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As the very foundational values of our country are challenged, the Statue of Liberty serves as an inspirational reminder. The original concept of the Statue was a symbol to the abolition of slavery, however its proximity to Ellis island broadened the symbolism. Emma Lazarus’s poem, “The New Colossus” written in 1883, was inscribed on the base in 1903 and is a tribute to refugees and immigrants. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…”. There was a “public charge law” in the Immigration Act of 1882 just before the awful Chinese Exclusion Act in 1893. I guess our worst xenophobic history is returning to haunt us. I prefer the ghost of Christmas past or a good conspiracy theory.
All this came to mind as I looked at the pictures from the recent San Inazio Basque Festival in Boise. The annual event celebrates St. Ignatius of Loyola, the patron saint of the Basques. Our grandson Hank is a Basque dancer as his father and family share that heritage and culture. The Basque Country is a region that straddles the westernmost Pyrenees in adjacent parts of northern Spain and southwestern France. Boise has the largest concentration of Basques in the United States. The immigrants were drawn here during the late 1800s by the opportunity of work herding sheep. The family oriented, culture conscience, resourceful, hard working Basque immigrants no longer primarily herd sheep but those ethics have allowed them to prosper in their new country. The Basque dancers and musicians are proud of their history and commit their time and attention to reinforcing the customs of the old country, all the while acting as excellent citizens. Hank is comfortable in traditional regalia and dancing in front of thousands of people. The culture encourages participation and each song teaches a lesson. The language, Euskara, is unique, a language isolated, it may be most closely connected to the Romance languages. The community benefits from the inclusion of Basque traditions-beret’s off to them! The Basques have never been counted in large numbers in the old country or in the United States. The culture has endured for centuries, “we’ve never had many but just a few good ones that have kept working to keep our Basque Culture alive.” I am committed to assure that Our country remains the beacon of light for the world. |
Euskara
