Asturian-American Migration Forum

Three more found:

Juan and Jose Ruiz..........Plant City, Florida
Antonio Ruiz....................Wallingford, Connecticut

This is wonderful, Corsino!

Are you all considering a reunion? I could imagine that would be very satisfying.

best wishes, Art

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¡Qué maravilla, Corsino!
¿Consideran este grupo hacer una reunión o reencuentro? Podría imaginarme que sería un experiencia conmovedora.

saludinos, Art

Art,
No. At the present time we are not considering a reunion. I understand that several years ago, when a few were still in contact with each other, they tried to organize a reunion. But people are so scattered, that it never materialized and it fizzled. Then most stopped communicating or lost track of each other.
We are "talking" about collaborating on a book. But we have to determine how many would participate, what format we would use, etc....
Donna Sweeney has volunteered to do the "page makeup", but we'll have to see if there's enough people willing to participate.

That's an interesting idea. I like that!

By the way, it's very easy to set up and maintain an "email list". You can do that with Yahoo or other sites, and it's usually free. Then when any of you write to the list, all of you get a copy of the email. The emails and any other info you want to store are archived on the Yahoo site. Of course, everyone would have to be online for that to work.

An email list is a very good way for a group like yours to communicate more efficiently. If you're writing a book an email list would be really helpful and might get the juices flowing.

Of course, you could also have a forum like this, with all the different topics and threads you'd want. The downside is that a forum takes more time to manage. I don't know if free Web hosting a forum exists anymore. I doubt it. But for as little as $70 a year or so you can have your own domain name and basic Web hosting.

If necessary, all of these (email list, forum, or Web site) can be set up to be private, for access by members only.

Let me know if you need more info.

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Es una idea muy interesante. ¡Me encanta!

A propósito, es muy fácil establecer y mantener "una lista de correo electrónico". Puedes hacerlo con Yahoo u otros sitios, y es por lo general gratis. Entonces cuando cualquiera de tu grupo escribe a la lista, todos reciben una copia del correo electrónico. Los correos electrónico y cualquier otra información que quieres almacenar son archivados en el sitio de Yahoo. Desde luego, cada uno tendría que ser en línea para participar.

Una lista de correo electrónico es un ayuda muy bueno para un grupo como el tuyo para comunicarse de una manera más eficiente. Si escribís un libro, una lista de correo electrónico sería realmente provechosa y podría ser bueno para la creatividad y la memoria común.

Desde luego, también podrías tener un foro como esto, con todos los asuntos diferentes e hilos que querrías. La parte inconveniente es que un foro precisa más tiempo para crear y mantener. No sé si todavía existen hospedaje Web gratis para un foro. Lo dudo. Pero cuesta poco, algo como 70 dólares por año, y entonces puedes tener tu propio nombre de dominio y tu propia página del Web.

Si esta necesario, todos estos (la lista de correo electrónico, el foro, o el sitio Web) pueden ser instalados para ser privados, permitando acceso solamente por miembros.

Dime si quieres informes.

Art-
You are probably right in saying that setting up an e-mail list on Yahoo would be a good idea. However, most of us are not very computer literate and would have difficulty setting it up. Also, I personally detest having to remember another username and password. I do not register in many boards that require me to sign on.
At present, there's only a handful of us communicating, and it seems that I'm doing most of the communicating. People write e-mails to me on various subjects and ideas and I forward my answers and the original message to those on my e-mail list. So far it seems to work. I think people prefer to read their inbox mail directly without having to go to a message board. Sure, if this system becomes unworkable, your idea would be an option.

Hi, Corsino,

It sounds as though you're doing the work of Yahoo. So you don't need anything else. There's nothing wrong with that! For a small group, that's all you need.

Just to clarify, the Yahoo Groups' emails appear in your inbox, either as one daily email containing every message for that day, or as single emails as they are sent. Each person can choose how often they want the emails sent. Members only have to go to Yahoo to sign up once or to change any settings. Sign up is pretty easy. Emails are archived on the site, but I've only read them there once or twice.

There are other options, too, in which the person doesn't even have to go to a Web site to sign up for an email list. The interested person just responds to an email and it's taken care of automatically. I don't know of a way to do that that's free, though, so there'd be a least a little cost for a Web host and domain name. This is a technique many small businesses use to stay in contact with their customers or potential customers.

I forgot to mention earlier that another possibility is a "Blog" (Web log), which is a kind of online diary or running commentary. You post something and others respond. So, it can be a dialogue. Some of these are free, I think, and would be a lot like a forum, but probably less work to get going. Blogging has become very popular, partly because it's technically pretty easy.

Best wishes,
Art

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Hola, Corsino,

Muy bien, parece como si hagas el trabajo de Yahoo. Pues, no necesitas algo más. ¡No hay nada mal en esto! Para un grupo pequena, no hace falta más.

Para aclarar, en realidad, los los correos electrónicos de los Grupos de Yahoo aparecen en tu buzón electrónico, como un correo electrónico diario que contiene cada mensaje para aquel día, o como correos electrónicos uno por uno como son enviados. Cada persona puede escoger la frequencia de enviar que quieren para los correos electrónico. Los miembros sólamente tienen que visitar a Yahoo a suscribirse una vez o para cambiar sus elecciones. Suscribirse es bastante fácil. Los correos electrónicos son archivados en el sitio de Yahoo, pero sólo los he leído allí un par de veces.

Hay otras opciones, también. Un persona no tiene que ir a un página de Web a suscribirse, si la lista de correo electrónico tiene hospedaje como parte de un página Web (bueno, no necesitas una página, sólo hay que tener hospedaje Web y nombre de domino). La persona interesada solamente responde a un correo electrónico y esta suscrito automáticamente. No sé de un modo de hacer esto gratis. Entonces hay que pagar el coste menor para el hospedaje Web y el nombre de dominio. Esto es una método que muchos negocios pequeños emplean para quedarse en el contacto con sus clientes o clientes potenciales.

Olvidé de mencionar antes que hay otra posibilidad: un "Blog" (Web log), que es una especie de diario en línea o reportaje en directo. Pones un menaje y otros responden. Así que puede ser un diálogo. Algunos de estos son gratis, pienso, y es parecido a un foro, pero probablemente menos trabajo para crear y mantenar. El Blog se ha hecho muy popular, en parte porque es técnicamente bastante fácil.

Saludos,
Art

Art,
Thanks for your ideas. It may well be that someday we may try them. Right now, there's only four or five of us that are communicating. Although we send the messages to maybe ten more, the rest do not provide inputs.
Connection between us is relatively new and maybe fragile.I'm a little concerned that if we try something different too soon, people will gradually quit participating altogether.
As far as your ideas being easy to do, you probably are an expert. Many things are easy to do for an expert! Years ago, when I knew even less about computers than I do now, I'd have trouble doing something and would ask an expert about it. He/she would, with flying fingers, fix the problem and say "See, that's all you have to do". Of course, I had no idea what they had done!

You're right, Corsino. At this point you really don't need anything more complex than what you have going.

By the way, the messages you send to the others are a good idea even if they don't respond very often. On email lists and forums, those people are often called "lurkers". They'll pop into the discussion occasionally, but they generally prefer to just listen in.

Let me know if you want help setting anything up later on.

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Sí, tienes razón, Corsino. En este caso, realmente no necesitas nada más complejo de lo que ya tienes.

A propósito, los mensajes que envíaa a los demás son una idea buena incluso si ellos no responden muy a menudo. En las listas de correo electrónico y los foros, llaman estos personas "lurkers" (los que merodean). Ellos reventarán en la discusión de vez en cuando, pero generalmente prefieren solamente escuchar.

Avíseme si quieres una ayuda en establecer algo luego.

Update...
Our search has slowled down somewhat.

One reason is that I think that we have located the "easy" ones, not that they were really "easy". I have temporarily switched tactics, and am trying to get leads from individuals already located, as opposed to relying on internet searches.

Another reason is the time involved in organizing our project 'THE BOOK".
I think we'll have enough contibutors to make the project worthwhile. So far, five of us have agreed to participate. But we have to maintain interest, so the project won't die.

The hardest people to find will be the women. Most, if not all, of them probably married and changed their surnames. If any of the other refugees knew what town they may be living in, I can do a first name search. I have tried that already and I was very surprised by the number of people with even unusual names like Armonia, Maruja or Albina. But if I find out Armonia went to some place like Wyoming that would really narrow down a First Name Search.

Of course, if anybody knew who the women married that would be fantastic. I am still looking Corsino. Yesterday I sent out some Mass Mailings to people in the United States named Jose Fernandez, Benigno Fernandez, Esteban Martin, Encarnacion Rios and Germinal Luis. It is a long shot, but it is worth a try.

Strange Coincidence !!!

I may have already posted that we found Luis Galan. But actually, although we had his regular address, I had his e-mail address incorrect and all the messages were coming back.
I finally called his cousin, Jose Maria Palacios and got Luis' phone number.
So I called him. Now I was born in a very small hamlet of maybe six houses. Across the river, on the highway, was a town of maybe 100 people. That's where Luis Galan was born !!! What are the odds of that happening?

Corsino.

OK, here's where we could use some help from somebody in Asturias.
But first, the story:
Three Diaz brothers , Benjamin, Argimiro, and Luis, were part of the Spanish children that came to the U.S. on the Serpa Pinto in 1942.

To date, we haven't been able to locate them , except that we believe Benjamin is deceased.

I just found out that the Diaz were from Sama de Langreo, in Asturias. I can't find my map of Asturias, but I think Sama is close to La Felguera.

I also found out that one of the brothers used to write to relatives in Sama.
In other words, if we can locate the relatives in Sama, they may know where the Diaz brothers are in the U.S.

If anybody lives in the vicinity of Sama, could they look in a telephone book to see if the Diaz family still lives there?

I have a grandniece in Pola de Laviana and I've asked her if her father could do some checking too, but the more the merrier.

Corsino.

Hola Corsino, le hechaba de menos ,yo creo qué era mejor saber los dos apellidos ,porqué Díaz es un apellido muy corriente y por curiosidad he mirado en la guía telefónica de Langreo y hay más ó menos 200 personas con Díaz de primer apellido,me alegra qué vaya bién sú busqueda.saludos

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translated by Art
[Thanks to Carlos for explaining the first sentence]

Hello, Corsino,
I missed hearing from you in the forum.
I think that it would be better to know both surnames because Diaz is a very common surname. Out of curiosity, I've taken a look in the Langreo phone book and there are more or less 200 people with Diaz as a first surname.
It makes me happy that your search is going well.
Best wishes.

Corsino, this will a difficult task, because Sama is a large town and it's the capital city of the county of Langreo. The phone guide lists all "Diaz" under Langreo, there are 258 Diaz listed for the whole county and it does not specify whether they live in Sama, in La Felguera, in Lada, etc. The county of Langreo has about 50.000 inhabitants. Unless you know both their surnames or a family nickname it's going to be really difficult.

If we have a forum member living in Sama he/she might be able to trace their family by asking around. The very best, informal way to find out is by asking at the Savings & Loan bank, because all retirees draw their pensions through these public banks and the employees know absolutely all retirees in town, but of course they don't give out information like that unless they know you personally. Let's hope we get lucky.
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Corsino, esto va a ser una tarea difícil, porque Sama es una población grande y es la capital del concejo de Langreo. La guía telefónica trae a todos los Díaz por Langreo, hay 258 Díaz en todo el concejo y no se especifica si viven en Sama, en La Felguera, en Lada, etc. Langreo tiene unos 50.000 habitantes, así que a nor ser que sepas los dos apellidos o el apodo de la familia va a ser bastante difícil.

Si tuviéramos a alguien de Sama en este foro, podría localizar a su familia preguntando por allá. La mejor manera informal de enterarse es preguntando en la Caja de Ahorros, porque todos los jubilados cobran por la Caja y los empleados conocen a todos los jubilados del pueblo, aunque no darían este tipo de información a no ser que te conocieran personalmente. A ver si hay suerte.

Terechu

Thanks for the replies. I didn't realize that Sama was so large. On my second trip back to Asturias, I was taking a two-lane road from Mieres to La Felguera and I kept seeing road signs saying "Sama" and I was wondering if I was going in the right direction. I finally got to La Felguera, and never realized when I went thru Sama. So I thought it must be a very small town.
As for the second surname, my paperwork does not list second surnames for any of the children. But I'll check to see if any in our group happens to know the one for the Diaz brothers. But I doubt it.

Corsino.