Interview with Catalan born, Elijah Comas
After the release of the article detailing the latest protests in Catalonia, BUnow was able to reach out to a student who was born in Catalonia. He goes to Wesleyan College in Connecticut.
Elijah Comas is an actor, director, writer and filmmaker. We asked him some questions about how he feels about the Catalonia protests.
Gabriel: What is your relationship to Catalonia? Do you have family roots there or were you born there?
Elijah: I was born there and most of my family lives there. My mom is American, my dad is Catalan.
Gabriel: May I ask about what “Comas” means in Catalonia? I know “comes” would mean “you eat” in Spanish.
Elijah: It’s a pretty common Catalan last name. “Comas” isn’t a verb in Catalan. It technically means a specific type of mountain ridge, but that’s sort of like asking what “Smith” means.
Gabriel: Is Catalan to Spain as Ireland is to England?
Elijah: It’s vaguely similar, but politically different. Catalan is a different cultural identity from Spanish.
Gabriel: Is the European media, like the BBC, mischaracterizing the nature and beliefs of the protests?
Elijah: I think that in general European media is doing a better job than American media. The American newspapers aren’t capturing the fact that Catalanism is centuries old, arguably older than the country of Spain. A lot of American newspapers are treating it as just another recent surge of nationalism which is ridiculously false.
Elijah: I think that in general European media is doing a better job than American media. The American newspapers aren’t capturing the fact that Catalanism is centuries old, arguably older than the country of Spain. A lot of American newspapers are treating it as just another recent surge of nationalism which is ridiculously false.
Gabriel: What makes Catalonia distinct from Spain?
Elijah: What makes France distinct from Spain? It’s the same question. We are a different, culture, history, language, cuisine, art.
But Catalunya is an autonomous community of Spain which is roughly like being a state.
But Catalunya is an autonomous community of Spain which is roughly like being a state.
Gabriel: Are there famous historical/artistic/cultural figures from Catalan?
Elijah: Shakira is a quarter Catalan. Antoni Gaudí, the architect. Lots of soccer players. Joan Miró and Salvador Dalí, both artists. Joan Maragall, Josep Carner, both poets.
Catalan historical leaders used to control most of eastern Spain, southern France, the western Mediterranean islands and parts of Italy. The culture is all over the place.
When you think of Spanish food, it’s mostly Catalan food you are thinking of. There are aspects of Catalanism all throughout western culture, which is one of the reasons it’s so frustrating that these protests aren’t getting any attention in American media; it displays a willful ignorance on the part of western modernity in which people don’t want to question the authority of western sovereignties (in this case, Spain).
Gabriel: So do you think American media is too focused on itself and only large events in Europe, like the Notre Dame fire, instead of stories of equal or greater importance, as the Catalan protests?
Elijah: Yes I do. I think that the Catalan protests reveal flaws in our systems of government and talking about them would bring those conversations to America.
Elijah: Yes I do. I think that the Catalan protests reveal flaws in our systems of government and talking about them would bring those conversations to America.
Gabriel: So what are some important things you would want to tell the average American about Catalan?
Elijah: I’d like to make it clear I don’t support the violence that is occurring and I don’t support the Catalan president Quim Torra. He is handling this poorly. This is a show of the power of the public voice which is pretty exciting.
I guess I want people to know that we have our own cultural identity that is very distinct from being “Spanish.” We don’t think of ourselves as Spanish, or most of us don’t. The Spanish government has systematically repressed Catalan identity to some extent for the better part of the last 100 years.
Even the Catalan government is doing no favors to us, the people. We have had to entirely take this into our own hands. This is a fight of the people by the people.
Catalan culture is very goal-oriented and self-motivated, so that is what is going on now. When the powers that be fail us, we try to solve our own problems, for better or worse.
Catalan is the language, Catalunya or Catalonia is the region.
Elijah: I’d like to make it clear I don’t support the violence that is occurring and I don’t support the Catalan president Quim Torra. He is handling this poorly. This is a show of the power of the public voice which is pretty exciting.
I guess I want people to know that we have our own cultural identity that is very distinct from being “Spanish.” We don’t think of ourselves as Spanish, or most of us don’t. The Spanish government has systematically repressed Catalan identity to some extent for the better part of the last 100 years.
Even the Catalan government is doing no favors to us, the people. We have had to entirely take this into our own hands. This is a fight of the people by the people.
Catalan culture is very goal-oriented and self-motivated, so that is what is going on now. When the powers that be fail us, we try to solve our own problems, for better or worse.
Catalan is the language, Catalunya or Catalonia is the region.
Gabriel: So would you relate the Catalan struggle to American ideals to get Americans more interested in the culture?
Elijah: These protests right now are not for independence. That’s also really important to note. They are occurring because the Spanish government is essentially trying to criminalize the principle of self-determination and they are posing an existential threat to the autonomy of Catalunya
Elijah: These protests right now are not for independence. That’s also really important to note. They are occurring because the Spanish government is essentially trying to criminalize the principle of self-determination and they are posing an existential threat to the autonomy of Catalunya
Gabriel: So Catalunya wants to be heard and understood instead of quashed?
Elijah: Yes. Of course.
