From Suppression of the Catalan Language to the Independence Movement Today
Document Type
Poster Presentation
Keywords
Politics, Catalonia, Spain
Biography
This project investigates how historical suppression of the Catalan language may have contributed to the modern movement for secession.
Major
Spanish
Advisor for this project
Shannon Butler
Abstract
When thinking of the city of Barcelona, many may regard Spain without realizing that this famous Mediterranean destination is the capital of a nation called Catalonia. With approximately ten million Catalan speakers around the world (InformeCAT…), it is still not as well-known as the other Romance languages, yet it is at the center of a highly contentious topic— Catalan independence from Spain. Catalonia is one of the richest regions in the country with around 19 percent GDP; this includes many people from the poorer areas, like Andalusia, or South American immigrants living in Catalonia in search of jobs and better opportunities (Catalonia’s Bid for…). In order to preserve and promote their native tongue, the Catalan government offers free basic courses to the public, which is an excellent way of integrating immigrants into Catalan society. It is an official language not only in this autonomous region, but also in Valencia, the Balearic Islands, and the country of Andorra. Language is an integral aspect of a cultural identity, and this language has survived despite its history of persecution. The focus of this paper will be on the importance of language within the Catalonian context, how the historical suppression of it is relevant to the Catalan people’s nationalism, and how this aspect has fueled the modern independence movement that we see today.
From Suppression of the Catalan Language to the Independence Movement Today
When thinking of the city of Barcelona, many may regard Spain without realizing that this famous Mediterranean destination is the capital of a nation called Catalonia. With approximately ten million Catalan speakers around the world (InformeCAT…), it is still not as well-known as the other Romance languages, yet it is at the center of a highly contentious topic— Catalan independence from Spain. Catalonia is one of the richest regions in the country with around 19 percent GDP; this includes many people from the poorer areas, like Andalusia, or South American immigrants living in Catalonia in search of jobs and better opportunities (Catalonia’s Bid for…). In order to preserve and promote their native tongue, the Catalan government offers free basic courses to the public, which is an excellent way of integrating immigrants into Catalan society. It is an official language not only in this autonomous region, but also in Valencia, the Balearic Islands, and the country of Andorra. Language is an integral aspect of a cultural identity, and this language has survived despite its history of persecution. The focus of this paper will be on the importance of language within the Catalonian context, how the historical suppression of it is relevant to the Catalan people’s nationalism, and how this aspect has fueled the modern independence movement that we see today.
