THE EXHIBITION WILL HAVE A NEW VENUE

My great-grandfather’s brother, who was from Rebollada, Asturias, and his wife, from Mieres, emigrated to the United States and raised their family in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California. Now that I’m the one who has emigrated, I think about them often. They were two of the tens of thousands of Spaniards who, a century ago, played a part in a sadly overlooked chapter of the history between our two countries—a chapter that this remarkable exhibition finally brings to light and celebrates.

José Andrés, chef and activist. Princess of Asturias Award for Concord.

Asturians in the coal mines of West Virginia and the factories of the Rust Belt; Andalusians in the sugarcane fields of Hawaii and the fruit canning plants of California; Basques in the grazing lands of Idaho and Nevada; Cantabrians in the quarries of Vermont; Galicians and Valencians working on the New York docks along the Hudson and East Rivers; more Asturians and more Galicians rolling cigars in the factories of Tampa, Florida.

María Dueñas, escritora y madrina de la exposición

Our story was on the verge of fading into oblivion. We used to be invisible — now, we’re very much seen.

Anthony Carreño

The exhibition has filled a cultural space in the city with emotion, allowing people of all ages and backgrounds to embark on a journey overseas and step into the lives of others.

Luis Argeo

Over the past fifteen years, all across the United States, we’ve met countless extraordinary people who have worked to keep alive the history of these Spanish emigrants — many of them Andalusians, and among them, many from Almería. We’ve simply helped make their story more visible, more public, and more widely recognized.

Luis Argeo

People from Almería played a part in this fascinating yet little-known story. Of particular interest is the unique case of the almost autonomous colony of Almerians settled in Brooklyn, originally from Alhama and other towns along the Andarax valley — the same community in which the great Spanish-American artist Federico Castellón grew up.

James D. Fernández

Hace rato que cayó la noche, en el salón a oscuras quedan abiertos los álbumes y las cajas, por la mesa se esparcen cartas en papel amarillento cuajadas a menudo de faltas de ortografía. Sea cual sea el rincón del país que toque, el encuentro, irremediablemente, acabará con un abrazo emocionado. Quizá, en el bolsillo de la camisa, uno de ellos se lleva prestada la foto de un niño flaco con gorra y cara de susto que posa muy serio sosteniendo una bandera.
Relato estas escenas porque Jim Fernández y Luis Argeo me han permitido ser cómplice de algunos momentos de su andadura. Por eso me fascina esta exposición. Por eso honro y admiro a todos sus protagonistas

María Dueñas, novelist and patron of the exhibition