Worker in the San Finx barracks. Genéve, 1989

“Galegos na Diáspora” (”Galician diaspora”) is a long term documentary project started in 1989 and finished in 2009 about the exodus of thousands of Galicians, now based around the world. The author wants to give a tribute with his personal idea to the emigrants of Galicia. The journeys he covered includes: Europe, Américas, Asia and Oceanía, África, Russia, and Américas 09.

Galicians in El Borda psiquiatric. Buenos Aires, 1991

At the end of the XIX century, more than a hundred years ago now, many Galicians didn’t have food and resources to survive in their country. Galicia is one of the autonomous regions of Spain with it’s own language (Galician). Thousands of Galicians have gone out in a long exodus, looking for a new life. Argentina and Cuba were a few of the many destinations in the Américas where the boats arrived with the immigrants. In the 1936 Spanish Civil War, a new exodus went to Mexico, in an escape from the fascism and war of Francisco Franco. Most of the refugees were republicans.

In 1989 I started the project traveling by bus to Europe. In the next years it became more trips around the continents. Américas, Asia and Oceania, Africa, Russia and the last journey Americas in 08/09.

Actually the Galician people are spread around the world and they are like the fifth province (Galicia have four). A Galician estate out of the country, with a high decision in the country’s future. In the next month of March 2009, Galicia will have new government elections.

“Galegos na Diáspora” will be a book with texts of the journeys and pictures with portraits in black and white. A blog of the project can be found on: www.galegosnadiaspora.wordpress.com

Carbon mine Galician worker. Singleton, Australia, 1993

Worker cooking mushrooms in San Finx barracks. Genéve, 1989

Jose Luis Bastos, businessman and hunter in this farm. Namibia, 2001

Manuel Muñoz, greyhound trainer for races. Sydney, Australia, 1993

Galician bricklayers working in first avenue skyscraper. New York 1991.