The role of Galician Centers in the promotion of Galician culture abroad

RUY FARÍAS

Beyond Global Cities: A Case Study of Emerging Superdiversity

Springer

Lugar: New York; Año: 2017; p. 15 - 25

This chapter explores the role of Galician community centers in the Americas in the promotion of Galician culture abroad and in the production and maintenance of a collective imaginary of Galician identity. On the one hand,educational initiatives aimed to provide a generally working class and poorly educated migrant population with some minimum tools of literacy and general knowledge. On the other hand, other resources and initiatives were aimed morebroadly at generating, within the Galician colony as well as throughout thehost society, a positive image of Galicia and its emigrants. Those centersplayed a key role in strengthening a sense of common belonging and pride inGalician-ness among people who often departed from their homeland withinternalized negative perceptions about the value of their language and theirculture.