One day I would to write an essay on how Spain systematically denying Basques, Canarians, Catalans and Galicians their identity and instead calling them "Spanish" and "Hispanic" is a form of imperialism (like... Franco literally attempted ethnic cleasing against non-Castilians, did we all forget this)
Let's not forget, it's true. But it wasn't just Franco, it started way earlier, with the arrival of the Bourbon dinasty to Spain.
The amazigh languages of the Canary islands are thought to have been lost around the late 18th century, early 19th.
1768 SPAIN: New law passed that forces to teach solely in Spanish in Aragón and Catalunya; it was extended to the whole territory in 1780.
1772 SPAIN: Another law banned all merchants to have their bookkeeping in any language but Spanish.
1776 SPAIN: Printing books in Català and Euskara was prohibited.
1789 FRANCE: disappearance of every old regional law and language. Books not written in French were burnt and the use and teaching of any other language was punished.
1794 FRANCE: Education must be solely in French, any other language became prosecuted.
1801 SPAIN: all theater plays and songs in any other language but Spanish became banned. Also dancing to non-Spanish songs.
1803 SPAIN: it's documented the first report of physical punishment for speaking in Euskera at school.
1857 SPAIN: Spanish Grammar and Ortography became the only and mandatory text book at public schools.
1862 SPAIN: Using any language but Spanish in any public document was prohibited.
1867 SPAIN: another law banning theater plays in Català or Euskera.
1876 SPAIN: Basque old laws became banned. According to Madrid newspaper "El Imparcial": "Taking away their old laws isn't enough, we now have to take their language away."
1896 SPAIN: Speaking on the phone or sending telegraphs in Basque or Català became illegal.
1902 SPAIN: Any teacher that taught in Català or Euskera began to be punished.
1903 FRANCE: another law banning Euskera & Català in school.
1923 SPAIN: Euskera & Català became banned from official events.
1925 SPAIN: every textbook not written in Spanish were removed; teachers that didn't teach in Spanish were suspended from work without pay.
1930 SPAIN: Every local institution is forced to keep their visitor's book and registrations only in Spanish.
1937 SPAIN: Prohibition of speaking Basque and every sign of Basque culture, ie using Basque names, playing Basque instruments, wearing Basque colors. The punishments were from social humiliations to jail or execution. Same thing happened in Catalunya.
1938 SPAIN: Only Spanish names accepted. In church, masses just in Spanish, with a permission of only a 10 min. preach in Basque if nobody understood Spanish.
1939 SPAIN: Signs in Euskera & Català in hotels were removed.
1940 SPAIN: Signs in Euskera & Català in justice courts and shops were removed.
1940 SPAIN: Public workers forced to speak just in Spanish or face dismissal. Every movie - national or international - is forced to have its dialogues in Spanish.
1944 SPAIN: Euskera & Català again banned from public documents and even tombs.
1947 SPAIN: Euskera & Català banned from magazines.
1948 SPAIN: Again, Euskera & Català banned from schools.
1954 SPAIN: Euskera & Català banned from every radio station.
1964 SPAIN: It became illegal to feature Euskera & Català in records or advertising.
1978-2015 SPAIN & FRANCE: Still Euskera & Català are unregulated in France, and in Spain in places like Trebiñu.
[we didn't include galego because in the source we use it didn't and we're not completely sure it was included in all these laws, but we're 95% convinced it was too, so.. include it in your heads.]
The Spanish and French governments have tried SO SO SO hard during the last 300 years to erase us. Good thing is we're more stubborn and proud than them.
