Asturian-American Migration Forum

I was most fortunate to have attended the symposium on 24FEB and 25FEB. I was expecting good things from it, but frankly it far exceeded my
expectations....it was GREAT!!

All of the organizers did a fantastic job and I'm especially proud of the presentations our own web-site buddies did. Suronda's talk on the immigrants in West Virginia was fascinating and most informative. I was impressed at how such a small community was able to retain it's ethnic identity amidst such hardship and unfamiliar surroundings. Hearing of their experiences only increased my level of pride in my Asturian heritage!!

Bob's presentation on the Biological and Cultural Aspects of Asturian Identity offered an interesting insight as to how genetics may be used to better understand the mass movements of peoples and also how connected we all really are.

Art, our very special web-master, enthusiastically shared with the audience
the level of enthusiasm we all feel for this wonderful web-site and his presentation reminded me of how lucky we are to live in an age where people across the globe are able to inter-act and relate in search of a common goal or interest!!

Suronda's dad, Ron, is a great guy and contributed many personal recollections of his youth in the Asturian community of West Virginia.(The great first-person stories are the ones I enjoy the most). Bob's dad, Jack, is a true Asturian gentleman (though he was born in West Virginia) and was a reminder, to me, of the dignity and fortitude so many of our ancestors possesed. He was able to re-connect with a long-lost friend from his early childhood, a woman who lives in Florida and whom he had not seen in many, many years. This is what it's all about folks...what we in the USA call "connecting the dots"

Day 2, which was dedicated to the Cento Asturiano de Tampa and the Asturian experience in Tampa, went fairly well, but for me was a little disappointing. I don't feel that the Centro Asturiano de Tampa did a very good job of educating the audience as to the story of the immigrants in my community. Somehow, there was a deviation from the stated agenda of the symposium, and alot of time was spent on the history of the organization ITSELF, but not enough, if any, time on the story of the people who comprised the organization. There was an impressive representation of officials from Asturias, including the President of the University of Oviedo, a representative of the Fundacion Archivos de Indianos-Museo de la Emigracion,and several representatives of organizations promoting economic development in Asturias.

The day concluded with a whirlwind bus tour of one of Tampa's two historic Asturiano neighborhoods (Ybor City), including cigar factories, cemeteries, residential areas where most of Tampa's Asturianos formerly lived, the site of the former Sanatorio del Centro Asturiano, and sites pertinent to the other major immigrant groups, the Cubans and the Sicilians. The tour concluded with a drive thru the port area of Tampa, where most of the Asturianos disembarked after sailing to Tampa from Spain, ususally via
La Habana. This same port is where the tobacco was shipped from Western Cuba which provided the source of jobs for most of the immigrants. The tour was led by one of Tampa's favorite sons, Emiliano J. Salcines, a well-known lawyer/judge and the sons of immigrants from Santander and Asturias.

Personally,this second day served to motivate me to get involved locally in my own Centro Asturiano. The building needs alot of work and membership has dwindled from a peak of about 8,000 in the 1930's to only 300 now. My understanding is that El Centro Asturiano de Tampa was by far the largest in the USA and it's a gem that must be saved from extinction. I thank both this forum and the symposium for serving as catalysts for getting me off my butt and starting to help in this effort.

Sorry for going on long, but I was EXTREMELY impressed with this first symposium and strongly encourage all of you to try to attend next year's.
As Suronda, Bob, Art and I were saying our good-byes we all agreed that this was not an ending but a great beginning!!!

Once again, many thanks to all of you that contributed to the symposium.

Tony Carreno

PS..My God, am I in trouble!!! I forgot to mention two very impressive events at the symposium.

Kenya Dworkin y Mendez' presentation on the Spanish community of Donora, PA was great. Her insights on the importance of proper documentation techniques was very informative. On a personal note, I was overwhelmed by her knowledge of the immigrant communities of Tampa. Apparently she has been researching Tampa (formally and informally??) for about 10 yrs now and is writing a book about the unique blend of Spanish, Sicilian and Cuban cultures here in Tampa and the emergence of Tampa's rather unique use of the term "Latin", which refers to any person or anything of either of the 3 cultures, or any combination thereof. I immodestly consider myself a quasi-expert on Tampa's immigrant history, but this woman puts me to shame!! Kenya, my apologies for not mentioning you earlier. (Believe me, folks, you do NOT want a Cuban woman angry with you!!!!!!)

Also, on Friday evening we were treated to a beautiful concert by the Coral Avilesina. They are just fantastic....a capella...beautiful old and new Asturiano songs and a very nice rendition of our Star-Spangled Banner!!!
Afterwards we all had a great dinner together and got to mingle and chat.

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Transl. Terechu


Fui muy afortunado de poder asistir al Simposio del 24 y 25 de febrero. Esperaba mucho de ello, pero francamente superó con creces todas mis expectativas… fue GENIAL!

Todos los organizadores hicieron un gran trabajo y estoy especialmente orgulloso de las presentaciones de nuestros propios amigos de esta página web. La ponencia de Suronda sobre los inmigrantes en Virginia Occidental fue fascinante y muy informativa. Quedé muy impresionado de cómo una comunidad tan pequeña fue capaz de retener su identidad étnica en medio de tantas penurias y un entorno extraño. Escuchar sus experiencias aumentó aún más el orgullo que siento de mi herencia asturiana!!

La ponencia de Bob sobre los aspectos biológicos y culturales de la identidad asturiana proporcionó una visión de cómo se puede usar la genética para entender mejor las migraciones masivas de los pueblos y también para ver lo conectados que estamos en realidad.

Art, nuestro muy especial administrador de esta página web, compartió entusiasta con el público el gran entusiasmo que todos sentimos por esta página maravillosa y su presentación me recordó la suerte que tenemos de vivir en una época en que la gente de todo el globo tiene la posibilidad de interactuar y relacionarse en busca de una meta o interés común.

El padre de Suronda, Ron, es un gran hombre y aportó muchos recuerdos personales de su juventud en la comunidad asturiana de Virginia Occidental. (Las estupendas historias en primera persona son las que más me gustan). El padre de Bob, Jack, es un asturiano auténtico (aunque nació en V.O.) y para mi fue el recuerdo de la dignidad y fortaleza que poseían nuestros antepasados. Tuvo la ocasión de volver a encontrarse con una amiga de su primera infancia, una señora que vive en Florida y a quien no había visto en muchísimos años. Esto es de lo que se trata, chicos…los que en EE.UU. llamamos “conectar los puntos”.

El segundo día, que estuvo dedicado al Centro Asturiano de Tampa y la experiencia de los asturianos en Tampa, fue bastante bien, aunque a mí me decepcionó un poco. Considero que el CAT no estuvo muy fino a la hora de transmitir al público la historia de los inmigrantes en mi comunidad. De alguna manera se produjo una desviación de la agenda del simposio y se dedicó demasiado tiempo a la historia del propio Centro, y muy poco, o casi nada, a la historia de la gente que compusieron dicha organización. Hubo una representación impresionante de cargos oficiales de Asturias, inclusive el rector de la Universidad de Oviedo, un representante de la Fundación Archivo de Indianos-Museo de la Emigración y varios representantes de organizaciones que promueven el desarrollo económico de Asturias.

El día terminó con una visita relámpago en autobús a los distritos asturianos históricos (Ybor City), inclusive fábricas de cigarros, cementerios, áreas residenciales donde vivían antiguamente la mayoría de los asturianos de Tampa, el sitio donde se ubicaba el Sanatorio del Centro Asturiano, y barrios de otros de los principales grupos de inmigrantes, los cubanos y los sicilianos. La vuelta finalizó con un recorrido por la zona portuaria de Tampa, donde desembarcaron la mayoría de los asturianos que llegaban a Tampa desde España, normalmente con escala en La Habana. Este puerto es desde donde se exportaba el tabaco del occidente de Cuba, lo cual proporcionaba una fuente de empleo para la mayoría de los emigrantes. La visita fue guiada por uno de los hijos predilectos de Tampa, Emiliano J. Salcines, un conocido abogado/juez, hijo de inmigrantes santanderinos y asturianos.

A mí este segundo día me motivó para involucrarme localmente en mi propio Centro Asturiano. El edificio necesita un montón de trabajo y el número de socios ha ido disminuyendo de los 8.000 que tenía en los años 30 hasta los 300 que tiene ahora. Tengo entendido que el Centro Asturiano de Tampa fue con diferencia el mayor de todo EE.UU. y es una joya que hay que salvar de la extinción. Doy las gracias, tanto a este foro, como al simposio, por hacer de catalizador para hacer que levantara el culo del asiento y empezara a ayudar en este empeño.

Perdón por la dilatación, pero es que estoy EXTREMADAMENTE impresionado con este primer simposio y os animo a todos vosotros a que intentéis estar presentes el año que viene.
Cuando Suronda, Bob, Art y yo nos despedimos, quedamos todos de acuerdo de que esto no era un final, sino un gran comienzo!!!

De nuevo, muchas gracias a todos los que contribuisteis al simposio.

Tony Carreno

PD: Díos mío, que desastre!! Se me olvidó mencionar dos acontecimientos muy impresionantes en el simposio:


La ponencia de Kenya Dworkin y Mendez sobre la comunidad española de Donora, Pensilvania, fue genial. Su percepción de la importancia de las técnicas de documentación fue muy informativa. A título personal diré que me dejó abrumado con sus conocimientos de las comunidades inmigrantes de Tampa. Parece ser que lleva investigando sobre Tampa (formal- e informalmente) desde hace 10 años y está escribiendo un libro sobre la mezcla única de las culturas española, cubana y siciliana aquí en Tampa y el surgimiento del término “latino” con una connotación única, referiéndose a cualquier persona o cosa que pertenezca a cualquiera de estas 3 culturas o a una combinación de éstas. Me considero modestamente un casi-experto en la historia de la inmigración de Tampa, pero esta señora me apabulla! Kenya, mis disculpas por no mencionarte antes. (Créedme, chicos, NO querríais tener a una mujer cubana enfadada con vosotros!)

El viernes por la noche nos deleitaron con un maravilloso concierto de la Coral Avilesina. Son simplemente fantásticos … “a capella” … hermosas canciones asturianas antiguas y nuevas y una muy buena interpretación de la “Barras y Estrellas”. Después tuvimos una estupenda cena todos juntos y nos mezclamos y charlamos.

Just a quick note. I am in re-entry mode trying to get caught up at work and I have to to drive my dad to the airport tonight. I agree with most of what Tony has written, and was delighted to have meet him in person after having known him through our website. (Just a hint ot those of you who have not yet submitted photos: he recognized me by the small photo that appears on all of my posts.)

I would add that Alberto Preito Calixto of Rollins College was responsible for organizing the conference, which took place during his sabbatical leave, and went far out of his way to make it an enjoyable and profitable experiernce for everyone. I enjoyed meeting Tony, Alberto, Santiago, E. J., Juan, Ron and so many others and - of course - I enjoyed seeing Suronda and Art again. I wish that Terechu could have been there as well.

The Coral Avilesina was indeed wonderful, and gave a second performance after sharing a dinner (complete with sidra asturiana - very hard to find in the EEUU, at least here in New England) with us after their concert.

By my count, there were about 35 people at Friday's events. Of those, seven or eight were either born in Spelter, West Virginia (where my father was born), or were children of people born in Spelter. This pleased my dad enormously, as did the constant interest and attention he got from many others. When we returned to New Haven, he described the experience as "the trip of a lifetime, even better than when we went to Asturias." This is no small praise.

Saturday's bus tour struck me as rather impromptu but extremely successful. The same large bus that carried only seven of us from Winter Park to Tampa was nearly filled for the tour. After five minutes or so, Santiago suggested to E. J., who had volunteered to lead the tour, that he speak in Castellano rather than English because there were several people from Asturias on board who did not understand English. Everyone enjoyed the tour and no one appeared to have any difficulty understanding E. J.'s remarks. Saturday morning's talk at the Centro Asturiano were simultaneously translated from one language into the other. On the rare occasions when the translator stumbled or briefly hesitated over a word or phrase, five or ten members of the audience would shout out their suggestions. To me at least, these events served as a symbol of our connections, or shared interests, and our common heritage.

I agree with what Bob and Tony have said. Alberto went out of his way for all of us; I do thank him. I have heard about Bob for so long from Suronda, so it was good to meet him at last. I also meet a man there who hepled me a lot: Jack, I thank you so much. You helped me make the connection back to the ones who are no longer with us. Tony took us for a tour of the Centro Asturiano, a very large, old building.

Tony, Alberto, Santiago, Bob, Jack, Art -- everyone who was there -- helped to make this a big success. Tony I'm looking into the PA ties to Tampa.

Desde hace algun tiempo soy una seguidora pasiva del foro y siento una gran admiracion por los que tuvieron la excelente idea de iniciarlo (Suronda, Bob, Art) pero despues del pasado fin de semana estoy segura que no se trata de una pagina mas de Internet, estamos ante un gran movimiento que no ha hecho mas que empezar.

Cuando salio el anuncio del simposio y uno de sus objetivos era "La recuperacion de la herencia asturiana en los Estados Unidos y el apoyo a quienes la mantienen" senti que era nuestro deber estar presentes y contribuir en la medida de nuestras posibilidades al exito de este primer encuentro. Felizmente entre todos lo hemos logrado, y en mucha mayor medida de lo que nadie hubiera podido imaginar!!!

El Centro Asturiano de Miami representa la ultima comunidad de asturianos y descendientes asentados en este pais. En estas jornadas de convivencia hemos aprendido y entendido muchas cosas: A medida que avanzaban las ponencias y afloraba el sentimiento, se mezclaban como por arte de magia voluntades y conocimientos, y se superaban barreras de idioma o idiosincrasia, sencillamente porque es Asturias la razon que nos une e identifica a todos.

Hoy entro por primera vez en este foro para hacer llegar nuestra mas sincera felicitacion a Alberto Prieto (que hizo posible materializar un proyecto que tal vez inconscientemente todos estabamos esperando) y los demas organizadores, a los colaboradores y muy especialmente a los conferenciantes, que de manera tan profesional fueron desarrollando sus ponencias. A la coral avilesina que ademas de su magistral actuacion, tuvo la gentileza de interpretar unas bellisimas Habaneras al final de la cena. Al Rollins College y al Centro Asturiano de Tampa, magnificos anfitriones, que nos hicieron sentir como en casa, y sobre todo a Emiliano Salcines, que se multiplico tratando de complacer y compartir con todos.

No puedo dejar de mencionar a la delegacion que viajo de Asturias dando su apoyo a este primer encuentro, y la presentacion ampliamente documentada de Santiago Gonzalez Romero y Elena "Archivo de Indianos" con una cantidad increible de informacion y documentacion, producto de una extraordinaria labor de investigacion. A Manolo Fernandez de la Cera, Presidente del Consejo de Comunidades Asturianas, tan directamente involucrado con los Centros Asturianos, y a Don Juan Vazquez, Rector de la Universidad de Oviedo.

Y a tantas personas que nos acompanaron y que nos hicieron aun mas gratas estas jornadas, para ellos nuestro afecto, compartido con la alegria de volver a ver los viejos amigos y conocer los que ahora tambien lo son. Ya lo creo que merecio la pena nuestro viaje, que nos hara siempre recordar los versos de Antonio Machado "Caminante no hay camino, se hace camino al andar" Un abrazo para todos y hasta pronto!!

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trans. Art
[Art: Hilda's writing is poetic, so it won't sound nearly as good in translation.]

For some time I have been a passive follower of the forum and have felt a great admiration for those who had the excellent idea of initiating it (Suronda, Bob, Art). But after last weekend I am sure that this isn't about just another web page; we stand before a great movement that has only just begun.

When the advertisement for the symposium appeared, one of its aims was "To enhance the Asturian heritage in the US and to support those who preserve it." I believed that it was our duty to be present and to contribute as much as we could to the success of this first meeting. Happily, given the efforts of all we have achieved that, and in to a greater degree than anybody could have imagined!!!

The Asturian Center of Miami represents the last community of Asturians and descendants established in this country. As a result of the days we spent together, we have learned and come to understand many things. As the talks and papers were being presenting, feelings surfaced, intention [or affection] and knowledge blended as if by the some magical art, and barriers of language and idiosyncrasy were overcome -- simply because Asturias is the reason we come together and the source of our identity.

Today I enter this forum for the first time in order to extent our sincere congratulations to Alberto Prieto (who gave life to a project that all of us were perhaps all of us were unconsciously hoping for) and to the other organizers, to the contributors, and especially to the lecturers who developed their presentations in such a professional manner. To the Coral Avilesina which, besides their magisterial [formal] performance, had the gentility to sing a few of exquisite Habaneras [songs from Havana] after the dinner. To Rollins College and to the Asturian Center of Tampa, magnificent hosts, who made us feel at home, and especially to Emiliano Salcines, [all of whom] outdid themselves trying to please and share with everyone.

I cannot end without mentioning to delegation that traveled from Asturias to give their support to this first meeting, and the well-documented presentations of Santiago González Romero and Elena from the "Archivo de Indianos" which [offered] an incredible quantity of information and documentation, the product of an extraordinary labor of investigation. To Manolo Fernández de la Cera, President of the Council of Asturian Communities, so directly involved with the Asturian Centers, and to Don Juan Vazquez, Rector of the University of Oviedo.

And to the many persons who attended and made these days more pleasant, with them we share our affection with the happiness we feel when we return to see old friends, and knowing that now they are just that [old friends]. I really believe that our journey was worth it, that it will always remind us of Antonio Machado's verse, "Wayfarer, there is no path, one makes a path by walking." An embrace to all and we hope to see you soon!!

It's been difficult to get back up to speed after being away at the symposium. So, before it gets any later, I want to share some thoughts on our time in Florida.

The conference was a great success. There were probably 150 people who attended various parts of the conference, nearly all of them Asturians or Asturian-Americans. The first day at Rollins College we probably had 40 for the main sessions, although at the dinner that night our numbers must have swelled to at least 90, in part because the Coro Avilesino joined us for dinner. The next day in at the Centro Asturiano de Tampa, most of the original 40 from Friday attended, augmented by another 50 Tampeños.

The Coro Avilesino was impressive. Many of us had expected the singers to be teenagers, but they were adults of all ages. Their auditorium performance (I think) consisted mostly of contemporary arrangements of Asturians tunes. It was interesting to hear Asturian tonada incorporated in a more formal setting. After dinner the chorus sang again, this time popular Cuban songs. I sense that the Florida Asturians tend to feel much stronger ties to Cuba, compared to the northern US Asturians.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the symposium, for me at least, was the reporting on the different immigrant experiences. Suronda Gonzáles reported on the Asturian women in the Spelter community in West Virginia. Kenya Dworkin reported on the experience in Donora, Pennsylvania. And Tony Carreno gave a very interesting tour of the Centro Asturiano and a talk on the Tampa Florida Asturian community. I hadn't known much about the Tampa Asturian experience, and the people in Florida didn't seem to know much about the northern experience, so I think we all found these reports enlightening.

The Tampeños were primarily employed in the cigar rolling industry, and although life wasn't cushy, it was highly cultured, with many opportunities to enjoy music, dance, and literature. The bus tour led by EJ Salcines of the Tampa Asturian community, including a stop at the Centro Asturiano cemetery, really helped us imagine what the community was like in prior years.

As many of us know, the northerners, in contrast, were more frequently employed in metallurgic and other heavy industry. Of course, in both areas, there were other Asturians who owned small businesses which served the Asturian community.

One of the things we discussed at length was the fact that the Centro Asturiano de Tampa was "Sociedad Beneficia". We have seen this same term used in the Clarksburg, WV area, but weren't sure what it meant. There were different models for a Sociedad Beneficia. The Centro Asturiano in Tampa was a mutual aid society, in which anyone could join (non-Asturians, included). Members received health care, including hospital care in the Centro's own state-of-the-art hospital. There were also funeral burial benefits, for which the Centro had its own cemetery. The hospital closed in the early 1990s, I think, because it couldn't compete with the large insurance companies, couldn't keep up with the advances in health care, and (I suspect) had fewer members. Of course, given the smaller population, it's unlikely that the Sociedad Beneficia in the Clarksburg area was as sophisticated as Tampa's.

Alberto did a fantastic job of planning and preparing for the symposium. It was perfect. Congratulations, Alberto! Thanks, too, to everyone who presented, organized, and attended.

As you may have noticed, one of the things that came out of the symposium is that we are now planning for the second symposium. We're looking into attracting more Asturian-Americans and Asturians to the project, both university scholars and ordinary folks. We are also considering working together to coordinate our projects and arrange grants for funding our work. We warmly welcome your joining in the planning here:
http://www.asturianus.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1271

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Ha sido difícil ponerme al corriente después de ser al simposio. Pues, antes de que sea todavía más tarde, quiero compartir algunos pensamientos sobre nuestro tiempo en Florida.

El simposio era un gran éxito. Había probablemente 150 personas quienes asistieron a varias partes de la conferencia, casi todos asturianos o astur-americanos. El primer día en Rollins College probablemente tuvimos 40 para las sesiones principales, aunque en la cena de esa noche nuestros números aumentaron hasta a lo menos 90, en parte porque el Coro Avilesino nos unió para la cena. Al día siguiente en el Centro Asturiano de Tampa, la mayor parte del original 40 de viernes atendió, aumentado con otro 50 Tampeños.

El Coro Avilesino era impresionante. Muchos de nosotros habían esperado que los cantantes fueran adolescentes, pero eran adultos de todos edades. Su interpretación en el auditorio (creo) consistió sobre todo en arreglos contemporáneos de melodías asturianos. Era interesante oír tonada asturiano incorporado a un arreglo más formal. Después de la cena el coro cantó otra vez, esta vez canciones populares cubanas. Pienso que los asturianos de Florida tienden a sentir lazos mucho más fuertes a Cuba, comparada a los asturianos del norte de los EE.UU.

Una de las partes más agradables del simposio, para mí al menos, era el reportaje sobre las experiencias inmigrantes distintas. Suronda Gonzáles relatado sobre las mujeres asturianas en la comunidad de Spelter en Virginia Occidental. Kenya Dworkin hizo un informe sobre la experiencia en Donora, Pensylvania. Y Tony Carreno dio una visita guiada del Centro Asturiano muy interesante y condujo una conversación sobre la comunidad asturiana de Tampa Florida. No sabía mucho sobre la experiencia asturiano en Tampa, y la gente en Florida no me pareció saber mucho sobre la experiencia de los norteños, entonces pienso que encontramos estos informes instructivos.

Los Tampeños principalmente fueran empleado en la industria de liar puros, y aunque la vida no fuera cómoda, era sumamente cultivado, con muchas oportunidades de disfrutar de la música, el baile, y la literatura. El viaje de autobús conducido por EJ Salcines de la comunidad asturiana de Tampa, incluyendo una parada en el cementerio del Centro Asturiano, realmente nos ayudó imaginar como estaba la comunidad en años pasados.

Como sabemos muchos de nosotros, los norteños al contrario con frecuencia eran empleados en la metalúrgica y otras industrias pesadas. Desde luego, en ambas zonas, habían otros asturianos que poseyeron pequeños negocios que sirvieron la comunidad asturiana.

Una de las cosas de las que hablamos detalladamente era el hecho que el Centro Asturiano de Tampa era una "Sociedad Beneficia". Hemos visto este mismo término usado en el área de Clarksburg WV, pero no estábamos seguros lo que esto quiso decir. Había diferentes modelos para un Sociedad Beneficia. Centro Asturiano en Tampa era una sociedad de ayuda mutua, en la cual alguien podría unirse (los quienes no sean asturianos, incluidos). Los miembros recibieron asistencia médica, incluyendo de hospital en el propio hospital del Centro con tecnología de punta. Había también las ventajas de entierro, para las cuales Centro tenía su propio cementerio. El hospital cerró al principios de los años 1990, pienso, porque no podía competir con las empresas grandes de seguros, no podía mantenerse al día con los avances en la asistencia médica, y (sospecho) tenía menos miembros. Desde luego, considerando su población más pequeña, es improbable que el Sociedad Beneficia en el área de Clarksburg fue tan sofisticado como la de Tampa.

Alberto hizo un trabajo fantástico de planificación y preparación para el simposio. Era perfecto. ¡Felicidades, Alberto! Gracias, también, a cada uno que presentó, organizó, y asistió.

Como se puede haber notado, una de las cosas que salieron del simposio es que ahora planificamos para el segundo simposio. Estudiamos la posibilidad de atraer más astur-americanos y asturianos al proyecto, tanto eruditos de universidad como gente ordinaria. También pensamos trabajar juntos para coordinar nuestros proyectos y obtener subvenciones para financiar nuestro trabajo. Te damos una bienvenida cálida para tu participación en la planificación aquí:
http://www.asturianus.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1271

Just a quick addition to Art's post. The audience was indeed a mixture of academics and "ordinary folks" but the presentations were without exception accesible and interesting to all. Alberto deserves a great deal of credit for making the simposio valuable to all who attended. Far different from many of the scientific conferences I have attended, and much more fun.

The 2008 simposio should be even better.