“¡Las catalanes son peores que vacas!” (The Catalans are worse than cows!) Wait, did that really just come out of my host mom’s mouth? She continued to explain that, according to her, the Catalans want to be independent, but at the same time, they keep taking money from Spain. Says she, “You’re from Spain. You’re a part of Spain. You’re taking money from the government. Our language is Castilian. Speak it like everyone else.” Obviously, my señora has some very strong opinions. But since coming to Spain, I’ve heard these types of sentiments everywhere.
Okay, so nobody likes the Catalans because of their strong nationalist sentiments. But everybody loves Andalusia, right? I’m studying in Seville, the heart of Andalusia, and the Andalusians have a pride in their culture that makes me happy to share in it. Apparently though, not everyone harbors the same warm feelings. On a visit to the north of Spain, I heard: “¡Los Andaluces son flojos!” (The Andalusians are lazy!”) “They don’t produce anything of value and keep taking money from the government!” Also about Andalusia: “...full of gypsies!” (On this, however, everyone in Spain can agree—nobody likes the gypsies, not even the Andalusians.)
It seems as though I’ve heard something negative about every type of Spaniard! In class at Georgetown, I learned that there are many areas of Spain with their own distinct culture, and even their own distinct language. In Galicia they speak Gallego, in the Basque country they speak Euskera, and of course in Catalonia they speak Catalan. I learned that for many years, these countries have wanted to be independent with some extremist groups, such as ETA in the Basque country, even resorting to violence. I met a Basque man traveling in northern Spain, and, as he said “Our country is so different. We have our own language. We have our own culture. We have our own traditions. Why wouldn’t we be separate?” But I had no idea that people in their every day lives had such strong feelings about their neighbors.
Where do all of these negative feelings come from? Is it the language? In Catalonia, Catalan is the main language of the government and public institutions, and public education is all in Catalan (except for two paltry hours a week of Spanish). Businesses are required, by law, to display all information in Catalan. But I don’t think it’s the language. Galicia has its own language; its speakers haven’t displayed nearly as much nationalist sentiment as is heard in Basque country or Catalonia. Also, the Spanish spoken in Andalusia is so distinct that sometimes I feel as though it may as well be another language. But Andalusians don’t strive for independence either. In fact, they feel very much an integral part of Spain.
Is the reason historical? I feel as though so many things in modern Spain can trace their roots back to the dictatorship of Franco. During the Franco regime, there were severe laws against all minorities in Spain that aimed to wipe out their cultures and languages. For example, under Franco’s despotism, Catalan was excluded from public use, meaning that families couldn’t even officially register children with Catalan names. It seems natural, then, that today, the Catalans are reacting aggressively to past insults, while resenting every other region because of them. At the same time, they are striving to become different from every other area in the country, now that it is no longer dangerous to do so.
I can’t pretend to know all the reasons for this disturbing trend I have noticed in the country that I’m growing to love. After all, every country has its marginalized groups, but not everywhere are there so many cries for independence. If it is yet another aftershock of the Franco years, maybe over time things could change. Or, if tensions are high because of the economic crisis, then there too would be a reason for hope as Spain slowly climbs out of it. Or perhaps these areas will finally achieve their independence, in which case there could either be much more violence, or perhaps, much more peace. We can’t predict what will happen, but I think the regional tension existing today in Spain is definitely an indication that something big is coming. The question is: how will it end?
About the Author
Opens in a new window