Racially and Ethnically Diverse students
Students that are underrepresented in higher education in the United States may find a similar trend while studying or interning abroad.
Remember that in the U.S. you might be classified by your ethnicity, but abroad, you may be identified first as an American. The people you meet will likely have an opinion about the U.S. and may be eager to tell you what they think.
before coming to BARCELONA
As a racially and/or ethnically diverse student, here are some questions to consider before going abroad:
How is my ethnic group perceived in my host country? What kind of stereotypes are there?
Is the person curious or do they have bad intentions?
Has my host family housed minority students before? If not, will this be an issue for them?
Am I used to being part of the majority at home but will be a minority abroad? Or vice versa?
Will there be other minority students in my program?
Who will I contact if I do face racial or discriminatory incidents?
Does my program have support staff that will understand and help me through any racial or discriminatory incident I may face?
We will try to answer some of these questions on this page, but please, don't hesitate to contact the program with any questions or concerns at studentlife@barcelonasae.com.
IMMIGRATION IN SPAIN
Spain experienced a large and sudden increase in its international immigration in the last 20 years. Between the years 2000 and 2010, Spain’s foreign-born population more than quadrupled, rising from under 1.5 million to over 6.5 million—that is, from less than 4% to almost 14% of the total population. To put this in perspective, during this time, Spain’s annual net inflow of foreign-born individuals was the highest among all OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, second only to the United States.
This unique contemporary migration experience, together with the country’s history of colonialism, makes modern day Spain a mix of different beliefs, religions, traditions, and lifestyles.
African descent in Spain
In 2018 the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent concluded that an alarming “lack of representation of people of African descent was endemic at State, regional and municipality levels, as well as in all three branches of power” in Spain. This fact must be considered with the knowledge that the African-descent population in Spain has now reached approximately two million people (representing 2.2% of the country’s total population).
In 2019, the European Parliament issued a statement about protecting the fundamental rights of African-descent populations in Europe. Member States were called on “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."
In 2020, upon the formation of the new coalition government of Spain, Rita Bosaho Cori, originally from Equatorial Guinea, became the first-ever black deputy in the history of the Spanish Congress. The Ministry itself also emphasized that such a change was long overdue given the absence of representation in government institutions and leadership positions.
RACISM IN cATALONIA
The 2023 report on racism in Catalunya, provided by the organization SOS racisme, shows that racism has increased, going from 185 incidents in 2020, to 334 in 2021, 337 in 2022, and 332 in 2023.
The report shows that 6 of every 10 cases of racism received were not reported to the police due to a mix of: mistrust of the system, the idea that lawsuits won't bring any results, or general fear.
They also detected that racism is everywhere - not just between citizens, but that it is also present in law enforcement, social services, private services, and the workforce.
Local organizations AND RESOURCES
Barcelona is a diverse city and there are many minority communities that live here. Want to know more about them? Check out our BSG page on Communities in Barcelona.
Want to engage? A good way to immerse yourself in the different cultures present in the city is to attend sponsored events/activities or even volunteer in any of their local organizations, some of which are highlighted below.
Opened in 1989 to fight against racism and discrimination by promoting awareness, training, and tools. They organize lots of events that you can join, publish testimonials you can read, and they have a hashtag you can use on social media to make racism visible: #aixoesracisme.
Want to get involved? They are always looking for help to design communication campaigns to raise awareness about racism. You can become an activist and join in on their monthly meetings to know how you can collaborate with them. More information here. Every year on the Dia Eradicació de la Discriminació Racial on 21st of March, they organize activities and events.
This fundation is made up of more than 50 organizations in the Raval neighborhood who work together to improve social cohesion, coexistence, and quality of life to those in one of the most densely populated and diverse neighborhoods of Barcelona, in order to promote a sense of belonging.
Want to help? They work on multiple projects and activities you can join. They organize the Festival Raval every year since 2002, with the help of people who live in the neighborhood and with the collaboration of the CCCB (Contemporary Cultural Center of BCN). If you want to participate you can contact them at cultura@totraval.org or call +34 93 442 68 68.
Black Barcelona is Barcelona’s main meeting point for Barcelona's black community. They organize an annual festival and are led by a large team of volunteers. Follow them on Instagram (linked above).
Intersect Madrid is a grassroots organization that creates and fosters communities of educators dedicated to promoting anti-racism and addressing intersectional forms of oppression.
Resources: bLOGS, podcast, and newspapers
This journal started as a blog by Erik Kambel and it focuses on the Afro-European diaspora. There are some great articles like this one written by an Afro-American student reflecting on how ethnicity is linked to nationalities in Europe. This other article is also written by an Afro-American exchange student in Barcelona. She focuses on how she feels different as a black woman compared to the other black people in Barcelona. We also recommend you check out their articles about Spain here.
This blog is a personal blog of a black female expat living in Spain. She shares lots of reflective and useful information about being a black woman in Spain, Afro hair salons, important lessons she's learned, and more.
This is a podcast highlighting the study abroad stories of Black/African American students and industry professionals.
This is an online newspaper for Spanish-speaking people of African descent in Spain.
SOMTO SEECK:
This is a blog for recommendations and travel advice. Check out this entry: The Truth about Racism in Spain: Advice for Black Travelers.
Instagram pages and online comminities
Afrofémininas is an online community for Spanish-speaking women of African descent.
@luciambomio on Instagram 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 negacion al exotismo: Experiences en torno al pelo afro.
Conciencia Afro (@espacioafro): is an afro focused initiative that shares culture, artistic identity, and more.
@hijadeinmigrantes on Instagram is the author of Hija de Inmigrantes and she frequently posts about her experience as an African woman in Spain.
general study abroad resouces
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 for black students abroad.
ALLAbroad is a platform to help all students with their study abroad experience
Diversity Abroad's Black Students Guide to Global Programs
Diversity's Abroad's Spain DEI Climate Guide
Support after suffering DISCRIMINATION
Barcelona SAE offers all participants the tool to report any form of discrimination. If you or someone you know experienced an incident of bias, please fill out all possible fields on this form:
If you believe a person poses an immediate danger to self or others, or there is an imminent threat, call 112 (Spain's 911), or if after hours, call the program's emergency phone (+34 675 23 5656 from a US phone, or 675-23-56-56 from a Spanish phone).
Incidents of Bias referrals will only be reviewed during office hours, and you will be contacted within 48 hours to address your concern.
Barcelona SAE can also help you to get in contact with external resources like:
The OND, la Oficina per a la No Discriminació (Office for Non-discrimination) of the Barcelona City Hall. They offer assistance to anyone that has suffered discrimination and wants to report it. Their hours and how to contact them can be found here.
The Servei d'Atenció i Denúncia per a víctimes de racism (SAiD) is a free-of-charge service provided by the organization SOS Racisme, and it offers a platform and resources to report any case of discrimination due to ethnicity, nationality, religion, etc. They offer counseling and assistance in reporting crimes or racist offenses.