“Sheepherding is a lonely, monotonous occupation. Because of the long hours and arduous work, there are few applicants for that type of employment.” That was the reasoning that was given in petitions to relieve “certain Basque aliens” from deportation proceedings in 1948 and 1950. The reports that accompanied the bills introduced into Congress provide a wealth of detail about the individual and collective experience of many Basque sheepherders in the American West. As Benito and Tomas […]