Asturian-American Migration Forum

UPDATE
----------

The finding of Manolita Poyuelo near Detroit, Michigan, brings the number of refugees known alive to 22. In addition, 2 others are believed to be deceased. That leaves 16 whose whereabouts are unknown:

Elvira Abadie
Luisa Abadie

Augustina Saez

Argimiro Diaz
Luis Diaz

Jose Fernandez Groba

Benigno Fernandez
Manuel Fernandez

Juan Garcia
Rosario Garcia

Germinal Luis

Dolores Ortiz
Rosa Ortiz

Albina Perez
Armonia Perez
Manuel Perez

The 22 persons, whose whereabouts are known , are scattered throughout 13 different states and 2 foreign countries.

Several people phoned me from San Antonio, Texas to tell me that the article written by Chris Vaughn in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, was also published today in the San Antonio Express-News.
As far as I'm concerned, the most important part of the story is the part about our search, so the more people that read it the better chance of finding somebody.

A REUNION ?

I talked to Manolita Poyuelo and found out that she's from Aragon, near Zaragoza. She's very enthusiastic about joining our group, and promised to contribute her story for our "book".
She mentioned that we should have a reunion. I've been told that many years ago there was talk about a reunion of the five or six people still in contact with each other, but it never happened. Manolita volunteered to call several members of the group about a reunion. It may just be that she may be a persuasive person, so maybe she can pull it off.

Corsino, you all have to quit stalling - you ain't so young anymore and the longer you wait the fewer people will be able to travel due to health problems.

Set a date and find a place geographically equidistant for all and get to work, telling everybody that on such and such date at such and such time you will all meet and to bring their photos with them.

A few years ago my hometown held the world meeting of the Uribelarrea family and people came from the five continents. It was a sight!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Corsino, tenéis que espabilar - ya no soys tan jóvenes y cuánto más esperéis menos gente podrá hacer el viaje por culpa de los achaques .

Fija una fecha y busca un sitio geográficamente equidistante para todos y manos a la obra. Avisa a todos que el tal fecha y en tal sitio os vais a reunir todos y que traigan las fotos.

Hace unos años la familia Uribelarrea celebró su reunión mundial en mi pueblo y vino gente de los 5 continentes. Fue espectacular!

Saludos
Terechu

Terechu

Of course, you are right. Right now I'm suggesting to the group that we should get organized. Maybe if we can get several people involved in planning a reunion, or any other activity, we could make it happen.

Terechu

Many thanks to you and your husband for taking the time, when traveling thru Aller, to determine that my hometown, Castandiello, is across the river from Escobio rather than Pineres.

Corsino, it was our pleasure. My husband already knew the place, but we both enjoyed it tremendously, especially finding your house in such a fairytale-like setting, on the very banks of the Aller River, with the beautiful orchard reaching almost to the river and the hill of Castandiello beyond, covered with chestnut trees - a little corner of paradise.

----------------------------------------------------------

Corsino, ha sido un placer. Mi marido ya conocía el lugar, pero los dos disfrutamos enormemente, especialmente al encontrar tu casa en un entorno tan de cuento de hadas, a la orilla misma del Río Aller, con su hermosa huerta que se extiende casi hasta el río y el monte de Castandiello detrás, cubierto de castaños - un pequeño rincón del paraíso.

Terechu

Terechu
Many thanks for the information on the "El exilio de los nin`os" exhibition.
I forwarded it to the members of our refugee group.
As I e-mailed you, Felipe Llerandi, who is from Llanes, Asturias, is interested in contacting the sponsors of the exhibition.
I agree with him that perhaps we should let the sponsors know about our small group that was brought to the U.S.
Eventually, maybe we could donate something to the exhibition too. I know that Felipe has written his memoirs " Castillos de Arena ", and I my own small book. In addition, we are in a project of compiling stories from about ten of us into a preliminary book. Later, we will expand and improve on it.

Link to Corsino's book on Amazon

Corsino.

Terechu
Thanks again for the information about the Fundacion Pablo Iglesias.
I think that in the near future, Felipe Llerandi or I, or both, will try to contact it or any other appropriate organization to let them know about our small group here in the U.S. It may be necessary to go directly to the president of honor, Queen Sofia (broma).

Corsino, you guys would do well to make yourselves heard, because the new Government has recognized the "Niños de la guerra" as "exiles", which means that you are entitled to get back your Spanish nationality, with all the rights it entails (free medical care if you decide to return, right to vote, etc.)

The Vicepresident, Maria Teresa Fernández de la Vega is also leading a commission to give assistance to those of you who might need it. Pensions have been granted to 225 "Niños" who remained in Russia, and those who wished to return were assited in finding low-rent or rent-free apartments, etc.

http://www.afar2rep.org/Noticias/pensiones.htm

As to Queen Sofía, she was an exile herself, but from Greece. And King Juan Carlos' whole family were exiled in Portugal during the Franco years.

Por favor Terechu, no compares a Juanito Borbón y Sofía Gloksburg con los miles de españoles que tuvieron que escapar de su tierra. Que ambas familias se tuvieron que "exiliar" por apoyar dictaduras...

Terechu

I suppose it's in people's nature to want to be heard but I , for one, not for the benefits you mentioned. Maybe in the distant past, if conditions had been different I might have returned to Spain. But now it is too late.

As for members of the royal family going into exile during the Franco regime, I find that somewhat peculiar. I would have thought they would be in good standing with the dictator.

Bueno, Berodia, creo que debería explicar que esto viene a cuento de que la Reina es la presidenta de honor de la exposición "El exilio de los niños", no porque a mí me haya entrado una vena monárquica. Supongo que ella habrá tenido nostalgia de su tierra como todos. Además, no los comparé con nuestros "niños de la guerra", sólo dije que eran exiliados y es la pura verdad. Uno no escoge a sus padres y ellos tenían tan poca culpa como cualquier otro niño. Es muy jodido que no te dejen volver a tu casa durante 30 o 40 años, ni siquiera de turista.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

OK, Berodia, I think I should explain that this has come up because the Queen is the honorary president of the exhibition "El exilio de los niños", not because I've suddenly become a monarchist. I presume that she must have yearned for her homeland like everybody else. Besides, I didn't compare them to our "children of the war", I just said that they were exiles and that's absolutely true. You do not choose your parents and they were as innocent as any other child. It's pretty damned rough not being allowed to return home for 30 or 40 years, not even as a tourist.

Corsino, I don't really know what exactly happened , but King Juan Carlos was born in exile in Rome and spent his childhood in Portugal. I know Franco didn't like his father, and his father absolutely loathed Franco, but I don't know what's behind this dislike.

Does anybody know the story of why Don Juan was passed by and Juan Carlos designated heir to the throne?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Corsino, realmente no sé que pasó, pero el Rey Juan Carlos nació en el exilio en Roma y se se crió en Portugal. Sé que a Franco le caía mal su padre, y que su padre detestaba a Franco, pero no sé que habría detrás.

¿Sabe alguien la historia de por qué se saltaron a Don Juan y nombraron heredero a Juan Carlos?

Habrá que leer algún libro de historia para enterarnos bien del tema.

Si mal no recuerdo, Juan Borbón, hijo de Alfonso XIII, no veía con mal ojo el régimen de Franco. Lo que pasa es que con el tiempo, se dió cuenta que Franco no tenía la más mínima intención de dejar de ser jefe del estado, y claro eso era incompatible con sus ganas de reinar. Ahí empezó sus escarceos con la oposición al régimen, incluidos sectores "democráticos" que luego les vino muy bien a los borbones y amigos para revisitar la biografía de Juan.
De ahí, lo que yo llamaría "rivalidad". Juan no dudo en mandar su hijo Juanito a la vera del dictador y dejar que este eduque a su hijo. Franco que lo tenía todo atado y bien atado, supuso, creo yo, que Juanito estaría mejor adoctrinado.
Hay que recordar que Juan era heredero, porque un hermano mayor "renunció" por ser sordo, y otro por haberse casado con una mujer que no era de sangre real (como cambian las cosas).

Dices "Uno no escoge a sus padres y ellos tenían tan poca culpa como cualquier otro niño". Tienes en parte razón, pero estos son lo que son por ser hijos de fulanito y menganita. Y si son herederos para lo bueno (el trono) deben de serlo para lo malo, y pagar por las culpas de sus ancestros. Eso de que se coge lo que me va bien, y para lo otro quiero ser como cualquiera, como hizo Felipín casandose con Leticia con zeta por otros llamada "la doña", a mi no me vale. O todo o nada.

Un saludo y feliz navidad.