Spain is learning what a minefield the subject of race is to everyone. It is a very, very difficult subject. What do you think we have been doing over here (in the U.S.) for so many years? Well … learning about different people, learning about ourselves, learning what other people think is offensive, trying to figure out how to help people previously hurt, trying to make things fair – and many times in that process making things more unfair (i.e., quotas). We have had a head-start on Spain in the race department, but it seems that Spain wants to skip the first basic step. And that first step is to simply recognize that there is a problem. They would rather jump ahead to we are doing fine…. "You people are crazy, for saying there's a problem."
The Spanish do not realize that they have inappropriate views on race because that’s the way it has always been and everyone thinks the same way. I guess that’s a fair argument. A white man from 1950’s Alabama was a product of his environment. But it is time to start to change.
Maybe Spain needs their own Archie Bunker to teach them what is offensive. Archie Bunker from TV’s, “All in the Family” was a ground breaking 1970’s TV character. He was a good man but a bigot. Everyone knew that whatever he said was what you were NOT supposed to say and think. He was very effective. Spanish TV would like him too because he taught that everything politically conservative was wrong (no slanted viewpoint there!)
One of these days, and pretty damn soon too, the people of color in Spain will not be just a small minority afraid to get together to demand their rights from the Spanish “Man”. I wonder what the Spanish equivalent of the NAACP will be? And which minority group will start it?
14 comments:
I disagree with your assessment of Spanish thoughts on race as well as any parallel with Spain and the US. Spain spent over 600 years ridding itself from North African conquerors. Now, it again has to deal with unwanted Africans. This time they are poor, unskilled ones looking to leach on to a better life in Spain. They come over illegally and think they deserve a cell phone, scooter, job, and apartment just for showing up. Jobs and opportunity are precious things, and the Spanish are right to be jealous and protective. Being a homogeneous country is not racist. Spain - and all of the rest of Europe - owes nothing to the Africans.
Hi Lyn, I didn’t mention Africans in particular…. I’m afraid the parallels between the U.S. and Spain are exactly and completely accurate. What do you think our immigrants were/are looking for? And they didn’t come over in their Mercedes, I’ll tell you that. Do you think Americans don’t say exactly the same thing about, say, Mexicans coming to compete?
This is the point commonly missed: The US and Spain absolutely need immigrants as a work force and to boost Western societies’ low birth rates. The “people” don’t want immigrants but the “Governments” do, in the U.S. and Spain. No you don’t “owe” them anything, they have to work for it – a concept sometimes overlooked in Europe…
I’m sorry that it will be difficult for the Spanish to adjust, but the immigrants are coming, and a lot more are coming, you will have to compete with them, you will have to get along with them, it will be hard work, but in the end Spain will be a better place for it.
Carl,
Ten percent of Spain's current population was born outside of the country. That's a dramatic change considering that it was in the low single digits as recently as the 1990s.
I think a key difference between the U.S. and Spain is that minorities born in the U.S. identify as American, first and foremost, and that's why over the decades there has been a vocal and consistent demand for equal rights, more calls for tolerance, etc. There has been a continuous national dialogue about race and a lot of soul searching by American society in general about making amends. Are we perfect? Hell, no. But the U.S. is light years ahead of Spain.
Another difference is that in the past 30 years there has been growth in the black middle class and growing numbers of wealthy and successful entrepreneurs from Asia in the U.S. Both of those factors have increased social contact among white Americans with people from these ethnic groups. And scoff if you must, but it also helps to have people like Oprah and Bill Cosby and other entertainers out there who have championed equality and excellence without playing the race card. Personally, I think Oprah and Bill Cosby (when he had his sitcom), along with Alex Haley's Roots, have done more than the NAACP in the last few decades to change white America's opinion about black Americans.
In Spain minority populations generally don't "feel" Spanish or identify primarily as Spanish. Just take a look at the Chinese and Moroccan communities to get an idea of what I'm talking about. My guess is that it will take another 20 years for that mentality to change and it will occur among the Spanish-born children of immigrants. If Spain needs a primer on what to expect, they should look at France and what happened in Paris in 2005.
Just as an aside, last summer a Spanish friend came to visit me in NYC. It was his first visit to the United States and of course his jaw was on the ground with all the wonderful sights and sounds of the Big Apple. He thought it would be like the movies but it was way more intense and interesting than he expected. I consider him to be a very open and progressive guy but even in his case, it was clear how deep-rooted Spanish ignorance of other cultures is.
One of the things that greatly impressed him was not only the racial diversity of NYC but the obvious diversity in social class in the U.S. He said he was struck by the fact that there were people of all races and colors in NYC who were obviously white-collar professionals, not just white people. He commented specifically about how in Madrid one never saw any Asians who appeared outwardly middle to upper-middle class and fully integrated into Spanish society (i.e. spoke fluent, unaccented Spanish). And yet in only one week in NYC, he saw and encountered a wide range of Asians, from people who were obviously fresh immigrants who spoke broken English, to investment banker-types educated at Harvard, wearing $3000 suits.
Unless a Spaniard has lived or traveled extensively abroad, and by that I mean outside of Europe, they really have no clue about how stunted their societal views are when it comes to the topic of race and racial tolerance.
P.S. This week while the whole Hamilton Family-Barcelona incident was going on, some Spanish commentators were on the radio talking about Super Tuesday presidential primaries in the U.S. and saying how much they loved Obama but alas, the United States would never elect a black man as president because it is too racist. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! And yes, that pun was intended!!
Hi Bilingual,
Of course you are right about those huge differences. And trouble is ahead for Spain and all of Europe if they don't get their newcomers to feel like part of the club. I know it's cliche, and I know Europe is sick of hearing it, but America was built by immigrants so no one can feel "more American" than the next guy, at least not justifiably.
And to your point about your friend visiting NYC. So true. They really can't imagine the different people we have here in ALL positions of society. Of course L.A. is exactly the same.
The similarities I was talking about is Spain has a lot of work to do - just like we did / are doing...
And I hear and share your frustration when the Spanish make silly statements about what a bunch of racists white A-Holes we are... They have no clue.
The good news is they don't turn and stare at you anymore when they hear your accented Spanish - like they used to - that's something..
Holy crap lyn, you sound like my wife. (she's crazy)
Carl, your observation about Archie Bunker is very insightful, and I would add Sarah Silverman.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=917_1173334833
Only because she is more modern, and also beyond political correctness.
I have to disagree about the U.S. having some sort of headstart, or maybe I don't understand what you mean.
I think Spain has had a LONG headstart on racece relations, but they just haven't made the same progress that the U.S. has over the last 50 years.
Hi Ray,
By the way, I like your photos of jobsites....
What I meant was that Spain really did not have a major immigration influx until pretty darn recently. I actually personally observed this immigration influx happen in Spain!
They have not had immigrants in large numbers like the U.S. has since - Forever!
Carl, you are so right , but be careful, things are a bit different over here.
For instance, the label "people of color" doesn't mean the same here as it does in the USA,
Why?, simply because blacks in Spain have very different backgrounds, there isn't only one "Afro-Spanish" community, there are several ones: latin-american blacks, africans, european blacks,etc.
People from very different cultures that happen to be black. It is a complex subject.
de verdad Carl, deberias dejar de comparar España con America, son paises demasiado distintos, con historias completamente distintas. Es mas, por tu propia salud mental, deberias dejar de pensar que TODO lo Americano es mejor que TODO lo Europeo y que los Europeos no lo vemos asi porque somos Antimericanos. Esta actitud tuya, no ayuda, crea rechazo, y hace que tus opiniones, que en general son validas, pierdan peso.
Para tu informacion, ya hay asociaciones de inmigrantes y asociaciones contra el racismo y a favor de la integracion trabajando activamente en España desde hace mucho tiempo, y muchos Españoles formamos parte de ellas.
Abre los ojos y mira.
Hola otra vez, soy el mismo de antes. Te preguntas cual va a ser el primer grupo minoritario en reclamar derechos civiles, que por cierto, ya tienen. La respuesta es facil, solo tienes que mirar a Francia, que SI es comparable a España: van a ser los musulmanes, canalizando sus demandas, no a traves de asociaciones civiles, sino a traves de la religion.
Me parece muy hiprocita juzgar a España desde tu confortable sillon yanqui. No si le has echado un vistazo a un mapa ultimamente. pero España esta a 15 km de Africa, España es la frontera mas caliente del mundo occidental, y la que presenta mas desigualdad de renta, mucho mas que Rio Grande.
Quitate la gorra gringa y ponte la Española por 10 minutos. por favor.
LO siento Carl, I'm really angry with your post. It's very unfair.
You are presenting us like a bunch of ignorant peasants who are unable to understand what's happening around them. Well, we are pretty articulate, and we are perfectly aware of the challenges we have in front of us. And most of us see them as an opportunity, rather than as a threat.
It won't take us 200 years to figure out how to deal with immigration.
Hey Anonymous, I'm on L.A. time and at work. Give me a day or so to read your comments and respond - Don't get angry. Just think of it like were at the bar boozing it up and talking .. Thanks
"people of color" is a very politically correct term - I'm sure invented in the US - that does encompass all those different nationalities of people you mentioned. Precisely because there are latinos, Blacks from africa, Blacks from Jamaica, and from Los Angeles, etc.
You think we don't have a complex mix of different colors over here?
Hi Angry Anonymous Guy,
Keep in mind that on the blog I am trying to provoke thought a bit, stir things up.. but I do believe what I am saying. And I can’t help but see things from a Yanqui perspective – I’m a Yanqui.
Of course Spain is different than the US in many respects. However, the basic issues of immigration and how people deal with it are the same, i.e., we were all alone over here – then a bunch of people come over who look strange - they compete for the same stuff as us and possibly want to marry our daughters. This scenario freaks out Americans and Spaniards alike.
I am only saying that, in my opinion, you can compare America’s experiences to Spain’s. We also had to go through the first step of realizing that we have to get along with these new people.
I know Africa is a very poor place – but believe me the “renta” difference between South America, and Beverly Hills is huge too.
And I know that the first group to start demanding their “rights” will be the Muselmanes. (I just didn't want to say it) In that respect, Spain is different than the US. Our immigrants only want economic freedom. They don’t want to fundamentally change our society.
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