About La Valija Vasca
Our Story
La Valija Vasca is independently owned by me. Ana Maria Arrieta Jaunarena. I was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The concept for the store comes from my family's background. My great grandfather ,Pedro Jaunarena Azcue, arrived in Puerto Rico at the age of 17 from Ituren, Navarra, arriving on the island with nothing but a "valija" or suitcase.
Navarra is part of the Vascongadas, the northern part of Spain which is home to an ethnic minority "Los Vascos". The Basques are a distinctly separate group who speak basque and do not consider themselves Spanish. They speak a proto-iberian language , Euskadi , spoken only in the region.