Overview

This is an unpublished manuscript by Manu de la Sota. It is the diary of his trip, as a member of the Basque Government in exile in New York, accompanied by Antonio de Irala, in December 1938 to the states of Utah, Nevada, Idaho, and Oregon, with the aim of garnering solidarity from the Basque community scattered throughout these territories of the American West. At a tragic moment in Basque history marked by defeat in the civil war and exile, Manu discovers hundreds of Basques who are far removed, both in space and perhaps also in time, from the country they come from. Manu Sota's discerning and thoughtful pen, always with a heterodox twist, offers the most diverse and interesting reflections, sometimes humorous, on people's characters and the ideas that shape our lives. The travel diary is supplemented by texts presenting the documentary Guernika, speeches to the Basques of the Far West broadcast on the radio or published in the Boise newspaper, and various letters and reports for the Basque Government in exile.

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9781967179084

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The son of businessman Ramón de la Sota, Manu studied law at Cambridge and, leaving his family's business behind, devoted his best efforts to Basque culture and the independence movement. During Alfonso XIII's dictatorship, he was one of the leading figures of the Mendigoxale movement, publishing articles under the pseudonym ""Txanka"" in the weekly newspaper Jagi-Jagi. He was also one of the main promoters of popular Basque theater during the years of the Republic. During the Civil War, Manu, who had been president of Athletic Bilbao soccer team, was one of the promoters of the Basque National Team that traveled around the world in those dark days. He also organised the Eresoinka choir, which toured numerous cities in Europe promoting Basque music, dance and culture. In 1938, he participated in the establishment of the Basque Delegation in New York, where he worked as a delegate until the late 1940s.

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