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On June 11, American Anthropologist, historian and specialist in Basque studies, William A. Douglass, presented Vascos en Cuba in Havana, the proceedings from the 2015 Euskal herria Mugaz Gaindi conference that also took place in Havana.  The presentation was attended by Asier Vallejo, Director of the Basque Community Abroad, and Renato Garcia Eguzquiza, President of the Basque club in Havana. 

Havana, Cuba.   The presentation of Vascos en Cuba took place on June 11th at the University College “San Geronimo” in Havana and was attended by some 50 people, members of the local Basque club and Cubans who are interested in Basque culture.

The event was attended by William A. Douglass, American anthropologist and co-founder of the Center for Basque Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno.  Douglass coordinated the edition of this book that gathers the papers presented at the 2015 seminar on Basque emigration, Euskal Herria Mugaz Gaindi that took place in Havana.  Along with Douglass was Asier Vallejo, Director of the Basque Community Abroad and Renato Garcia Eguzquiza, president of the Cuban Euskal Etxea.

The presentation began with a welcome from the Basque club president who highlighted the figure of Douglass and his contribution to Basque culture and, especially, to the research of Basque history in Cuba.  The event continued with a dance by the newly-formed Basque club dance group, who performed “Arrantzaleak.”

Douglass stressed that this book is just the first chapter of the history of the Basques in Cuba, and made an invitation to continue working in this sense and begin working on chapter two.  The event continued with Asier Vallejo talking about the importance of holding the Euskal Herria Mugaz Gaindi conference in Cuba and supported the words of Douglass in the sense that this book is only the beginning of various chapters to come.

The presentation was followed with great interest by the audience, including several of them offering their help in the compilation of the Basque history in Cuba.  Several copies of the book were given to those in attendance, and according to the Basque club, copies of the book have also been sent to the most important libraries in the country.

The event was attended by the local media, including a journalist of Juventud Rebelde, also of Basque descent, Edel Lima Sarmientos.