Proud to be Catalan

I have been pro-independence since I was a teenager, and I have always had strong opinions regarding what I want for my country. My godfather used to call me “revolutionary”—indeed he still does. All these years, I have tried to explain my ideas and my hopes, and I have always managed to keep my beloved Catalonia deep in my heart wherever I was.

At school I was told to speak in Spanish. In college all the textbooks were written in Spanish. When looking for a job I would have to write my resume in Spanish, and once I became a lawyer, I was asked to speak in Spanish to the judge. Why? I am from Catalonia and Catalan is my mother tongue, so there should be no reason for all this nonsense. But unfortunately my country is trapped in a conservative-destructive spider web spun by the Kingdom of Spain and its government. And believe me, it is a very thick web. Spain has been suffocating, strangling, squeezing, and oppressing us for nearly 300 years in order to get rid of us. Fortunately we are a strong nation, and thanks to this we have managed to survive.

I have travelled quite a lot and everywhere I have been to I have introduced myself as a Catalan. I am married to an Englishman from Surrey, and I have made sure all his family and friends know I am Catalan, not Spanish. I have always thought that we, Catalans, need to be our own ambassadors and let the world know of our existence.

Simply put, Catalonia is not Spain. It has never been, and it will never be. Our history and traditions are completely different. The Catalan parliament was the oldest one in Europe and our law system was developed back in the middle ages. We speak two completely different languages—one of them, Catalan, a unique language that adds to human diversity in the world. We are an open minded, hard working, always forward-looking, and welcoming people. We have our own way of seeing the world: the Catalan way.

After the September 11^th rally in Barcelona where people demonstrated massively for independence, things have changed. My country now has a future. We can see it clearly. Nobody can stop a democratic process such as the Catalan one. Doing so would be the epitome of anti-democracy. Fortunately, Spain has not been able to exterminate us, our nation, our culture, our language. We are staying alive, positive, hopeful, and brave. Nowadays you can see “estelades” (our national independent flag) in Catalonia everywhere you go, and lots of associations and organizations are volunteering to work for independence. I am doing this myself by being an active member in a non-profit organization.

Our first step was the November 25^th elections. We, the Catalans, had to vote to show the whole world that we had had enough. Spain and its government tried to frighten us and threatened us by using their old fear tactics, but together as a nation we were strong enough to silence them. On that Sunday Catalan voters chose a pro-independence parliament. The chamber was filled with our true national colours. We, the Catalans, made it possible.

After this, it’s on to the next phase. There is no turning back. We will have a referendum, whether Spain wants it or not. We live in the 21^st Century, in a world that speaks democracy’s language, don’t we? After that, we will be able to decide by ourselves and start building our new state in Europe. The whole world will need to pay attention to our rightful demands.

Spain will try to shut us up, but our will is strong enough to survive through anything. We all know this is going to be a long, difficult journey, but it will be worth it.

I am hoping there will be a new tomorrow and a better future for my children and grandchildren and generations to come where we can all be proud of being Catalan. Without a doubt, I am proud to be Catalan.

My hope: a better future for us all.

My dream: freedom for my nation.

My wish: Catalonia as an independent state.

 

Judit Clarasó