Asturian-American Migration Forum

Hola a todos.
la semana pasada terminé de grabar la parte de mi documental correspondiente a Asturias, concretamente a Castrillón (Arnao, Piedras Blancas, Salinas, San Martín, Santa María del Mar)
Estoy muy contento con el resultado final, con la gran acogida de la gente, con los esfuerzos y generosidad de la Asociación de Vecinos de Santa María del Mar, con la lluvia que cubrirá de nostalgia y melancolía ese paisaje asturiano...
Estoy muy decepcionado con la respuesta del Alcalde de Castrillón, José María León, el único tanto en EEUU como en Asturias que me dio plantón en la entrevista concertada. Aún espero (en vano) una explicación por su parte. También me han decepcionado los responsable de la Asturiana de Zinc SA, concretamente su jefe de personal, sr. Díez Vaquero, que me negó la entrada a las zonas en desuso de la fábrica de Arnao, despreciándome a mí, mi trabajo, y a los tres jubilados que me acompañaban y dejaron su vida trabajando en una fábrica que tiene más historia e historias de las que ese tipejo imagina.
Le he dado a Art unas fotos de la Banda de Gaitas de Castrillón frente al Castillete de la Mina de Arnao. A principios de febrero colgaré algunas más, con la reunión que hice en el local de Sta. María con los más viejos de la comarca.
Un saludo,
Luis Argeo


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Hello to everybody.
Last week I finished the recording of the documentary film that concerns to Asturias, concretely to Castrillón (Arnao, Piedras Blancas, Salinas, San Martín, Santa Maria del Mar)
I am very happy with the final result, with the great welcome of the people, with the efforts and generosity of the Association of Neighbors of Santa Maria del Mar, with the rain that will cover with nostalgia and melancholy our Asturian landscapes...
At the same time, I am very disappointed with the attitude of the Mayor of Castrillón, Jose Maria Leon, the only one in the U.S.A. as in Asturias that did not appear to our arranged interview. I am still waiting (in vain) for an explanation from him. Also the person in charge of Asturiana de Zinc SA has disappointed me, concretely its chief of personnel, Mr. Díez Vaquero, who denied me the entrance to the zones in disuse of the factory in Arnao, despising me, my work, and the three old workers that accompanied me and who left their lives working in a factory, this one, that has more history and histories than that stingy person imagines.
I have given to Art some photos of the Bagpipes Band of Castrillón in front of Arnao's Mine Tower. At the beginning of February I will hang some more, with the meeting that I did in Sta. Maria with the oldest of the county.
Greetings,
Luis Argeo

Hi, Luis,

Do you have an estimate of when the entire project will be done?

The photos of the Gaita Band of Castrillón are at the bottom of this page:
http://www.asturianus.org/album/asturianaPhotos.html
I've also pasted them below.

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Hola, Luis,

¿Sabes cuándo el proyecto entero será completo?

Las fotos de la Banda de gaitas de Castrillón están al fondo de este página:
http://www.asturianus.org/album/asturianaPhotos.html
También las he puesto abajo.


Members of La Banda de Gaitas de Castrillón stand in front of the door to the coal mine at Arnao's old zinc factory.



Three gaita players of the Banda de Gaitas de Castrillón stand with their backs to the Mar Cantábrico or Bay of Biscay.



Alvaro, one of the Banda de Gaitas de Castrillón's youngest members, stands with the beach at Arnao behind him.

¡Hola Luis! ¡Hola a todos!: ¿veis que bonito es Arnao?, pues ahi me crié yo, viendo esa maravilla todos los dias.

Es curioso, como una simple palabra puede abrir la ventanita de los recuerdos, eso es lo que me acaba de pasar, al leer el post de Luis. Veràs, antes, delante del castillete, donde ahora hay un suelo de losetas, habia un lavadero de piedra, con tejado de zinc, ahí iban las mujeres de "Arnao El Viejo" a lavar la ropa, era enorme, para mi, casi como una piscina (¡niños!) y el agua corria constantemente, fresca, deliciosa. Alli habia una puerta, que aun existe, por la que se accedia al interior.

El caso es, que un dia, mi pà (¿recuerdas a mi padre, Luis?) iba a entrar en el castillete y yo me agarré a él para que me dejase entrar tambien, recuerdo que no me soltó la mano ni un instante, allí adentro habia un pozo enorme, estaba oscuro y papá me dio una piedra y me dijo que la tirara al pozo y que me quedara muy callada escuchando, que contara despacito para mi, no recuerdo cuanto llegué a contar, mucho, al cabo se escuchó ¡flop!, la piedra habia llegado al agua.

No se que edad podia tener, quizás 6 u 8 años, y por supuesto una capacidad inmensa para maravillarme. Por el tiempo transcurrido hasta que la piedra llegó al agua. Por aquel sonido distante y con eco. Y por la historia que me conto mi pà, de que allì, donde ahora estaba el agua de la mar, antes habia una mina, donde habian trabajado mis abuelos y mis bisabuelos.

Creo que yo tambien tengo que darle las gracias a Luis, por la lagrimita tonta y sentimental que se me acaba de caer.

Es una lástima lo del alcalde y la gente de AZSA, està visto que algunas personas nunca cambian , lo siento tambien por Juan y Nacho, que parecian muy identificados con esta historia cuando participaban en el foro.

Os cuelgo otra foto de Arnao, esta es de los años 50 mas o menos, ahora faltan un par de edificios, el que tiene como una gran chimenea cuadrada (que era un respiradero de la mina) en el medio de la foto, y la casa con tres filas de ventanas abajo en la playa.


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Translated by Leto

Hi Luis! Hi everyone! Have you seen how pretty Arnao is? There is where I grew up, seeing that gorgeous beach every day.

It is funny how a simple word can open the window of the memories, and that’s what just happened after reading Luis’ post. Some time ago, in front of the castillete, where now there is a stone walk, there was a lavadero in stone, with the roof tiled. The women from “Old Arnao” used to go there to do the laundry; it was massive, to my eyes, nearly as big as a swimming pool (kids!) and the water ran constantly, fresh, delicious. There was a door, which still exists, through which you could go to the interior of the mine.

The thing is that one day, my dad (do you remember my dad, Luis?) was going into the Castillete and I grabbed him tight to get in too; I remember he didn’t let go of my hand for one minute; inside there was a big shaft, it was all dark and dad gave me a stone and asked me to throw it to the shaft and stay still, very quiet, listening, and to count slowly… and I cannot remember how much I counted, a lot, and then we could hear a flop!: the stone had reached the water.

I don’t know I old I was, perhaps 6 or 8, and obviously I had an enormous capacity to be amazed… by the time it took for the stone to reach the water; by that distant sound and echo; by the story my dad told me about the fact that there, where the sea water is, there was a mine once, where my grandparents and my great-grandparents had worked a long time ago.

I think I also have to say thanks to Luis, for this stupid and sentimental tear that just dropped.

It’s a shame that thing of the mayor and the people from AZSA; some things never change ; I am also sorry about Juan and Nacho, they seemed to be very interested in the story during their participation in the forum.

This is a photo of Arnao, from the 50s, more or less; now there are 2 buildings missing, that one with the square chimney in the middle of the picture (which was a ventilation hole of the mine), and the house with the three windows on a row down there on the beach.

Fantásticas, las fotos. Gracias Mafalda y Art.
En cuanto a la soberbia del alcalde de Castrillón y del jefe de personal de AZSA, ¿qué se le va hacer? Unos están en política para forrarse y no tienen tiempo para proyectos culturales y otros se creen tan importantes porque son jefes de personal, que no les llega la camisa al cuerpo. En ambos casos habría que recordarles que esos puestos no son vitalicios y mañana a lo mejor serán ellos los que tengan que depender de la buena voluntad de los demás.

Yo, como soy muy necia, iría más arriba en AZSA. Hablaría con el director de la factoría o con el consejero delegado: casi siempre son más tratables que los popotitos (jefecillos intermedios)
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Fantastic photos. Thanks Mafalda and Art.
As to the arrogance of the mayor of Castrillón and the personnel manager of Asturiana de Zinc, what can we do? Some folks get into politics just to get rich and have no time for cultural activities and others consider themselves so all-important because they are personnel managers that they levitate rather than walk. Maybe both should be reminded that they will not hold those positions all their lives and that someday they may come to depend on other people's goodwill.

Stubborn as I am, though, I would just go higher at AZSA. I would talk to the production or plant manager or even the chairman of the board: these people are almost always easier to talk to than the mid-range managers.

¿Pero cómo me podéis hacer esto? A una Arnao le toca fibra sensible... cuántos veranos abajo en la playa... ¡cuántas cicatrices tengo en las piernas de escalar esas rocas!
Gracias Luis por las fotos, son geniales; casi tan buenas como la que tengo en el salón (tamaño póster) . Y gracias Mafalda por la historia... te echaré una sonrisa por cada lágrima.

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How can you do this to me? Arnao touches me a little… how many summers down there in the beach… how many scars I have in my legs for climbing those rocs!!
Thanks Luis for the pictures, they are great; almost as good as the one I have in my living room (poster size) . And thanks Mafalda for your story... I will give you a smile for every single tear.

Yo, como soy muy necia, iría más arriba en AZSA. Hablaría con el director de la factoría o con el consejero delegado:

Terechu ¿Sabes la respuesta que nos suele dar la cúpula de AZSA cuando se les solicita ayuda para hacer alguna revista del municipio, algún certamen, algún acto cultural?
La Asturiana de Zinc está para hacer zinc.

Do you have an estimate of when the entire project will be done?

Art, I can not answer yet. I have just started to check all the tapes, and think in a script. I would like to see it with any kind of form, shape, by the end of march... I am working alone in the dark

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Stubborn as I am, though, I would just go higher at AZSA. I would talk to the production or plant manager or even the chairman of the board

Terechu. Do you know the usual answer that the chiefs up in AZSA give when you ask for some help to publish a local magazine, fanzine, or to celebrate some cultural act?
Asturiana de Zinc is here to make zinc

¿Sabes cuándo el proyecto entero será completo?

Art, aún no puedo responder. Acabo de empezar con la revisión de las cintas, y a pensar en el guión. Me gustaría verlo con algún tipo de forma para finales de marzo... Estoy trabajando solo en la oscuridad.

Estupendas las fotos Luis, gracias.
Mafalda esa foto es de la celebración del centenario de la RCA de Minas, fue un gran evento, igual hubo hasta 20 o 30 coches en Arnao. El gobierno de Belgica condecoró con este motivo a varios trabajadores con la Medalla al Trabajo, yo era un niño pues creo que fue en 1953, pero recuerdo a mi abuelo con su medalla de oro en la solapa.
La casa de tres filas de ventanas tuvo un problema con su vecina la mar y la derribaron. La que hay que hay al lado de la chimenea cuadrada eran las "casetas" del Recreativo de Arnao CF. Al lado del lavadero habia una peluqueria donde Nicasio cortaba el pelo los Jueves y Sábados y más allá la entrada al casino de obreros (el de empleados estaba en Salinas) y al cine, a la puerta se ponia a vender Maria con su cesta de golosinas que en realidad eran solamente pirulis, trufas, pan de higo, higos pasos y unas pequeñas rosquillas, con el tiempo llegó a incorporar el chicle a su oferta y, a escondidas, sacando el género del mandíl, tambien vendia cigarrillos sueltos, petardos y restallones.
Lo de AZSA es una pena, despues de la apertura de Pérez Moreda la nueva dirección ( a pesar de ser hijo, nieto y bisnieto de obreros de la RCA) ha vuelto al oscurantismo de otras épocas que creiamos superadas. ¡Una lástima!. No se a que demonios pueden tener miedo a estas alturas, no se dan cuenta que la historia ni es ni será de su propiedad.

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Translated by Leto

Luis, the pictures are brilliant, thanks.
Mafalda, that is a picture of the celebration of the RCA of Mines centenary; it was a great event; there were nearly 20 or 30 cars in Arnao. Because of the centenary, The Belgium Government awarded several workers a Medal for Work; I was a kid because I think this was around 1953, but I remember my granddad with his golden medal in the lapel.
The house with three rows of windows had a problem with its neighbour the sea and it was demolished. The ones next to it with the square chimney are the cabins of the “Recreativo de Arnao CF”. Next to the laundry house there was a hairdressers where Nicasio used to cut the hair on Thursdays and Saturdays and further away there was the entrance to the worker’s casino (the one for employees was in Salinas) and the cinema; Maria used to stand in the door with her basket of treats which were in fact just “pirulis”, truffles, fig bread, figs and small doughnuts; with time, she included chewing gum in the offer and, hiding it inside her apron, she also sold loose cigarettes, firecrackers and “restallones”.
The people from AZSA are a pain; after the Perez Moreda took over (despite being son, grandson and great-grandson of RCA workers) the factory has come back to the dark ages that we all thought it was over. What a pity! I don’t know what on earth they are afraid of now; don’t they realise that the history is not and will not be of their property?

Please inform me when this program is to be aired. I have friends in WV that can record it for me and am very interested in seeing it.

The last time I checked, it was still off in the indefinite future. I hope we receive advance notice. Maybe Ron González will see it announced and thus be able to let us know.

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La última vez que comprobé, era todavía lejano en el futuro indefinido. Espero que nos den un preaviso. Tal vez Ron González lo verá anunciado y así sea capaz de avisarnos.

Hi Art
If I see anything I will let you know , hope you had a good trip. I will be looking for you this summer, take care .

Hello everybody !
Let me introduce myself to you.
My name is Gloria Roset. I am a girl from Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain.
This past August, I visited " the Mountain State" to attend to the Appalachian String band Music Festival, a.k.a., Clifftop, WV because I am an Old Time music fan.
I really had a good time there and I had the chance to meet John Lilly.
John is an skilled singer, songwriter, musician and dancer ( he used to be a member of the Green Grass Cloggers dance team). He has three excellent CDs ( Broken Moon, Last chance to dance and Blue Highway a collaboration with the late Ralph Blizard) and very soon he will have another one. He is also the editor of GOLDENSEAL magazine.

Well, in 2001( Winter issue) Goldenseal published an artcile about Spaniards in Southern West Virginia entitled " En las montañas" written by Thomas Hidalgo and when I met John at Clifftop, few weeks ago, he asked me about ASTURIAS and told me that there was a man who recently did a documentary about the Asturian community in West Virginia.

Ten days ago, when I returned to Barcelona, after my trip to the States, I had a wonderful surprise when I read a newspaper here ( " El Periódico") and I saw that they had published an article written by Luis Argeo entitled " Asturianos en West Virginia". I wrote my friend John and he told me that Luis Argeo was the same man that did the documentary.

If anybody wants a copy of this article, I will be delighted to send that if you, please can give me and e-mail address.

Although I am Catalan and never have been to Asturias, I am really happy to know that there are people in the States proud of their heritage and their language, " el bable".


All the best,

Gloria Roset.
Barcelona.

Gloria
Yes, we are a proud bunch of Asturians in West Virginia who, in my case, never miss the opportunity to talk up our heritage. We are not the large community that we once were but there are still a few of us here. We will never be able to thank our parents and grandparents enough for having the courage to leave home to come to their new home.

Welcome, Gloria!

Some of my friends went to Clifftop!

If you have an electronic copy of the article, you could start a new thread in "Events" and add it to the forum. It'd be neat to read it.

Luis is a great person and a good friend. I hope you get a chance to meet him and see his film.

Tom Hidalgo, another very interesting person, still lives in WV, I think, so you could probably meet him next time you're here.

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¡Bienvenida, Gloria!

¡Algunos de mis amigos fueron a Hilltop!

Si tienes una copia electrónica del artículo, puedes empezar un hilo nuevo en "Acontecimientos" y añadirlo al foro. Sería fantástico leerlo.

Luis es un persona fenomenal y buen amigo. Espero que tienes la oportunidad encontrarle y ver su documental.

Tom Hidalgo, otra persona muy interesante, aún vive en WV, creo; entonces quizás puedas reunirte con él la próxima vez estás allí.