Athenaeums and immigration

Do athenaeums make sense in the 21st century? With this title, the youth discussion group Café Continental opened in January 2023 at the Ateneu Barcelonès, recalling the same discussion that had taken place at the beginning of the century, in which the very young Sagarra, Papasseit, Foix, Garcés, and others participated. With the discussion's wording, the participants already responded. They were there and valued meeting physically, feeling close, and debating any topic after the pandemic and the virtual isolation they had experienced. Two years later, this question takes on more meaning than ever in a Catalan and European context where immigration has exceeded all Western expectations. Sociologists say that the failures in migrant integration stem from a lack of connection with the environment. The French case explains this very well: with good public schools, well-equipped neighborhoods, and a strong culture, malaise and ghettos continue to exist.

In Catalonia, possibly because we don't have our own state, around 2,300,000 Catalans are members of some association, a good quarter of the population, and of these, 1,000,000 belong to a cultural entity. The Federation of Catalan Cultural Associations (Athenaeums) has 208 federated cultural associations, and there are 27 in Barcelona alone. Cultural associations have historically been the great educators and disseminators of the Catalan language and culture, because they have allowed newcomers access to the social ladder and have been spaces for coexistence where they have been able to create. Today, in those cultural associations across the region where sports and popular culture, human towers, etc., are practiced at their venues, new Catalans blend in naturally. What role should organizations that are strictly spaces for debate, study, and culture play in the challenge of uniting Catalan society today?

Due to its membership size, its longevity, and its tradition, the Ateneu Barcelonès has not shied away from its responsibility in addressing this problem, which unfortunately generates conflicting opinions, when it should be a place of consensus given the national and social emergency it represents. The issue cannot be resolved solely by teaching the language. Although this is a vitally important first step—and institutions must invest all their resources instead of shamefully claiming there is more demand than supply and that it is not being met—the question is how to welcome new Catalans so that they feel that this country is theirs and want to be part of it for a richer and more fulfilling life.

At the Ateneu Barcelonès, we've launched a project called the Catalan Club. This project not only teaches the language and creates language pairs with many of our nearly 3,500 members, but also, through a series of mentoring sessions, aims to connect new speakers with the sections, discussions, performance activities, and debates. This ambitious project, which has gotten off to a great start, will be made available to all entities associated with the Federation of Catalan Athenaeums and offer them the opportunity to replicate it everywhere. Let's hope we stop complaining about the fact that we're losing our country.