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I Am Basque, wherever I Am

It’s been 15 years since I left the Basque Country. 15 years of building a life abroad, speaking other languages, adapting to new cultures. And yet, despite the distance, despite the time, my Basque identity has never faded. 

Being Basque isn’t just about where I was born. It’s in how I think, how I cook, how I speak. I never stopped being Basque when I moved away. But when you are no longer surrounded by your culture every day, you start to protect it more fiercely.

Between two worlds, never disconnected

Yes, I live in NL. Yes, my daily life now happens in another language, another culture. But I have learned that you can belong to two worlds and still stay grounded in who you are.

Every time I go back to the Basque Country, I feel something powerful wakes up in me. The smell, the music, the language, the food, the drinks, the landscapes, the mountains… the people. 

When I leave again, I take a piece of it with me to pass them on to my son.

My son was born here, in NL, far from Euskal Herria. He is growing up in a completely different world from the one I knew as a child. But one thing has not changed: I speak to him in Euskera. Being Basque means belonging to a people who have endured for thousands of years without ever blending into the background. Our language, Euskera, sets us apart. It is not just something we speak, it is something we feel. 

For me, Euskera is a symbol of resistance and resilience. I am proud to speak it, and even prouder to pass on to my son. I want him to grow up knowing where he comes from. I want him to feel that being Basque is something to be proud of, not just through stories or vacations. I want him to feel this pride through language. These are the words that shaped my identity and will shape his identity. 

Passing on Euskera is my way of keeping the flame alive. Not just for me, but for him. For the next generation of Basques who live far from Euskal Herria, but carry it in their hearts.

Gora Euskal Herria!

After 15 years abroad, I can say this with certainty: I have never stopped being Basque. 

I never will. 

It is who I am. 

And now, it is part of who my son is.

It matters, because he is Basque and Euskera is his heritage too.