been more timely or more helpful. His immense knowledge of the subject and insightful comments not only greatly shaped this research study but they also made an invaluable link to, and interpretation of, much of the subject matter. His accessibility, helpful suggestions, and editorial comments were of utmost importance to the outcome of my efforts. I owe my deepest appreciation to the Chairperson of my Committee, Dr. Luis Fuentes. There is no doubt in my mind VI that without his gracious concern, endless patience, and steadfast support, this dissertation would never have been completed. His guidance, copious suggestions, critical feedback, open-ear, and seasoned expertise substantially contributed to the completion of this study. He has served as a significant teacher, motivator, and mentor in every sense of the word. He has been an inspiration and his influence will remain with me throughout my career. My sincere gratitude is also extended to Dr. Sonia Nieto and Dr. Atron Gentry, who helped prepare me for the long task that was before me. Without their guidance and encouragement, I do not know whether I would have undertaken such a project. I would further like to acknowledge the following indi¬ viduals at the University of Massachusetts: Ms. Linda Guthrie, for her understanding and patience with me; and Ms. Nancy Kaminski, for putting the final critical touches on the work you see before you. This dissertation is the culmination of several years of hard work. In it are reflected the selfless concern, interest, guidance, and support of many people. I would like to thank the following individuals in particular, and anyone whom I may have forgotten, for their contributions: • My brother-in-law, Jose Luis Alba, for his technical assistance; Vll • My good friends, Fernando Alba-Criado and Carmen Casado de Alba, for sharing their expertise on the Basque language; • My good friends, Dr. Francisco Alcala, Dr. Angel Amy-Moreno, Dr. Jesus Morea, and Mrs. Morea, for their help with the many problems encountered throughout my investiga¬ tions ; • My fellow co-worker, Dr. John Caputo, for his thorough knowledge on dissertations, expert advice, editing, and patience; • My good friend. Dr. Tony Cunningham, for his assistance; • My friend and colleague. Dr. Charles Devoe, for his uplifting spirit and for helping me edit this dissertation; • My brother-in-law, Jose Ramon Echeverna- Echecon, who searched for relevant materials crucial to the outcome of this dissertation, • Dr. Jesus Fraga-Iribarne, President of the Xunta Gallega; Don Juan A. Gimeno-Ullastres, of the Ministry of Education and Science; and Ms. Felicidad Manzanares, of the National Institute for Statistics in Spain, for their vital information and encouraging letters; vm • My trustworthy neighbor and friend, Janey Frank, for her priceless editing; • My good friend, Bienvenido Garcia, for his invaluable technical help; • My cousin, Julio Gonzalez-Gonzalez, for his encouragement and for his effort in obtaining important information to clarify the muddled Galician situation; • My fellow compatriot and one of Galicia's most renowned poets. Manual Maria, who proved to be most accessible in my dearest hour of need; • My close friends. Dr. and Mrs. McMahon, for their computer knowledge, support, useful suggestions, and help with Portuguese trans¬ lation; • My cousin and old school companion, Gerardo Torres-Rodriguez, for imparting his invaluable wisdom on the subject of Galician education as a practicing educator and administrator; • My good friends. Dr. and Mrs. Sedo, who were always willing to lend me precious information and data; • My friend and fellow Galician, Rafael Vicente, for his technical help on the computer IX and for his opinions on topics concerning Galicia. x ABSTRACT LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL CRISIS IN GALICIA, SPAIN MAY, 1991 PEDRO ARIAS-GONZALEZ, INDUSTRIAL MASTER'S, LUGO, SPAIN M.Ed., BOSTON STATE COLLEGE Ed.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS Directed by: Professor Luis Fuentes To truly understand Spain, one must have more than just a basic knowledge of the country's physical features or general traditions. If one investigates further into the history of ethnology of the name that is Spain, one dis¬ covers an intricate network of individual worlds that some¬ how revolve around one center, Madrid. Each "patria chica" or "miniature country" is a product of its location within the Peninsula, and each conserves its own institutions, values, and idiosyncracies. Today, the autonomous regions of Spain maintain and cherish their individuality with a certain degree of liberty thanks to the Constitution of 1978 Soon after the Reconquest of Iberia, the Catholic Sovereigns attained the unity of Spain. Consequently, the Castilian dialect of Latin became the official language of Spain and its overseas territories. The central power of Castile began its persecution of the regions. Castile suc¬ ceeded greatly in homogenizing Spain by suppressing the XI very source of identity of its ethnic peoples—language. The installation of the Castilian language marked a new era in Spanish history. The linguistic supremacy of Castilian effectively arrested the cultural growth of the "patrias chicas" until very recently. Ample evidence of this is the virtual loss of the Leonese, Aragonese, Asturian, Navarrese, and Andalusian dialects of Latin along with the 400-year-old dialectalization of the Galician, Catalan, and Basque languages. Castilian dominance of Spain greatly degraded the state of education in Catalonia, Euzkadi, and Galicia. Not only did people from these regions lose an enormous part of their heritage, but Galicia, in particular, became the unwilling victim of generations of illiteracy and poverty. The year 1975 has come to represent the renaissance of the ethnic Spanish regions. Today, the historic autonomies of Spain can finally step out of the Castilian shadow and rediscover their pasts. One objective for them is certain- they must place their own languages at the forefront of their efforts to preserve their cultures. Their languages are their past, present, and future. Just how they will use them in this age of increasing global unity may make the future an interesting new era in Spain's history. Xll TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . **••••••••••••• Vi