Thursday, November 26, 2009

World

A Slowing Economy Tests Spaniards' Views of Immigrants

Once a poor country of emigration itself, Spain has become a magnet for migrants from Africa and elsewhere

Posted April 18, 2008

Reader Comments

I was in Spain recently for 2 years on a contract and see little evidence of the problems that now plague France. The Spanish, like the Portuguese, are very receptive to immigrants in my opinion. Most are open minded and embrace people from all walks of life. So it's my opinion that the situation will continue to remain stable.

sinyue

hi i like to come to spain to live and am a demi chef at hotel

anyone see paralles w/ the immigration issue in the U.S.? Immigration is a world social issue, and is often thought of as something negative. GREAT NEWS! Immigration is not somthing negative. In terms of economics, immigration helps countries grow, in academics the diversity of the people allows for better learning. Its socialy and culturaly that bothers people anti-immigration. People don't want to accept other cultures that bring about social change.

IMMIGRATIONNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

my name is Bob and i am for immigration. YEP. mhmmmmmmmmmmm

I think its hypocritical for many European countries to have have such contempt for their immigrants, because earlier in history, these very same European countries didn't have a problem going to other countries in Africa, North/South America, and Asia and colonizing the Native people there and treating them horribly (i.e. Spainards destroying civilizations in Mexico such as the Mayans and Aztecs).

spains immigrants

My family immigrated from Spain in the 1950s to the United States.

I do not speak Spanish myself and have lost contact with whoever I am related to in Spain. If I were to move back to Spain at 60 years old, I would be in a similar position to the African immigrants, knowing little or nothing about Spain.

Somehow the people who move over and stay simply have to commit to the new land and get with the program.

There is a downside to all this, as in my family the connection with the home country is often utterly lost but that is the price and immigrants to Spain need to become Spanish, as my people became North Americans for good or ill.

Latin Americans

Correction: Some Latin Americans are decendents of the Spanish, not most. Most Latin American immigrants to Spain come from the lower echelons of Latin American society which are more ethnically Native American, and not European.

incorrect info

Actually there has been immigration from North Africa to Spain for quite some time as the moors (came from North Africa) conquered Spain and ruled it for 800 years. Consequently these North African people are actually the ancestors of many Spaniards. The Latian Americans are the decendants of the Spaniards. The issue of immigration in Spain is quite complicated.

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