19 NABO 19 THE NORTH AMERICAN BASQUE ORGANIZATIONS (NABO), INCORPORATED IPAR AMERIKAKO EUSKAL ELKARTEAK 1973-2007 by Argitxu Camus Etchecopar Vitoria-Gasteiz, 2007 CAMUS ETCHECOPAR, Argitxu The North American Basque Organizations (NABO), Incorporated : Ipar Amerikako euskal elkarteak, 1973-2007 / by Argitxu Camus Etchecopar. – 1st ed. – Vitoria-Gasteiz : Eusko Jaurlaritzaren Argitalpen Zerbitzu Nagusia = Servicio Central de Publicaciones del Gobierno Vasco, 2007 p. ; cm. – (Urazandi ; 19) ISBN 978-84-457-2593-1 1. North American Basque Organizations-Historia. I. Euskadi. Lehendakaritza. II. Título. III. Serie 061.237(793 Nevada)(091) Edition: 1st edition, july 2007 Print run: 750 © Euskal Autonomia Erkidegoko Administrazioa Lehendakaritza Administración de la Comunidad Autónoma del País Vasco Departamento de Presidencia Executive director: Josu Legarreta Bilbao Internet: www.euskadi.net Published by: Eusko Jaurlaritzaren Argitalpen Zerbitzu Nagusia Servicio Central de Publicaciones del Gobierno Vasco Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 – 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Designed by: Canaldirecto • www.canal-directo.com Phototosetting: mccgraphics Printed by: Artes Gráficas ELKAR, s. Coop. ISBN: 978-84-457-2593-1 Legal Deposit: BI-1933/07 Note: The printing department of this publication is not responsible for the content or opinions contained within the pages of the individual books of this series. Table of Contents NABO 9 Aurkezpena / Presentation ..................................................... 14 Hitzaurrea / Preface ............................................................ 18 Acknowledgements ............................................................ 20 Introduction .................................................................... 24 Chapter one: The Phenomenon of Basque Migration and the Definition of Key Concepts ....................................................................... 30 The Phenomenon of Basque Migration Over the Last Five Centuries: An Analysis ..................................................................... 31 Basque Migration or Basque Migrations? ................................. 35 The Adaptation Process .................................................... 39 Basque Emigration in the New Millennium ................................. 44 Diaspora and Ethnicity.......................................................... 45 Diaspora: A Term Adapted to the Basque Immigrant Experience? ......... 45 The Significance of Ethnicity and Ethnicity Maintenance................... 53 The Social Psychology Perspective ............................................. 58 Literature Review ........................................................... 60 Hypotheses ................................................................. 64 Chapter two: The Early Years of NABO: 1973-1986 ............................ 68 Factors that Eventually Led to the Creation of NABO ........................... 69 No Distinct Basque group Before the 1950s ............................... 69 Important Developments within the Wider Society after the 1950s ........ 70 The 1959 “Western Basque Festival:” The Catalyst ........................ 71 Early Exchanges Between the Clubs ........................................ 83 The origin of the idea ........................................................... 84 Jon Bilbao and the Basque Studies Program: Catalyst of the Idea. ........ 85 Miren Rementeria Artiach, Al Erquiaga and the Boise Basque Studies Center (IBSC) ............................................................... 91 Suspicious Reactions ....................................................... 94 First Western Basque Convention: Sparks, March 1973 ........................ 95 The Representatives ........................................................ 96 Topics for Discussion ....................................................... 97 From the “Western States Basque Federation” to the North American Basque Organizations .......................................................... 99 Preparation Meeting of the First NABO Convention ........................ 99 First NABO Convention: August 1973 in Reno, at Louis’ Basque Corner ... 100 Main Objectives and the Membership ...................................... 102 10 Difficult early years ............................................................. 105 Overcoming the Political Anathema ........................................ 105 Convincing the Other Clubs: A Difficult Task ............................... 106 Slow Take Off of the Activities .............................................. 107 The Important Role Played by Jacques Unhassobiscay and the Commitment of the Officers ................................................ 111 Table of Contents Table Lack of Funding ............................................................. 113 The Philosophy of NABO, What it Has Achieved ................................ 114 Get the Clubs Together ..................................................... 115 NABO as a Vehicle of Preservation of Basque Culture ..................... 115 Make the Basque Culture More Visible ..................................... 116 The Turn of the Year 1986 .................................................. 118 Chapter three: Toward a Basque American Identity: the “NABO Effect” ...... 120 Overcoming Regional Barriers .................................................. 121 A Community Fragmented Before the 1970s ............................... 123 The Key Role of NABO ...................................................... 125 Communication Has Increased ............................................. 126 A sense of Basque American identity ........................................... 127 A Dual Identity .............................................................. 127 Zazpiak Bat ................................................................. 128 Claim of a Distinct Basque American Identity ............................. 132 Old World Basques vs. U.S. Born Basques ..................................... 133 Differences ................................................................. 133 What Basque Culture for the Future? ...................................... 136 The Basque Country Is More Aware of its Diaspora ............................ 137 Chapter four: NABO’s Main Activities .......................................... 140 Pelota ........................................................................... 141 Brief History of Pelota in the Western United States ....................... 142 The U.S. Federation of Pelota and NABO ................................... 148 Relations with the Basque Country ......................................... 153 Pelota in the United States Today .......................................... 163 Mus ............................................................................. 165 NABO Mus tournament ..................................................... 165 Federación Internacional de Mus ........................................... 166 International Mus Championships in the United States .................... 169 NABO Music Camp or Udaleku ................................................. 172 1973: First Music Camp in Boise ........................................... 172 NABO Music Camp ......................................................... 176 The Key Educational and Community Building Role of Udaleku............ 181 NABO 11 NABO Calendar ................................................................. 183 NABO’s Euskal Kantari Eguna .................................................. 186 Singing and Bertsolari Contest ............................................. 186 NABO’s Euskal Kantari Eguna .............................................. 188 Chapter five: Gender and Migration............................................ 190 Literature on Migrant Women: Historical Approach ............................ 192 Invisible Women Until the 1970s ........................................... 192 1970s Paradigmatic Shift ................................................... 193 Current Reflections ......................................................... 195 Much Remains To Be Investigated .......................................... 196 Current Knowledge on Women and Migration .................................. 197 Basque women in the Basque institutions of the diaspora .................... 198 The Necessity to Study Women as Part of Basque Immigration ........... 198 Emigrating, Women Re-negotiate Their Roles .............................. 200 Role Re-negotiation in the Basque Institutions of the Diaspora ........... 202 Gender Perspective Applied to NABO and its Member Clubs .................. 204 Gender and Leadership within the Basque American Institutions ......... 204 The Activities of NABO as Seen Through a Gender Perspective ............ 210 Public/Private Dichotomy .................................................. 212 Chapter six: Basque Government-NABO Relations ............................ 220 NABO-Basque Government Relations, 1982-1994 .............................. 222 First Contact: 1980, Culminated by the 1982 Congress ..................... 222 First Basque Government Representative to the United States and Visit of the Lehendakari .................................................... 225 1990 Basque Government Grant and the Issues it Raised .................. 229 NABO-Basque Government Relations after 1994 ............................... 232 The Issue of Registration ................................................... 234 Is NABO Dependent on the Basque