Polish Immigration in Barcelona: The Sagrada Familia Neighbourhood as an Arena for Interaction

Abstract

Big cities play a dominant role in European research and policies on immigration. However, in recent years the focus has shifted to smaller units. The research upon which this article is based assumes that neighbourhoods' spatial configuration and social tissue constitute an influencing context where interactions develop. Mainly using semi‐structured interviews and ethnographic fieldwork, this article examines the experiences of Polish immigrants who live and/or work in the Sagrada Familia neighbourhood in Barcelona. This article highlights some patterns emerging from the accounts of inter‐ethnic interactions there, namely that for a number of native interviewees, Polish immigrants are ‘invisible’ and, in contrast, among Polish immigrants, there are difficulties in understanding Catalan/Spanish cultures, but interactions with Latin‐American immigrants are highlighted as frequent. Additionally, the article concludes that urban fabrics (e.g. scarce public areas), local policies (e.g. commercial bias) and socio‐economic characteristics (e.g. over‐exposition to massive tourism) are factors influencing on inter‐ethnic interactions.

Imagining and Encountering the Other in Manchester and Barcelona: The Narratives of Polish Migrant Women

“…The research participants largely assumed Spanish to be the language of communication. To their surprise, many interviewees stressed an immense pressure to speak the Catalan language (see also Władyka and Morén-Alegret 2013), seen as an obstacle in establishing convivial relations. Furthermore, the exclusive language practices of some Catalans may contribute to the homogenous construction of 'closed Catalans'.…”

Polish migrant women’s narratives about language, racialised and gendered difference in Barcelona

“…Despite a growing body of research on Polish migration, little attention has been paid to gendered, spatial and temporal dimensions influencing everyday experiences of Polish migrants in multi-ethnic Spanish society. Although there is an increasing body of research on Polish post-2004 migration in Spain (Kruszelnicki 2008;Main 2013;Władyka and Morén-Alegret 2013), migrant women's experiences of interaction with difference in terms of race, ethnicity, gender and other categories in various city spaces are under-researched.…”