.svg) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Asturians in Asturias: 973,427 (for a total population of 1,018,706)[1] | |
| Diaspora | |
 Argentina | 33,749[2] |
 Mexico | 22,742[2] |
 Cuba | 15,669[2] |
 Belgium | 8,208[2] |
 United States | 7,440[2] |
 Venezuela | 5,224[2] |
 France | 4,913[3] |
 Chile | 4,767[3] |
 Germany | 3,994[3] |
 Switzerland | 3,786[3] |
| Other countries | 23,362[2] |
| Languages | |
| Asturian,Galician,Spanish | |
| Religion | |
| Roman Catholicism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Galicians,Leonese,Cantabrians,Extremadurans,Mirandese,Vaqueiros de alzada,Spaniards | |
Asturians (Asturian:asturianos) are aRomance[4]ethnic group native to theautonomous community ofAsturias, in the North-West of theIberian Peninsula.
The Asturians haveCeltic (Astures) andLatin cultural origins, most notably found in the Asturian language.
Asturians' religious affiliation is predominantlyRoman Catholic. The Catholic faith has historically been important to Asturians, as theBattle of Covadonga and the founding of an independentAsturian Kingdom byPelayo were believed to have been because Pelayo prayed to a statue of theVirgin Mary in a cave before his victory in battle. Believing that Mary miraculously aided the Asturians in the battle,a shrine was set up in her honour in Covadonga.[citation needed]
Prior to their Christianization, Asturians followed a polytheistic Celtic religion. Many elements of this faith have survived in the form of Asturian mythological creatures and folkloric legends told today.[5]
Throughout history, Asturian people have been subject to multiplelanguage shifts. They originally spoke aQ-Celtic language, similar to that of the neighbouringGallaeci people.[6] However, due to theRoman conquest of Asturias, the language became replaced with the modern Asturian language, also known asbable, which is aRomance language. Since few records of the original Celtic language remain, it cannot be revived and has gone extinct.[7]
TheAsturian language, once also widely spoken by Asturians, has been in decline since the early 20th century, although around 40% of Asturians still speak the language (10% as a mother tongue).[8] As Asturias is presently part of Spain, language shift towardCastilian Spanish continues to occur. Whilst not recognized as an official language in Spain, it is protected under the Autonomous Statute legislation, and efforts to preserve the language continue to be made. In the western part ofAsturias,Eonavian (which is a transition language betweenGalician andAsturian) is also spoken, and its promotion also falls under the responsibility of Law 1/1998.[9]
The most famous traditional dish isFabada Asturiana, a richstew made with large whitebeans (fabes),pork shoulder (llacón),morciella,chorizu, andsaffron (azafrán).Apple groves foster the production of the traditional alcoholic drink, a naturalcider (sidra). It is a very dry cider, and unlike French or English natural ciders, uses predominantly acidic apples, rather than sweet or bittersweet. Sidra is traditionally poured in by an expert server (orescanciador): the bottle is raised high above his or her head to oxygenate the brew as it moves into the glass below.[10]
The Danza Prima is the most famous Asturian dance.[11] The most characteristic instrument is thegaita asturiana, or Asturian bagpipe.[12] Similar bagpipes can be found in neighbouring regions such asCantabria andGalicia.[13]
In March 2019, it was reported that there are 133,854 Asturians living in 65 countries.[2]
Asturians were involved in the development of theNew World and their descendants in present-dayLatin America, esp. inArgentina andUruguay; and other countries where Asturians moved to during the rule of theSpanish Empire. TheIndustrial Revolution came to Asturias after 1830 with the discovery and systematic exploitation of coal and iron resources. At the same time, there was significant migration to the Americas (i.e.Mexico,Cuba[14][15][16][17] andPuerto Rico); those who succeeded overseas often returned to their native land much wealthier. These entrepreneurs were known collectively as 'Indianos', for having visited and made their fortunes in theWest Indies and beyond. The heritage of these wealthy families can still be seen in Asturias today: many large 'modernista' villas are dotted across the region, as well as cultural institutions such as free schools and public libraries. Asturian communities, social clubs, sporting teams, financial banks and amateur vocal groups are still found in Mexico and Argentina as well acrossSouth America.
Tens of thousands of Asturians moved to theUnited States[18] en masse, mainly to agricultural industries ofFlorida[19] andCalifornia and the zinc smelters ofWest Virginia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were also involved in working in industrial bases ofMidwestern factory towns. (seeAsturian-American). A characteristic of the Asturian wherever they go is their attachment to the land of their birth. This is reflected in the 82 Asturian Centers[20] inAmerica.[21] Well-known people whose ancestors are Asturian, includeGloria Estefan,Eva Longoria,Vicente Fox,Lauren Jauregui,Miguel Díaz-Canel orPimpinela. Martín de Argüelles was the first european who has born in the current United States.
As of 2019, there are 103,655 Asturian living in the Americas.[2]
In the case of Europe, the largest Asturian community sits inBelgium, with 8,208 members.France, with 4,913,Germany, with 3,994, andSwitzerland, with 3,786, are also traditional countries of Asturian emigration.[3]
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Romance (Latin) nations... Asturians
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)The Asturian Center opened ... in 1927. ... Today it houses the Universal Art Collection belonging to the National Museum of Fine Arts.
Address: Calle O´Reilly e/ Zulueta y Monserrate. La Habana Vieja. Ciudad de La Habana.
Prominent among these clubs was the Centro Asturiano (Asturian Center), which was created in 1886 as an umbrella organization for immigrants from Asturias.
These Asturian immigrants established an informal but lively network which connected Spain, Cuba, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, California, and other locations within the US.