Constructing linguistic and ethnic boundaries in a basque borderland: Negotiating identity in rioja alavesa, Spain

In 1982, leaders of the regional Basque government in Spain implemented policies designed to reverse the decline of the Basque language of Euskara and restore its use throughout the Basque community. Language planners viewed Euskara as a primary marker of Basque identity. However, ethnographic research revealed uneven effects of policies to restore Euskara in Rioja Alavesa, a frontier zone of the Basque province of Alava, where the language had not been spoken for centuries. While emphasizing the boundary which divides the Basque provinces from non-Basque Spain, the language policies have simultaneously reinforced perceptions of ethnic marginality for many in Rioja Alavesa who do not know Euskara, and rejection of the association of Euskara with Basque identity by others. This case demonstrates the utility of a borderland context, where identities are indeterminate, for exploring the construction of ethnic and linguistic boundaries.