On 8 September, the Basque Country celebrated the eighth edition of Basque Diaspora Day in the town of Markina-Xemein, an event that honors Basque people and communities who, from all corners of the world, keep their connection with the Basque Country alive. This year, the spotlight was on jai-alai players, ambassadors of Basque culture who have carried the Basque Country’s name to international frontons. Around 5,000 jai-alai players have competed across the world, spreading Basque identity through this unique sport.
The celebration brought together around 1,000 participants and was attended by Ziortza Olano Astigarraga, Director of the Directorate for the Basque Community Abroad, a body of the Basque Government that is part of the Association of European Migration Institutions (AEMI) and promotes policies strengthening connections with the diaspora.
During the event, chaired by Lehendakari Imanol Pradales, the President of the Basque Government, the drafting of a new Law on Basque Citizenship Abroad was announced, scheduled for 2026. The law will renew and broaden the concept of the diaspora, recognizing anyone with cultural, emotional, digital, or political ties to the Basque Country under the framework of the affinity diaspora.
The day combined a tribute to the jai-alai players and their families, traditional dance performances, cultural exhibitions, and the active participation of the Basque diaspora, including the Basque dance group from Saint Pierre et Miquelon. The artist Mikele Irazusta, a young Argentinean of Basque descent, also created a mural in Markina-Xemein as a tribute to the jai-alai players, symbols of Basque identity across the globe.
Watch the film “Euskal Diasporaren Egunaren zortzigarren edizioa” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjzOaqf7jv0
