BIPOC STUDENTS

During Spain's Francoist dictatorship from 1936-1975 (more info here), there was essentially no immigration to Spain. Because of this, Spain had an incredibly homogenous (and overwhelmingly white) society until the very end of the 20th century.

Between 2000 and 2010, Spain's international population more than quadrupled, becoming almost 14% of the total population. To put this sudden growth into perspective, immigration growth in the U.S. was 1-2 million per decade at this time, whereas immigration in Spain grew 1-2 million per YEAR. This sudden contemporary migration means that Spain has become a blended society of various ethnicities, religions, and lifestyles, but in many ways it's still adapting to this sudden change.

Today, the Black community in Spain is primarily formed of people that have recently immigrated to Spain from Africa, Afro-Spaniards (Spanish people of African descent), or first or second generation Black Spaniards. In recent years, the Black population in Spain is estimated to be about 2 million people, or 2.2% of the country's total population. In 2019, the European Parliament issued a statement calling member countries to "develop national anti-racism strategies that address the comparative situation of people of African descent in areas such as education, housing, health, employment, policing, social services, the justice system, and political participation and representation, and to encourage the participation of people of African descent in television programs and other media, in order to adequately address their lack of representation, as well as the lack of role models for children of African descent."

• Black Barcelona is Barcelona's main meeting point for BCN's Black community. They organize an annual festival full of literary, theater, musical, fashion, and gastronomic activities. They also host smaller meet-ups throughout the year to bring visibility to the Afrodescendent population in Spain.

• Barcelona Black Women is an informal collective on Facebook of Black women living in Barcelona.

• Afrofémininas is an online community for Spanish-speaking women of African descent. It is an independent communications firm created by a Spanish & Cuban Black woman in 2014, with the goal of promoting anti-racist critical thinking.

• SOS Racisme is an organization that fights against racism by promoting awareness, training, and tools. They organize lots of events and even have a hashtag to make racism visible - #aixoesracisme ("that's racism" in Catalan). There are plenty of opportunities to get involved with their work here.

  • • • • The Servei d'Atenció i Denúncia per a Victimes de Racism (SAiD) is a free service provided by SOS Racisme and it offers a platform and resources to report incidents of discrimination. They also offer counseling and assistance in reporting crimes or racist offenses. 

• Fundació Tot Raval is a foundation of more than 50 organizations who work together to improve social cohesion, coexistence, and quality of life in one of the most densely populated and diverse neighborhoods in Barcelona, El Raval. There are many opportunities to get involved with their work.

• Black & Abroad is an organization led by education abroad staff at universities across the state of Virginia. It shares the experiences of Black students abroad and creates a space for discussions with the goal to inspire, motivate, and provide insight.

• El Espacio Afro is a Spanish organization that works to empower the African and Afro-descendent community.

• The Glimpse Study Abroad Acclimation Guide is a guide for Americans of color preparing for an international experience, featuring real stories from students who have studied abroad across the globe.

• ALLAbroad is a platform to highlight resources to support students from all backgrounds with their global education experience.

• Be Globalii's Culture & Diversity Travel Guide to Spain provides a historic overview of Spain, health & safety tips, and identity-specific resources to prepare students with insight and resources.

• The GoOverseas article on Top 10 Tips for Being BIPOC Abroad: Surviving & Thriving in Study Abroad for BIPOC Students

• Afropean is an online journal that provides insight into the Afro-European diaspora. It features great articles, like Notes on National Identity from an African-American in Spain, We Are Not the Same, and other articles about Spain.

• STAMPED is a podcast highlighting the study abroad stories of Black & African American students and industry professionals.

• Lucia M Bomio is a Spanish journalist that frequently posts about her experience as a Black woman in Spain and recommends resources like the book ¿Te Puedo Tocar el Pelo? De la Negación al Exotismo: Experiencias en Torno al Pelo Afro (Can I Touch your Hair? From Denial to Exoticism: Experiences Around Afro Hair).

• @hijadeinmigrantes on Instagram is the author of Hija de Inmigrantes (Daughter of Immigrants) and she reflects on her experience as an African woman in Spain.