Anti-racism: SPANISH STATE UNTIL a few years ago the assertion that "there is no racism in Spain" was a view shared by the immense majority of the population, including on the left. PACO TORRES
T his was to forget the 500 years of
marginalization, racism that afflicted and continues to afflict the Gypsies - the first anti-Gypsy legislation dates from the time of the Catholic Kings.
This false and complacent common belief has changed in recent years, because of a number of phenomena:
• The growth of xenophobic and racist attacks on Gypsies. Since 1990 attacks on members of this ethnic group (proposals that they be expelled from towns, refusal to teach Gypsy children in school, various assaults) have been on the increase. To the age-old rejection of the gypsies (of whom there are some 500,000) has been added the accusation that they are involved in heroin trafficking!
• The increasingly evident presence of foreign immigrants. The largest groups of Third World immigrants are from North Africa, South America and Central Africa. They are "accused" of all the normal things: "taking our jobs", "being dirty" and the rest. They are also held responsible for crime (blacks in particular are accused of being involved in the heroin traffic).
• Other factors are: the growth of conservatism and reactionary ideas; all the different problems which beset ethnic minorities, including poverty, marginalization and crime which the society in which we live reproduces in a vicious circle that feeds on itself; the growth of situation is different in each nationality.
### Anti-racist activity
One could summarize the situation as regards anti-racist activity thus:
• Organizations that undertake support work for immigrants. These are very diverse: Christian (base organizations such as the Comunidades Cristianas Populares or those more tied to the hierarchy such as Caritas or Justicia y Paz), trade union (in particular the CC.00 — the
Commissions). ranging campaign has developed around the issue of the regularization of immigrants; various parts of the Leit Alternative (IA) have taken part ın united platforms, one of whose themes has been
• There has also been anti-racist camorganizations, although this is not their main concern.
• Groups called SOS Racism have arisen in a number of places. These exist in Barcelona, Granada and Euskadi (the Basque Country. Despite having the same name they are not linked up. The make up of these groups varies — people from the IU-PCE (United Left-Spanish Communist Party) in Barcelona, and a broader composition elsewhere: Christians, IA and various people interested in work in solidarity with immigrants. They carry out propaganda work, consciousness raising, maintain contacts and help immigrant colonies. They represent the beginning of something.
• The only nationwide platform is the Equal Rights Campaign ("Iquales en derechos") set up two or three months ago with the publication of its founding manifesto. It intends to undertake activity in a munion, exposure sinich public opinion, exposure) which racism and xenophobia" and uphold "the right to one's own identity". This is an
Immigrants in the Spanish State
THERE are some 800,000 foreigners resident in the Spanish
State (2% of the total). They can be divided Into two main groups:
a) Half are citizens of European
Community countries and to a lesser extent from the USA and
Canada. Most are pensioners living on the Mediterranean coast.
They have official papers and good living standards.. b) Immigrants from the so- called Third World. There are ditferent estimates of the numbers of those without papers (130,000 according to the government,
294,000 according to Caritas, while the European Commission on Racism and Xenophobia suggests 300,000). On December 10,
1991, a process of regularization of these saw the presentation of
133,000 requests. That would leave some 180,000 undocumented Immigrants. This figure
Is tending to grow. * initiative from the Human Rights Association which has brought together Christian, Gypsy and other non-governmental organizations.
Thus, for the moment there does not exist an anti-racist movement, but rather various initiatives, groups and collectives which take up some of the problems connected with racism and xenophobia.
Growing concern about racism
These initiatives have found a considerable response in the press and wide sympathy. While it is still at present the property of a relatively small layer of society, the concern with and rejection of racism is growing.
It is hard to say what will happen in the immediate future. The dispersed antiracist activity is going to continue. Perhaps there will be moves towards a more coordinated and cohesive movement. Or racism xenophobia and throughout Europe.
1791 24 IE
The growing manifestations of racism and xenophobia have produced a mood or preoccupaton and sensitivity among progressive people. Now "we are racist". However for the time being this sensitivity has not been translated into an orga-
AS :
the present situation will continue with a range of different groups with no coordination between them. It would be unwise to give a categorical answer. * 1.There is a kind of anti-drug psychosis spread through the media and the administration (and which is very useful, for example, as a justification for antidemocratic and repressive legislation such as the recent Law on Civil Security).
anti-racist nized movement.
CREMOENS
There have been, nonetheless, various initiatives and as is true
26 for everything in this state. the
International Viewpoint #224 • March 16, 1992
RECH
The Gypsies themselves admit that there are some among them who live off selling heroin (as do some