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09.-
New York Area Basques
09.1
THE OLDEST CENTER
New York is the site of the oldest Basque center in the United States.
The Basque community of the Big Apple began to define itself in
the late 19th century. About 1905, five Basques met to sow the seeds
of what later would be Euskal Etxea. One of them was Valentin Aguirre,
born in 1871 in Busturia, who settled in New York in 1895. At twenty-six
years of age he met and married Benita Orbe, and they promptly opened
a boarding house on Cherry Street. Other ostatuak were opened in
the area, which became the center of Basque life in New York.
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09.2
VALENTIN AGUIRRE
In 1913 Aguirre and another twelve Basques decided to make their
activities official. With the assistance of lawyer Fiorello Laguardia
(later one of the most popular mayors in the history of New York),
they founded the first Basque Center in the United States. At that
time the reputation of Valentin Aguirre as a hotelier and being
a very amiable person had spread among the Basques arriving in New
York. His hostal was like an employment office in which, in addition
to the company of compatriots, the newcomer could find a job, a
reliable place to spend the night, and a most authentic Basque-American
style lunch. When the volume of business grew, Aguirre moved to
Greenwich Village, where he set up the Jai-Alai restaurant, the
Santa Lucia hotel, and his own travel agency.
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09.3
NY BASQUE ASSISTANCE
In addition to the club, the New York Basques also set up their own
ethnic, mutual assistance association. Here was a sort of insurance
against illness, a common treasury so that if one of the members got
sick, or found himself unable to work, or died, his family would receive
a subsidy over a period of time and would be in a better position
to confront the situation. A similar institution existed in Boise,
Idaho, since 1908. |
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09.4
AN ACTIVE COMMUNITY
In 1928 the Club acquired a building at 48 Cherry Street. In the
30's it organized weekly dances there and picnics in Brooklyn's
Ulmer Park. When the Spanish Civil War was being fought, some refugees
arrived in New York and the Basque Government opened a branch in
the city. Then Lehendakari Aguirre set up his general quarters for
a while in New York, and gave classes at Columbia University. The
Big Apple has known as well publications such as Aberri, published
in the 20's by a group associated with the EAJ-PNV, Basques, backed
in 1943-1944 by the Basque Government in exile, and Argia, cultural
review in Euskara, also in the 40's. The building that currently
houses the Club, on Eckford Street in Brooklyn, was acquired in
1973. When the new premises were opened in 1980, the members decided
to change the name of the entity to the Euzko Etxea of New York.
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09.
5 BAYONNE, NJ
In the surrounding New York area, the New Jersey dock area has traditionally
been home to Basques, with Basque restaurants in Newark and in places
such as Dover. Situated opposite New York, the city of Bayonne takes
its name from the Basque capital. Further to the north, the residential
area of Bronxville,NY opened the first Marichu restaurant in 1991
with great success. Its owner, Teresa Barrenechea of Bilbao, later
decided to open her current establishment in Manhattan. Pintxos,
Pamplona, and La Côte Basque are some of the other Basque
restaurants that the city has had in the course of its history.
Euzkadi is the name of the newest one, opened in November 2001.
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