In December, my dad’s uncle, the man I knew as uncle tio when I was a kid, turned 100. He passed away on March 5. Tio Joe lived a long and good life. He was the catalyst for my dad to come to the United States. He was always full of stories and had a […]
Bryce Ternet is an author known for his novels set in the Basque Country and in various parts of the American West. His novels are full of fascinating characters and detailed explorations of exotic locations, often inspired by his many travels. By one of those serendipitous coincidences in life, his wanderings have taken him Los […]
Last week I profiled John Garamendi, one of the most prominent Basque-American politicians we have ever had in the United States. However, the distinction for the most prominent politician goes to Paul Laxalt. Governor and US Senator, he was also a close friend of Ronald Reagan and played an important role in Reagan’s presidential campaigns. […]
For centuries, the history of the Basques has been written by non-Basques – we have so little historical documentation written directly in Euskara or even by Basque themselves. Thus, when we find any hint of Basque history written by Basques, we must examine it to the fullest. The unassuming carvings left by Basque sheepherders in […]
“Make sure the next generation is better off than yours.” That is the ethos of so many immigrants, the Basques included, as they look for opportunity in foreign lands. It was what Saturnino Garamendi told his grandson as he entered politics. John Garamendi is a prime example of this ethos. His grandfather immigrated to Utah […]
It’s somewhat amazing to realize that we can get a reasonable forecast of the weather by simply looking at our phones. Granted, they aren’t perfect – forecasting the weather is extremely hard – but overall, when meteorologists say there is a 50% chance of snow, half the time it snows on those days. It wasn’t […]
At at time when Spain was colonizing the Americas, there were many moral questions that came with exploiting the Native populations and their lands. One prominent voice against Spain’s actions was Francisco de Vitoria. Sometimes called a father of international law (though modern scholars would argue it wasn’t truly international law as we think about […]
One of the most eye-opening experiences when I first visited the Basque Country was the music. Growing up in the Basque culture of the American West, I was familiar with some of the traditional folk music (though never enough to truly appreciate it) but I had no idea about the radical rock that permeated modern […]
Women enjoy more opportunity now than they have for quite some time. With the rise of the Church and capitalism, women were marginalized, but before that, they held important role in professions such as health care. Martija de Jauregui wasn’t necessarily a pioneer – she just practiced her craft as she knew it. However, she […]
Basques played a significant role in the exploration and conquest of the Americas. Lope Agirre is perhaps one of the most notorious of those Basques. Originally from the province of Gipuzkoa, he was enticed by the potential riches the Americas promised. He rose to power and even tried to declare war with and independence from […]
