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This Wednesday, the Mondragon University will celebrate 40 years of the book Amerikanuak with one a special conference on the campus in Aretxabaleta.  The book, written in 1975 by William Douglass and Jon Bilbao, tells the story of the Basque Diaspora in America, and has become the cornerstone work for Basque Studies.  Author, William Douglass is the guest of honor at the event that will include the participation of researchers from several universities and representatives of the Diaspora. 

Aretxableta, Gipuzkoa.  The College of Humanities and Sciences in Education at Mondragon University will celebrate an international event day after tomorrow “Amerikanuak 40 Years.  Basques: Images and Representations,” commemorating the 40 years since the publication of the book Amerikanuak: A Basque History of the World, by William A. Douglass and Jon Bilbao.  The event is open to the public and will take place on the Aretxabaleta Campus.

According to organizers, Amerikanuak is a key work in order to understand the history of the Basque Diaspora on the American Continent.  “Despite being the broadest work done to date on Basque emigration to America, it is not well-known in the Basque Country.  By means of these get-togethers we want to give this magnificent work the space and importance that it deserves.  It is essential to learn about our history, our past and our present, Monika Madinabeitia, from Huhezi told EuskalKultura.com.  

Mr. Basque

The main guest at the event is American anthropologist, William Douglass, who came expressly form the US.  During the event, Douglass will be interviews by journalist and Diaspora expert, Miel A. Elustondo, author of the book William A. Douglass: Mr. Basque. Also participating representing the Argentine Diaspora will be Marcelino Iriani online.  Several researchers from the University of the Basque Country will also participate include: Oscar Alvarez, David Rio, Jon Ander Ramos, Amaia Iraizoz, and Edurne Arostegi.  The event will conclude with a bertsolaritza session.  The complete program is available here. 

This event will close the 40th Anniversary events surrounding Amerikanuak that have been organized throughout the year at various universities in the Basque Country and abroad.  “The first event took place in Cuba in January, and the last at Huhezi, at Mondragon University in December.  With this we place a period after the 40^th anniversary celebrations of Amerikanuak but we hope that this inter-university project serves to strengthen relations and that we can organizer other activities around the Diaspora,” Madinabeitia concluded.