Movement for the officiality of the Asturian language

While some parts of the population of Asturias have always been concerned about the protection and the use of the Asturian language, with defenders such as Jovellanos (who in the late 18th century proposes the creation of an academy that regulates Asturian),^[1] it's in the seventies when the movement for the officiality arises. The first manifestation about it took place in 1976, under the slogan "Asturian at school, regional autonomy" (Bable nes escueles, autonomía rexonal), since back then the biggest concern was teaching Asturian at school, as well as its general protection. Parallel to it, a campaign with the same slogan was created then, with massive amounts of graffiti with that slogan throughout Asturias.^[2]

After Galician language, Catalan language and Basque language got recognized as official language through their respective Statutes of Autonomy, the movement became more centered on achieving this recognition, not granted in the Statute of Autonomy of the Principality of Asturias in 1981.

In the following decades, the movement becomes slowly more widespread, getting parties that initially were opposed to support it. United Left (Izquierda Xunida in Asturian) would accept the officiality as a purpose for the nineties. Socially, the movement would also get more accepted, with achievements such as the creation of a category for the best song in Asturian at the Spanish Music Awards,^[3] or the creation of a law for the use and promotion of Asturian.^[4]

• Asturian language
• Academy of the Asturian Language