CU helping to preserve Catalan language, culture

Catalan is a romance language spoken in four European countries: Spain, France, Italy and the Principality of Andorra. Catalan people feel deep pride in their culture and language, a fact that will be conveyed in courses taught at the University of Colorado for the first time this year.

Beginning this fall, CU students were able to sign up for two new courses: “Catalan for Spanish Speakers” and “Catalan Culture 1: Nation and Art.”

The courses are funded by the Institut Ramon Llull, a Spanish organization whose aim is to promote the language and culture of Catalan. Catalonia is a region of northeast Spain. With 7.5 million inhabitants, its capital is Barcelona.

Throughout history, the language and culture of Catalonia have been suppressed.

Spanish dictator Franco outlawed the speaking of Catalan between 1939 and 1975. That oppression of the language and culture helps explain why Catalonia is striving to preserve both, says, Núria Silleras-Fernández, an assistant professor of Spanish and Portuguese.

Silleras-Fernández, a Catalan native who earned her Ph.D. from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, was instrumental in bringing the study of Catalan language and culture to CU.

But the Catalan studies program is not a one-person show. Silleras-Fernández is one of four CU experts on Catalan who are also natives of the region. Her colleagues include Assistant Professor Juan Herrero-Senés, Assistant Professor Javier Krauel and Instructor Susanna Pérez-Pàmies.

Ricardo Landeira, professor and chair of the department of Spanish and Portuguese, says the faculty worked hard to craft the funding proposal. Noting that CU was one of only two American universities to receive funding for Catalan studies this year, Landeira adds, “We’re very proud of receiving the grant.”

David Boonin, professor of philosophy and associate dean for arts and humanities, concurred. “This is an exciting development for the college, and one that helps us fulfill our commitment to preparing students for a diverse and multicultural world.”

CU is one of only 13 U.S. universities to have a program in Catalan language and culture, Silleras-Fernández notes.

To add breadth and depth to CU’s program, the Institut Ramon Llull will fund visits by Catalan poets, screenings of Catalonian films, anything to make Catalonian culture more visible, says Perez-Pamie, who is teaching the two courses this fall.

Krauel says CU’s program is unusual in that it draws on the knowledge of four experts. Further, CU is the only institution between Chicago and the West Coast to offer course in Catalan culture and language.

Herrero-Senés acknowledges that the cultural pride of the Catalans might seem foreign to Americans. But Catalonia has a rich culture and no formal state of its own. Being a region of Spain, Catalans yearn to make their culture known and keep it alive.

“Speaking the language is the first thing that establishes identity … and I would say the most important one,” he adds.

Catalans are proud of their art. Salvador Dalí, a Catalan, is one of the most famous visual artists. Catalonia also claims a number of important artists, architects, writers and poets, scientists and business people.

Further, Catalans are worried that their culture will be overshadowed by—or seen as indistinguishable from—that of Spain, Silleras-Fernández says.

But both the cultures and languages differ. While Catalans speak Spanish, they retain a fierce pride in their heritage and culture, which is distinct from the dominant Spanish culture, centered in Madrid.

That pride does not imply a desire for separatism, Silleras-Fernández emphasizes. “Most Catalans are very happy as they are. They’re not thinking about creating a state, but they do want to retain and preserve the culture. They want to make sure that Catalalonia is respected.”

A vivid example of the difference is the Catalonian ban on bullfighting, Perez-Pamie notes. To most Spaniards, bullfighting is a symbol of national identity. But, “People in Catalonia said, ‘We don’t feel comfortable having these displays in our cities,’” she added.

A petition drive, started by groups concerned about animal welfare, gathered a half-million signatures, a significant portion of Catalonia’s 7.5 million inhabitants.

The new courses will complement the university’s existing curriculum, the faculty say. CU has several study-abroad programs that are based in Barcelona, Silleras-Fernández says. Though students will be practicing Spanish in Barcelona, they can also practice Catalan.

This fall, the Catalan language course enrolled 19 students. The course on Catalan culture is full with 28 students and had a wait list.

Additionally, Krauel has gotten the OK for a global seminar in Barcelona. He will be teaching an interdisciplinary course titled “Barcelona: Understanding Local and Immigrant Cultures” in Barcelona from June 6-24, 2011.

“By taking this course, CU students will acquire a unique insight into the ways in which local and immigrant cultures intersect in a modern European city by familiarizing themselves with the city’s long, complex history as well as its present-day postindustrial configuration,” Krauel says.

As Pérez-Pàmies emphasizes, “We are really passionate about our culture.” That feeling seems to be infectious.