Is there possible in 2015 to feel like your language,
your culture or your look has something so wrong that other people may enjoy
the death of your peers? After the dramatic event regarding the Germanwings
plane crash I found out that intolerance isn’t just a distant scent from a far
away age of humanity. Intolerance is still here among us, and it looks worse
than ever. A friend of mine, who was born in Catalonia, led me into a series of
articles and blogs talking about the diffuse hate towards Catalans. I mean, I
am not dumb, I know something similar is happening everyday in Italy with the
North and the South, but romantically I have been growing up thinking that
outside these borders there were better stories to tell about brotherhood. Or
maybe not.
I asked this friend if it was possible to interview
him about how it feels to be part of a Nation trying to win its own
independence, he kindly accepted.
- At what age did you realize to be of a
different nationality compared to the geographic state where you lived (Spain)?
I remember when I was very young and I walked alone the streets of Sant
Sadurnì d’Anoia (at the time there were 9.000 inhabitants) sometimes tourists
stopped me for information about streets and other things. Most of them talked
to me in Spanish and I remember me trying to answer with a lot of effort. At
school we had to attend 2 hours per week of Castilian language. Above all I
remember our meetings with the "Guardia Civil" when I was a little
older. The first thing they used to say to us was: "A mi me hablas en
español!"
- I am
sorry, who were them?
They were agents of the police (the Spanish version) who lived and
worked in Catalonia and obviously they understood also Catalan but to look
superior and not be offended they wanted people not to speak in Catalan to
them. Usually if someone is Spanish but understands Catalan, is normal to keep
speaking Catalan, instead with them (Guardia Civil) was impossible because
simply they did not like Catalan. Fortunately, since 2005 (approximately), the
Civil Guard are gone in Catalonia, we have our own police of the Catalan
Government (Mossos d' Esquadra) which sometimes, however, is even worse (many
cases of torture, but this is a different story...)
I’d like to specify that I am always available to speak Spanish when
needed, of course I feel more confortable speaking my mother tongue.
- What
did you learn at school about Catalonia?
This is a tough question! It wasn’t only school…
Since the beginning you have to learn two languages, but you are going to use
one of them only when you leave Catalonia. When I was in school it was hard to
realize that I lived in a specific region, until they taught us about how
Catalonia had lost its independence in 1714. However since we were little, we
had been taught about our specific culture, traditions, things that are done
only in Catalonia and you start to associate these things to a language and a
flag. Like when we celebrate the “castanyera" (chestnut festival),
"els panellets" (along with the chestnuts for All Saints), Sant Jordi
(our national holiday and patron). This one, for example, is also the celebration
of the roses and the books: it is tradition to give a rose to the girl you like
(or your mom) and in exchange the “girl” will give you a book, well when you
become older you should give a book with the rose! Definitely one of the most
important day of the year with September 11th (Catalonia National Day). When
you are a child all these celebrations look just normal, only to realize they
are celebrated exclusively in Catalonia and most Spanish do
not know about these festivities.
- Growing
up how have you felt different from your Spanish neighbors?
Precisely, with all these traditions and our own
culture and the way you think. For example since we were kids they taught us
the “culture of saving”, especially because our grandparents lived through the
war, the Francoist age, the fear when Catalan was banned as a language; the
need to hide money and all this was experienced at least by two generation: my
grandparents and my parents. It’s still a strong feeling even if we already
think a little differently in this regard.
- Has
there ever been a time when you had been offended, mocked or treated
differently because you are Catalan?
So many times... If I read the newspapers and the
comments on the news, surely I would feel insulted every day. Nowadays with new
technologies and the tendency to comment on everything, it’s even easier to
give your opinion on something. That allows a lot of people to say shitty
things and talk about Catalans or other populations in bad terms. It’s a good
example what happened on Twitter after the Germanwings plane crash.
Luckily is not always like this! I have many
friends in Spain and most of them won’t behave like that.
- In your
opinion, why so many people voted in favor of Catalonia independence during the
2014 informal vote?
For many years Catalonia tried to change some
fiscal policies, since we give more than we receive, there are some negative
aspects, which are leading to the sensation that the policy of Spain is looking
more and more like the old Franco’s regime. Generally speaking we do not see
any positive change for Catalonia and people who weren’t nationalists before
now are. Entire families, the young, the old, all now are in favor of
independence. Plus in Spain we are hot-blooded and when there is something
wrong we demonstrate for our rights peacefully (mostly). This unity is showing
people how solid we are and that is encouraging more people to join this
movement.
- Right
after the Germanwings plane crash there have been many cruel comments against
the Catalans who had died in that tragedy, and many blogs and newspaper wrote
about it. Why, in your opinion, is there this hate towards Catalans?
This theme makes me nervous, I would never comment
an event like that with such expressions. If a plane full of Spaniards fell, I couldn’t
express happy feelings. I could not say that I am happy because there would be
less Spanish people in the world! I cannot even imagine how someone could think
things like these. What can you say about comments like those? This can only
cause more hatred and enlarge the gap between Catalonia and the rest of Spain. I
do not know the reason why there is this feeling, are people envy? Envy of
what? I do not know, there should be more respect towards others.
- When
you moved to Italy, people knew that your mother tongue wasn’t Spanish?
Some of them knew, some other didn’t. Most of them
thought that Catalan was a simple dialect and they compare it to the South
Tyrol situation: “you are just like the South Tyrolean people”.
Being Catalan is not easy even in Italy, starting
for example with the right pronunciation of my name, that’s something common.
- Do you
see more pros than cons about the fact of coming from a region that wants to be
independent, full of pride and that desire to be unique more than conform to
the rest of Spain?
I always thought of this as an advantage! I don’t see any negative side
on this. If you do, tell me what it is.
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Well, a couple of years ago I have been in Barcelona and I had been
ignorant. I spoke Spanish all the time pretending to be understood. I didn’t do
my homework, I didn’t try to understand the history of the place and the pride
of the people. I didn’t get how important it was for them to be able to speak
their own language and show tourists how particular and magnificent it is to be
part of a different culture.
Luckily there is still time to understand cultures, to comprehend new
languages and enrich our vision with the perk of being part of a world full of
wonderful diversities.
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