Amerikanuak: Basques In The New World

by William A. Douglass

This work, by William Douglass (who helped initiate the Basque Studies Program at the University of Nevada, Reno) and Jon Bilbao (author of several Basque reference works), is the most accessible overview of the Basque diaspora in the Western Hemisphere. Amerikanuak is a pioneering study of one of the American West’s most important ethnic minorities, an engaging, comprehensive survey of Basque migration and settlement in the Americas, and an essential introduction to the history of the Basque people and their five centuries of involvement in the New World.

Research for the book took the authors through ten states of the American West, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela as they traced the exploits of Basque whalers in the medieval Atlantic, the Basque conquistadors, missionaries, colonists, and sheepherders who formed a dramatic part of the history of Spanish America. They also follow the story of the Basques back to their mysterious origins in prehistory to provide background for understanding the Basques’ character and their homeland in the Pyrenean mountains and seacoasts between France and Spain. This is a revised and updated edition of the original 1975 publication. New preface by William A. Douglass.

Genres: History

535 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1976

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This encyclopedic volume published 42 years ago may not account for everything that has happened since then. The facts, figures and footnotes make it a tedious read, but for anyone interested in the history of the Basques in North and South America, it has to be required reading. The Basques come from an area in the Pyrenees Mountains that is part Spain and part France. They have their own language and culture and have long strived to have their own nation. Thousands of Basques emigrated first to Argentina, Chile and other South American countries. They melded into every facet of life there. Later, around the time the western states became part of the United States, large numbers also came north, especially during the gold rush years of 1849-50. So many went into the sheepherding business that Basques soon dominated that occupation and still do to this day. Douglass and Bilbao have done extensive research in Basque, Spanish, French, and English to present a complete story of the Basque presence in the New World, including immigration, work, culture, sports, literature and social organizations. This book not easy to read, but the reader will come away with an extensive knowledge of the Basque experience. I wrote about the Basques in my book The Iberian Americans, published in 1990, but this volume is much more complete. It has provided much insight into my Fagalde ancestors who came from the Basque Country.

[Rob Mills · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book! My mom gave it to me for Christmas as there's a picture of my grandmother in [the first edition of] it but that was certainly the most exciting part.
The authors clearly did an incredible amount of work and have done a fantastic job truly understanding and explaining all the various factors that have impacted the Basques that moved into the American West.
The issue was that it was incredibly dry....
So full points for thoroughness but I didn't enjoy reading it really...
To focus on the positive, I liked the history of the Basques within Spain, the Venezuela stories, the excerpts they chose to share from their sources and the last two chapters of the book.
Seemed like dedicated authors who truly understood the issue.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

You have to get through the first 70 pages to really get into the groove. After that anyone who really knows their Mexican and Southwestern History will begin to recognize people, events and places important to the history of Mexico and the U.S.