(Original idea from the Catalan Lluis Gon Saga, adapted to Basque)
It is not easy for Basques to live as Basques everywhere and at all times, not even in the most Basque-speaking areas of our country. What is normal in many nations—the fact that one can live through one’s own language—becomes something unusual in our oppressed and colonized nation. As a result of French and Spanish colonial policies, Basque speakers today form a minority in our country, and the legal framework favors Spanish and French, even in places where Basque is an official language. In our context, a conscious Basque speaker who wishes to maintain linguistic coherence must make a titanic effort to be able to live through Basque in their daily life. All of us who want to live in the native language of Euskal Herria frequently have to endure hostile glances, humiliations, and aggressive responses.
The desire to express oneself in Basque often gives rise to uncomfortable situations known as “linguistic stress.” This issue was discussed in another article on this website (https://www.naziogintza.eus/en/lets-talk-about-linguistic-stress/). Reducing linguistic stress without giving up our linguistic coherence does not seem easy. There is no magic solution, but we found it interesting to bring here the methodology proposed by the Catalan Lluís Gon Saga and adapt it to the Basque language context with some modifications. These are six rules that the author has put into practice for years with good results. Their application in everyday life is feasible and helps to avoid many frustrations. They consist of maintaining an appropriate attitude and having suitable responses, and in our country this approach has been worked on in several workshops on linguistic behavior.
RULE 1: I always speak in Basque to everyone, regardless of their skin color. I only make an exception for tourists, and only when it is absolutely necessary. With anyone who lives here, even if they have just arrived, my first words are always in Basque.
RULE 2: I never say anything about the language other people speak. Others can speak whatever language they want, as long as they respect my language.
RULE 3: When someone who has never spoken Basque before dares to speak it, I continue the conversation normally, as if nothing special were happening: I neither get overly excited nor shower them with false praise by saying they speak it very well. I don’t even mention it. It may seem contradictory, but I have found this to be the best response. On the other hand, if I tell them that they speak “excellent” Basque, or talk to someone else about it in front of them, it embarrasses them and they immediately switch to Spanish.
RULE 4: I never get angry or argue about whether I have the right to speak Basque, just as I would not argue about my right to live. Rights are not debated; they are exercised. If someone tries to provoke me with an offensive remark, I ignore it as if I had not heard it. And I never argue in Spanish about my right to speak Basque: doing so would be to lose the debate before it even begins.
RULE 5: I do not accept “mediators”: those who step in and criticize you when they hear you speaking Euskera to an immigrant, proudly presenting themselves as more “open-minded” and “supportive” than you. I make it clear to them, firmly but without getting angry, that I do not need their help.
RULE 6: When someone tells me they don’t understand Basque, I reply with a simple question, always gently: “Why?” That usually shatters all their assumptions—they have probably never been asked that question so clearly and naturally. And no, they usually don’t get angry. Only those who harbor a visceral hatred toward the Basque language do. With the latter, I try to disappear as quickly as possible, and that’s it. Normally, they reply that they didn’t learn Basque as children or that they haven’t had a long relationship with the language. Then, first in Basque and then in Spanish, I tell them that the process of learning the Basque language is very rewarding and that knowing it opens up many possibilities. And I continue doing whatever I was doing—whether ordering a coffee or whatever else—first in Basque and then in Spanish so that they can learn the words. And I always remain kind and never get angry.
