Yes, Andalusia has defined itself as a nation. To be frank, I could not care less how the Andalusian people define themselves. I like people from Andalusia and I like their land, even though I do not share many of their values and priorities in life. But diversity is what makes the Iberian peninsula such a wonderful place.
But the big surprise to me is that there is no uproar in Spain because of this. I would have expected a call by the Spanish hardcore nationalists to boycott the Jabugo ham, the Seville olives or the Andalusian ‘fried fish” (“pescaito frito”) and the proliferation of websites attacking Andalusia for its attempt to create a nation within a nation. But nothing of this has happened. Most of the Spanish right-winged press have criticized it a little bit, but they all have put the blame on Catalonia (!?), as you can read by yourselves in the linked article that appeared, guess where, in ABC newspaper.
As I said, I do not care how the Andalusians call themselves. No matter whether they are a
nation, a region, a nationality or an empire, I will continue to consume their products and visit their land, even if sometimes I am called names, because I am a Catalan. I will continue to eat as much Jabugo Ham with cava, whenever I go back home and cry every time that the US customs officer confiscates my 2 pounds of Jubugo ham at the port of entry.But it is obvious that in Spain there is a triple standard, a virulent reaction against Catalonia, a subdued reaction against the Basque country (most probably out of fear) and tolerance vis a vis the rest of the peoples in the Iberian peninsula. Why? I remember that about 20 years ago I saw a program on Spanish TV where a reporter was asking people in Andalusia what they thought about Catalans in a point of time where the political situation was extremely quiet. Many people responded: “los catalanes son muy suyos”, that literally translated would be “Catalans are very themselves” and in a free translation I would put it as, “Catalans are different”. Food for thought.
2 comments:
My father arrived yesterday, he is staying at my place. He is Andalusian. I was having breakfast this morning and he was around. (Just for the record, I was having a coffee and a joyo, i.e. bread (Catalan style) with olive oil and sugar). I said to him: "So, now you are a 'realidad nacional' huh?" he answered in Catalan with his strong Andalusian accent "naltrus som una nació" (We are a nation), he was funny but upset at the same time. We talked a bit (I was rushing) about the fact that it seems that Andalusia is being downgraded and that no mass media against Andalusian "nationality". I will extend the conversation over lunch.
An andalusian region makes as much sense as a catalan region. I´m under the impression that the PSOE is looking forward to replay a Transition trick that seemed to work back then, and now it´s been proven that not as much.
Coffe for everybody.
While the National Constitution was being written after 1975, catalan, basque and galician nationalists asked for a lot of stuff, much of which they got. Only that, not to make the rest angry, it was decided that what they had gotten would apply to other regions as well.
It´s lasted twenty-something years. Now, catalan and basque nationalists are (again) asking for more (and getting it). And the socialists in catalan, national and andalusian governments are trying to conceal it: if from now on anybody can make a nation out of anything, it´s not such a big deal that the catalans were the first ones.
With the newly found ape-love in Spain, we´ll have Apeland next.
Boycotting is really a strange thing. There´s something even more weird: people boycotting McDonalds because of the Irak war and/or Guantanamo won´t stop eating Chinese because of some "small" human rights violations.
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