Basque diaspora nowadays 1# Fatima in Frankfurt
At the end of 19th century Basque immigrants to escape from hunger travelled thousands miles without an idea of what's waiting for them across the horizon...Nowadays we got a huge advantage over the past ways of travelling – GPS navigation, Internet, etc...but let's not forget that all those facilities make today's adventures no less interesting than the past ones.
In my opinion theses days we can find two types od Basques....the ones who chase their dreams out of Euskal Herria and the ones who won't leave their land no matter what!
Considering myself as a person from the first group I can perfectly understand those who feel more like the second group. What I find quite confusing are people who are searching for their life in another place without apparent need....Basque Country a place where you can eat like a horse!!
This is the case of the protagonist of this article....
I had a pleasure to meet her some 10 years ago, during our art course in high school..Although so much time has passed since then, I still got this strange sensation of not knowing her at all....an interesting person, a bohemian artist playing on banjo....this is Fatima.
As would have said my grandmother, she is a beautiful flower that grows when changing its flowerpot.
What made you leave Euskadi and settle in Germany?
Well, I have never had deep roots. I was born in San Sebastian where I made my first steps...later on we moved to Irun, where we changed our address from time to time..When I got the opportunity to move I did not doubt to look for ''green sprouts'' far away from the barren lands of Spain. I have been living in Frankfurt am Main for 5 years right now.
When you introduce yourselg as a Basque woman...how do the citizens of this beautiful city react? What to they know about Euskal Herria?
Sadly I must say that I need to skip the thing about ''Basque'' and I indroduce myself as a Spanish.. It is very annoying to give explanations to people. Some of them have never heard about the Basque region..there are some people who know something only because they have read about terrorism.... lot of them have brillant answers like, ''Basque?Oh yes, I know Barcelona'' she laughs.
To be true to you Fatima, if you asked me yesterday – Frankfurt? I only knew bradwurst and the European Central Bank, but I was nicely surprised by the beauty of this city, its skyscrapers, old town, green zones...
Yes, its a wonderful city to walk and get lost...Maybe there are no beaches or mountains, a classical basque landscape, but the Main river and numerous parks substitute that...in this way I don't miss anything...
Well then..What to you miss here Fatima? What would you like to declare on the airport?
The food...Germans don't know what's a good txuleta (beefsteak)
Have some beer with my friends, the warmth and kindness of my people..as a Basque you grow up with this stereotype of cold and reserved people comparing to Spanish people...but here in Germany I don't have this complex! (laughs)
Many of young people in Spain are thinking about leaving the country to look for job...but they lack courage to abandon their homes...this fear of something unknown....
(she interrupts) – Eyy, If they don't want to leave, there's nothing wrong!
That's why we have left the country....because nothing happens there...(we laugh)
How was your arrival..your first steps here?
When I arrived I attended an integration course – some six months here in Germany. Everything mad by the ''Hallmann company''.. various courses subsidized by the state – an internshinp included ( I had to look for it by myself..)
It was really difficult...Temporary jobs, low paid, far from the city...During some months I was workind in a stationary factory – I had to get up at 4.30 and they never paid me the transportation. Moreover they cheated on us....they made us sign a new contract, a contract that finished soon after it was signed..
Uff...bad experience...but you're not giving up. What have you been up to?
I have just finished a stage design course that lasted 2 months and a half...and I'm looking for job.
After 5 years....do you feel integrated into the German community?
My partner is also an immigrant and that has made our daily life not very German...and that I don't have to be affected directly by the daily habits of ordinary German citizens.
Moreover as I have already said, they are not so opened that I would like them to be. If you don't speak fluent German you can forget about making friends...On the other hand I suppose that if I spoke German I wouldn's be completely accepted...With the economic crisis the immigrations has skyrocketed and people look askance at you... Maybe this make me feel not so attached to Frankfurt.
I was thinking exactly the opposite!! As the fruit of your stay you got a son...his name is Zuhaitz (which means ''a tree'' in Euskera). He's almost 3 years old, he speaks two languages – Spanish as his parents and German as his collagues in primary school...
I cannot help but ask – Do you speak in Euskera with him?
It's difficult to teach a language which you're not going to use unless you're in Euskadi..but its inevitable to tell him endearments in our mother language..I can only call him ''maitia'' (my dear..) I simply cannot do it in another language...
I suppose that one of the beauties of Euskera is that for us, euskalduns, it's the only language that we understand when it comes to the most intimate feelings...(she smiles)
And to finish...my favourite question -
would you come back to Euskadi one day or you prefer to stay here?
I'm sure I'll be back....maybe right now it's not a good moment, but I'm sure that I want to come back...