Fortaleza

You rotten buggers the lot of you!!! Here I am making some well thought out points and all you can do is squabble!!!! Now you may not agree with what I have posted - in fact, it's good when people don't as it encourages debate which is the function of a forum!!!!!!

Please, guys! Enough already.

bealerDSB

DSB.

IanandKathleen

I think Fortaleza has put it clearly, locals (all round the world) will think of newcomers as outsiders, this can range from a name tag to outright hatred. Only by demonstrating your willingness it integrate and be friendly will you go up the scale to be accepted. One of the things that is guaranteed to put up a divide is to try or expect the locals to change for the newcomers or create a ghetto as what’s happening in England.

There will always be people you meet in every country who will not give you a chance to be friendly but the vast majority will if you try and the pleasures of living in Spain outweighs meeting the odd rude person.

Ian B.

hitchw

The title does not state anything about xenophobia, from what I gather, the title is what you make of it... What I make of it is this:

As with any country you go to, you will find racism, Spain is no exception. You will find pea brained bigots in every country of the world that do not understand that we are all in this together... Whether black, white, chinese, american, english, african, russian etc etc, we all share the same certainties in life... We are born, we grow, we meet people that don't like us for their own stupid reasons, we get over it, we grow old, we die... the only difference between us is the way we chose to live, and if racists all over the world chose to live hating and slating over races, leave them to it, if anything the life of a racist is a sad one, always hating and never having a real reason to. I have witnessed racist acts in the UK, france, spain, oz, all over europe and the states and can't say that I have never been affected by it, but at the end of the day, peoples intolerances to others is their own problem and issue, I just hope that all racists are at some point on the receiving end of such putrid unwarranted hate.

lynnxa

IanandKathleen

could not agree more with your posting. Live the way you want to live, and let the racists exist, but have no impact on your views.

savateur

Have to say on my numerous visit's to Spain, I have never experienced any racism, (I'm half English, half Asian), from the Spanish, and only ever once from a British guy who said "thats the last thing we need, that lot turning up over here !"

I reacted, he backed down, and got laughed at by the whole bar and left shamefaced

Should also add this was the one and only experience of racism I have had to date anywhere, (didnt mean to say the British are racist)

hitchw

Not just a fact of "letting them exist", they will be around until the end of time, people who have nothing better to do with their life and have no comprehension of the cohesion of races will always be there. Ideally one day only in memories, but I doubt that will ever be the case.

bil

I heard a good definition the other day.

A patriot loves their country.
A nationalist hates everyone else's.

An important distinction. It used to be said that patriotism was the last resort of the scoundrel, but IMO it is the first resort of the fascist, the bigot and the nationalist.

By and large, I find those most keen on waving the flag do so for unpleasant reasons.