According to the Real Academia Española, España's official dictionary that we often cite in my Spanish classes, morriña means: Tristeza o melancolía, especialmente la nostalgia de la tierra natal (Sadness or melancholy, especially nostalgia for one's homeland).
Many Spanish people have emigrated to different countries or migrated within España to different regions because of economic hardship during the dictatorial reign of Franco. This single word unlocks a history and window into the realities of many Spanish people across the world and is only one of many. For me, this word is a reminder of the types of morriña I experience within my own life as a Cuban-Polish-Spanish American teaching English in España. How do I carry forth the traditions my cultural nexus of an upbringing taught me? How is learning both Spanish and Galician in Ourense public schools a key to maintaining that cultural nostalgia and honoring the unique culture of Galicia? I'm excited to keep exploring these questions during my next few months here in España!
