Conversations on Catalan: Status, Identity, and Independence

By Emilee McArdle

I spoke with my friend, Albert Lozano, who lives in a Catalonian town, Lleida. He is a graphic designer for several different companies in Catalonia. He is 24 years old. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design 3 years ago from the BAU Design College of Barcelona. He represents one opinion from one person in Catalonia, but I believe that his thoughts on Catalonia are very important in representing Catalonian culture. I asked him several questions to see his impressions regarding the Catalan language.

Flag of Catalonia

What are your thoughts regarding the national government (Madrid) in relation to the region (Community) of Catalonia?
That’s a tricky question. It’s not easy to define feelings about both institutions. If I am honest with myself. I need to recognize that my feelings towards Catalonia are significantly stronger compared to the combined feelings with Spain. I feel Catalonian more so than Spanish. It’s true that since the 20th century, there was a huge migration of people from the south of Spain to Catalonia, which made it so that said territory had a large population from the south of Spain, continue to be larger but in general, I would identify much more with Catalonia.

What language do you speak at home?
Knowing that my parents originally have Aragonese roots, we solely speak Catalan in our house.

What language did you learn in school?
Since I was little, I went to an elementary school in Lleida. In this city, Catalan is the most commonly spoken language, due to very little immigration that we had in our city, for this reason in our elementary school I learned mostly in Catalan. I should note too that the school offered the subjects of Spanish and English.

Do you think that Catalan is important for people in the rest of Spain? What about just in Catalonia?
I think that languages are tools that help us communicate and help us understand. Similar to both English and Spanish which are very extensive languages that can help you communicate wherever you want, but if you truly want to understand a culture, you have to know their language. 

That said, I think that Catalan is not sufficiently appreciated in the rest of the country, because it is confronted by several elements that are trying to reduce the use of Catalan. 

Despite what it looks like, not all Catalans see the language as a useful tool and for that it continues to decline.

What does Catalan represent for the community?
Catalan is an intangible asset for all Catalans. It is one of the many things that make our region different. From Catalan institutions, we try to encourage the use of our language.

Do you want Catalonian Independence?
Yes. I think we have been culturally "attacked" for many years by the Spanish government. I would like to find a way to preserve Catalan culture and social welfare by being independent. It is a somewhat uncertain road but as it is said in Spanish "who does not risk does not win".Yes. I think we have been culturally "attacked" for many years by the Spanish government. I would like to find a way to preserve Catalan culture and social welfare by being independent. It is a somewhat uncertain road but as it is said in Spanish "who does not risk does not win".

If Scotland and Northern Ireland secede from the UK, do you think that Catalonia will want to also declare their independence?
That event would be a guide for us. Surely, it would help to clarify the ideas of the majority of people who are undecided about the independence of Catalonia. The European Union is a new institution where we still do not know how it will respond to secessionist decisions. Seeing how it works against Northern Ireland and Scotland, will undoubtedly help the Catalans have more hope for the independence of Catalonia.

With respect to Albert's answers, we can see that Catalan plays an important role in Catalonia. We use language to express our ideas, which are inherently cultural. So, if you really want to understand Catalan culture, you have to understand the language to see how people express themselves in their own language. The autonomous region has its own flag that can be seen abovenext to the title. It is a region that has a lot of history and many think it shouldbe an independent country. We need to protect the rights of Catalan as an autonomous language and respect its existence as the official language of the region.

Converses en Català: Prestigi, Identitat, i Independència

By Emilee McArdle

Hablé con mi amigo, Albert Lozano, que vive en Lleida, una ciudad en Cataluña. Le hice algunas preguntas para ver sus impresiones respecto al idioma catalán.

¿Cuáles son tus sentimientos hacia el gobierno nacional (Madrid) y hacia la región (comunidad) de Cataluña?
Es una pregunta bastante compleja. No es fácil definir los sentimientos hacia ambas instituciones. Siendo honesto conmigo mismo, tengo que reconocer que mis sentimientos hacia Cataluña son mucho más fuertes que hacia el conjunto de España. Me siento catalán antes que Español. Es cierto que a mediados del siglo XX hubo una gran migración del sur de España hacia Cataluña, lo cual ha provocado que dicho territorio tenga una gran población de gente del sur, aún así creo que la diferencia cultural entre las dos instituciones siguen siendo muy grandes. Quien nace en un entorno catalán, por lo general, se siente más identificado con Cataluña.

¿Qué idioma hablas en tu casa?
A pesar de que mis padres tengan orígenes aragoneses tanto mis padres como yo, hablamos en casa el catalán como única lengua.

¿Qué idioma aprendiste en el colegio?
De pequeño fui a un colegio de Lleida. En esta ciudad el catalán es la lengua más hablada, a causa de la poca inmigración que hay en dicha ciudad, por eso en el colegio aprendí principalmente el catalán, a pesar de que también dábamos una asignatura en castellano y otra en inglés.

¿Piensas que el idioma catalán es importante para la gente de España? ¿Y para la de Cataluña?
Yo creo que los idiomas son herramientas que ayudan a comunicarnos y hacernos entender. Tanto el inglés como el español son idiomas muy extendidos que te pueden ayudar a comunicarte donde quieras, pero si realmente quieres comprender y entender una cultura, primero tienes que saber su idioma.

Dicho esto, Creo que el catalán no está suficientemente valorado por el resto del estado Español, ya que recibe constantes acosos e intentos de reducir su uso.

A pesar de lo que podría parecer, no todos lo catalanes ven el catalán como una herramienta útil, y por eso su uso se ve en continuo descenso.

¿Qué representa el catalán para la comunidad?
El catalán es un bien inmaterial para todos los catalanes. Es una de las muchas cosas que hacen diferente nuestra región. Desde las instituciones catalanas, se intenta fomentar el uso de nuestra lengua.

¿Quieres la independencia de Cataluña?
Si. Creo que hemos estado muchos años siendo “atacados” culturalmente por parte del gobierno español. Me gustaría encontrar una manera de preservar la cultura catalana y el bien social siendo independientes. Es un camino un poco incierto pero como se dice en español “quien no arriesga no gana”.

Si Escocia e Irlanda del Norte se sesionara del Reino Unido, ¿piensas que Cataluña querría también sesionarse?
Ese acontecimiento sería un referente para nosotros. Seguramente ayudaría a aclarar las ideas de la mayoría de gente que está indecisa respecto a la independencia de Cataluña. La Unión Europea es una nueva institución donde aún no sabemos cómo responder frente a decisiones secesionistas. Ver cómo actuar frente Irlanda y Escocia, sin duda alguna ayudará a que los catalanes tengamos más ilusión por la independencia de Cataluña.

Con respeto a las respuestas de Albert, podemos ver que el catalán tiene un rol importante en Cataluña.  Usamos el idioma para expresar nuestras ideas, las cuales son inherentemente culturales.  Por eso, si realmente quieres entender la cultura catalana, tienes que entender el idioma para ver cómo la gente se expresa en su propia lengua.  La región autónoma tiene su propia bandera que puedes ver al lado del título.  Es una región que tiene mucha historia y mucha gente piensa que debe de ser un país independiente.  Necesitamos proteger los derechos del catalán como lengua autónoma y respetar su existencia como idioma oficial de la región.

References

Aspachs-Bracons, O., Costa-Font, J., Clots-Figueras, I., & Masella, P. (2008). Compulsory Language Educational Policies and Identity Formation. Journal of the European Economic Association, 6(2/3), 434-444. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40282653

Lozano, A. (2017-03-05). Phone Interview with Lozano.

Image: By User:Martorell - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=391199

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Emilee is a graduate student in European Union Studies at the University of Illinois. She is planning on getting her MA in European Union Studies in May 2018, after which she is thinking of seeking a job relating to her passion for language in a translation or interpretation department. She wrote this text in the 418 ‘Language and Minorities in Europe’ course in the spring of 2017.

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Belarus for Belarusian, or the reemergence of a national language

by Marshall Janevicius

How can a national language be considered legitimate when the president of the nation does not believe in it? Alexander Lukashenko has been the authoritarian president of Belarus since 1994. Lukashenko has previously taken a stance that Belarusian is inferior to Russian, saying, “nothing significant can be expressed [in Belarusian].” Belarus, formerly Byelorussian SSR, gained its independence on August 25, 1991. Even though the Eastern European country has been independent for just over two decades, a near-century of soviet influence makes many Belarusians still feel like they are under direct Russian influence. Due to this, there is a stigma in Belarus that anything Belarusian is boring and that Russian is superior. How can a national language be considered legitimate when the president of the nation does not believe in it? Alexander Lukashenko has been the authoritarian president of Belarus since 1994. Lukashenko has previously taken a stance that Belarusian is inferior to Russian, saying, “nothing significant can be expressed [in Belarusian].” Belarus, formerly Byelorussian SSR, gained its independence on August 25, 1991. Even though the Eastern European country has been independent for just over two decades, a near-century of soviet influence makes many Belarusians still feel like they are under direct Russian influence. Due to this, there is a stigma in Belarus that anything Belarusian is boring and that Russian is superior.

However, Lukashenko received much attention from Belarusian speakers in 2015 because it appears that he may have changed his mind on his previous stance. For decades, Belarusian speakers have offered language courses to the public, even though Belarusian is not greatly welcomed in state affairs.  Much of this is shifting in recent years. There is a large push towards the popularization of Belarusian and an increased number of language courses across the country.

Timing could not have been better, as after decades of neglect, the situation is truly alarming. Belarusian, which is an official language of Belarus, can claim just a little over 3 million native speakers. Russian, the other official language of Belarus, has around 6.5 million native speakers and everyone in Belarus appears to be bilingual, which means knowledge of Russian over Belarusian predominates. Although a sizeable part of the population can still speak Belarusian, less than 10% of Belarusians indicate that they use Belarusian to communicate in their everyday life.

Spoken languages of Belarus according to 2009 census
(Green - Belarus, Blue - Russian)
Source

Structural and cultural proximity to Russian is definitely a factor. Belarusian is an East Slavic language, just like Russian, and the Belarusian alphabet was elaborated based on the Cyrillic script. In the early twentieth century, before modern Belarusian was defined, the language was written using the Latin alphabet, Arabic alphabet, or sometimes even the Hebrew script. Today, two main dialects of Belarusian exist: North-Eastern and South-Western Belarusian, although the area between the two has some distinct characteristics that seems to militate for a Middle Belarusian pseudo-dialect. Another less common dialect in the country, the West Palyesian dialect, is more linguistically linked to Ukraine, and spoken almost exclusively by individuals living in the Ukraine.

Since Belarus is not a signatory member of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, there is no international oversight of its regional minority languages. However, Belarusian is considered a regional language in Poland and also a recognized minority language in the Czech Republic, Ukraine, and Lithuania. All but one of these nations being signatories of the Charter, there seems to be at least some hope for continued maintenance and revitalization.

A large number of the younger population of Belarus appears to be tired of their culture living in Russia’s shadow.  In a direct break with Soviet and 20th century post-Soviet times, they want to revitalize the culture and language of Belarus in order to increase cultural pride and move towards a more distinctive national identity and culture.

Image source

As it turns out, this excitement and push towards a national revitalization of Belarusian goes farther than just the youth.  Many scholars indicate that language courses in Belarusian are emerging everywhere and they are not just for the purpose of teaching the language. It seems that they are also serving as an expression of pride in Belarus that has not been seen for over a century.

Predictably enough, language seems to be one of first steps towards cultural revival and revitalization. As a new generation emerges into the workforce that has no memories of Soviet control, it will be interesting to observe what the Belarusian youth decides is most important for language and culture. Will they continue to choose Russian and embrace Soviet-enforced ideas of the superiority of the Russian language? Or will they reclaim their culture and language as they search for their generation’s identity? “Political is daily, cultural is eternal”, says Alena Makouskaya, one of the coordinators of the Belarus language campaign, indicating that Belarusian is considered an emblem and a token of pride.

References:

"Belarusian Language." Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 06 Mar. 2003. Web. 09 Apr. 2017.

"History of Belarussian Language." Europe-Cities. Europe Cities, 2017. Web. 09 Apr. 2017.

Minsk, Katerina Barushka in. "After Decades of Russian Dominance, Belarus Reclaims Its Language." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 28 Jan. 2015. Web. 09 Apr. 2017.

See also: Alyssa Lowery’s blog, titled Belarusian on the Road to Revival, on Linguis Europae, http://eucenterillinois-language.blogspot.com/2017/02/belarusian-on-road-to-revival.html

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Marshall is a graduate student in European Union Studies at the University of Illinois. He is planning on getting his MA in European Union Studies in May 2018 and is currently applying to law schools to pursue a career in international business law or international human rights/immigration law. He wrote this text in the 418 ‘Language and Minorities in Europe’ course in the spring of 2017.

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Latin American influx and tourism in Barcelona, the clash between Spanish and Catalan

by Rafael Arturo Rodriguez Diaz

History has taught us that when a region develops certain elements, such as a sense of identity and even independent governance, they will look for sovereignty. Language is one of those essential elements for a population to develop an identity and distinguish themselves from others. In Spain, a wealthy and highly industrialized region with a strong desire for independence is Catalonia (BBC). Catalan, with more than a millennium of history (“Latin American”, 3),  is recognized as the official language of the region, along with Spanish. However, the region is also known for its many Latin American immigrants which live in some of the most touristy places in Spain, like the city of Barcelona. In the next few paragraphs, I will present examples of how Latin American immigration and tourism in the region have reinforced the use of the Spanish over Catalan in the city of Barcelona, and how this represents a threat for the Catalan language and the eagerness of Catalonians to separate from the rest of Spain.

Barcelona

Many government representatives from the Catalonia region have tried to develop initiatives to gain independence from Spain. They have used Catalan as one of the strongest reasons to support the region’s own identity. However, over 200,000 native Spanish-speaking immigrants from Latin America have come to Catalonia since 2002 (Garzón, 2505). Being from underdeveloped countries, many of these immigrants have made the transatlantic journey seeking new opportunities for themselves and their families. Even though immigration in the region started centuries ago, the progress of globalization and the conclusion of trade agreements in recent years, has facilitated migration of Latin Americans to Spain. One of the main factors that allowed for this increase of immigration of Latin Americans to Catalonia was the re-enforcement of the immigration process in the United States after 9/11 (ibid.). Many of these immigrants came to the Catalonian region knowing Spanish, one of the official languages, but resisting Catalan, the other official language of the region, and confronted to “increasing institutional pressure to learn the Catalan language” (“Latin American”, 9). In both industrial and domestic job positions in Barcelona, due to the cheap cost of labor and similarity to the local culture, companies have adapted to work with Latin Americans. Some of these immigrants have learned some Catalan, but their usage of the language mainly depends on the area where they work in the city. However, most of the time these immigrants do not take courses in Catalan and prefer to speak in Spanish instead, even if they are approached in Catalan (Garzón, 2506). Another factor that has allowed Latin Americans to stick to their native language in Catalonia is that most of the other commercial sectors that employ Latin American immigrants are located in areas of Barcelona where Spanish-speaking locals are numerous (Garzón, 2507). The locals’ level of tolerance towards Spanish has thus increased even more since many of the businesses seem to focus more on profit than on local Catalan identity.

Barcelona street life (Craig Sunter via Wikimedia Commons)

Being not only one of the main tourist destinations of Spain, but also the capital of the Catalonia region, Barcelona is one of the examples of rivalry between Catalan and Spanish. As it turns out, however, tourism is also influencing language use in the region. Many tourists may try to use English to communicate when in Barcelona—a brief online search about tips before traveling to Barcelona advises that tourists can get by fine without knowing Catalan but they can get by even better if they know Spanish. On the tourism website, Barcelona-Life.com, there are two different sections dedicated to explaining the relevance of each language. Basic lessons are also provided for learning both languages, but for both sections Spanish is the main language. This reinforces the fact that when it comes to Catalan, learning the language is more about showing appreciation for the local community and an opportunity to open new doors in the city in terms of high-rank employment. On other relevant online sites for tourism, such as Lonely Planet, the learning of Spanish but not necessarily of Catalan is advertised.

In a region that shows an almost desperate drive to become an independent nation, more attention must be placed on one of the elements that radically distinguishes this region from the rest of Spain: the local language. Whether for business purposes or amiability with tourists, Barcelona has been permitting, at an alarming level, the use of Spanish over Catalan. Even though the government has tried to reinforce the learning of Catalan, there is a “growing contradiction between actual language used in the streets and policy demands, creating an escalating cultural conflict among Spanish-speaking communities, Catalan-speaking communities and other foreigners in Catalonia.” (“Latin American”, 23). As the capital of the Catalonian region, it is fundamental to reinforce the importance of the local language, rather than support the general idea of the relevance of Spanish. Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly clear that, in the clash between Spanish and Catalan, a winner may soon be predicted. The more influence Latin American culture adds to the use of Spanish in the city, along with the support of tourism agencies, the less politicians in Catalonia will be able to use Catalan as an argument to separate from Spain.

América Latina y el turismo en Barcelona, ​​el choque entre español y catalán

La historia nos ha enseñado que cuando una región desarrolla ciertos elementos, como un sentido de identidad e incluso un gobierno independiente, intentará obtener su soberanía. El lenguaje es uno de esos elementos esenciales para que una población desarrolle identidad y se distinga de los demás. En España, una región rica y altamente industrializada con un fuerte deseo de independencia es Cataluña (BBC). El catalán, con más de un milenio de historia ("Latin American", 3), ha sido reconocido como el idioma oficial de la región, junto con el español. Sin embargo, la región también es conocida por los muchos inmigrantes latinoamericanos que se encuentran en algunos de los lugares más turísticos de España, como la ciudad de Barcelona. En los siguientes párrafos presentaré ejemplos de cómo la inmigración y el turismo latinoamericano en la región, han reforzado el uso del español sobre el catalán en la ciudad y cómo esto representa una amenaza para el catalán y el afán de los catalanes por lograr la separación del resto de España.

Barcelona

Muchos representantes gubernamentales de la región de Cataluña, han tratado de desarrollar iniciativas para obtener la independencia de España utilizando el catalán como una de las razones más fuertes para apoyar la propia identidad de la región. Sin embargo, más de 200.000 inmigrantes hispanohablantes de América Latina, han llegado a Cataluña desde 2002 (Garzón, 2505). Siendo de países subdesarrollados, muchos de estos inmigrantes han hecho el viaje transatlántico buscando nuevas oportunidades para ellos y sus familias. A pesar de que la inmigración en la región ha comenzado hace siglos, los avances de la globalización y la conclusión de acuerdos comerciales en los últimos años, han facilitado la migración de los latinoamericanos hacia España. Uno de los principales factores que permitieron este aumento de la inmigración de latinoamericanos hacia Cataluña fue el fortalecimiento del proceso de inmigración en Estados Unidos después del 11 de septiembre (ibid.). Muchos de los inmigrantes llegaron a la región catalana conociendo el español, una de las lenguas oficiales, pero restando importancia fundamental para el catalán, el otro idioma oficial de la región, situación que al menos comenzó a verse confrontada con "una creciente presión institucional para aprender la lengua catalana" ("Latin American ", 9, traducción propia). Tanto en puestos de trabajo industriales como domésticos en Barcelona, ​​debido al costo económico de la mano de obra y su parecido con la cultura local, los locales se han adaptado más para trabajar con latinoamericanos. Algunos de ellos han aprendido algo de catalán, dependiendo principalmente de la zona donde trabajan en la ciudad. La mayoría de las veces, los latinoamericanos logran comunicarse con los locales tan solo respondiendo en español cuando les hablan en catalán (Garzón, 2506). Otro factor que ha permitido a los latinoamericanos atenerse a su lengua materna, es que la mayoría de los demás sectores comerciales están ubicados en zonas de Barcelona con una gran influencia de los hispanohablantes (Garzón, 2507). El nivel de tolerancia de los lugareños hacia el español ha aumentado, ya que muchos de los negocios parecen centrarse más en el beneficio económico, que en la conservación de la cultura local.

Barcelona street life (Craig Sunter via Wikimedia Commons)

Siendo no sólo uno de los principales lugares turísticos, sino también la capital de la región de Cataluña en España, Barcelona es uno de los ejemplos de rivalidad entre catalán y español. Considerando la influencia del inglés a través del consumo digital y los medios de comunicación, el catalán en Barcelona tiene más bien el estatus de símbolo para los lugareños. También el turismo está influyendo en el uso de la lengua en la región. Al igual que muchos turistas pueden tratar de utilizar el inglés para su comunicación, una breve búsqueda en línea acerca de consejos antes de viajar a Barcelona, ​​también informa a los turistas que pueden estar tranquilos de visitar la ciudad, aunque no hablen catalán, pero que definitivamente podrán lograr una mejor experiencia con algo de conocimiento del idioma español. Esta información se puede encontrar incluso en los sitios web de turismo acerca de Barcelona como en Barcelona-Life.com. Aunque hay dos secciones diferentes en este sitio web dedicadas a explicar la relevancia de cada idioma, y ​​se ofrecen algunas lecciones básicas para aprenderlos, en ambas secciones se presenta al español como el idioma principal. Esto refuerza el hecho de que el catalán es útil solo para mostrar aprecio por la comunidad local e incluso si se busca conseguir otras oportunidades en la ciudad en términos de empleo de alto rango (Barcelona). Igualmente, en otros sitios en línea relevantes para el turismo, como Lonely Planet, se aconseja en varios foros aprender español, pero no necesariamente catalán (Lonely).

En una región que muestra una intención casi desesperada por convertirse en una nación independiente, se debería prestar mucha más atención a uno de los elementos que los distingue radicalmente del resto de España, su idioma. Ya sea por motivos de negocios o de amabilidad con los turistas, Barcelona ha permitido, a un nivel alarmante, el uso del español más que del catalán. A pesar de que el gobierno ha intentado reforzar el aprendizaje del catalán, existe una "creciente contradicción entre el idioma que es realmente utilizado en las calles y las demandas políticas, creando un creciente conflicto cultural entre las comunidades de habla hispana, catalana y otros extranjeros en Cataluña". ("Latinoamérica", 23, traducción propia). Como capital de la región catalana, es fundamental reforzar la importancia de la lengua local, en lugar de apoyar la idea general de la relevancia del español. Hoy en día, cada vez es más evidente que, en la competencia entre el español y el catalán, se está pronosticando un ganador. Cuanto más influye la cultura latinoamericana en el uso del español en la ciudad, junto con el apoyo de las agencias de turismo, menos políticos de Cataluña podrán utilizar el catalán como argumento para separarse de España.

Works cited

“Catalonia Profile.” BBC News. BBC, 21 Apr 2016. [www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-20345071] Accessed 9 Apr 2017.

Council of Europe. “Full list.” Council of Europe. Council of Europe, 2017. [www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list/-/conventions/treaty/148/signatures] Accessed 9 Apr 2017.

“Multilingualism.” europa.eu. European Union, 10 Apr 2017. [europa.eu/european-union/topics/multilingualism_en] Accessed 8 Apr 2017.

European Commission. “Multilingualism.” Education and Training. European Commission, 10 Apr 2017. [ec.europa.eu/education/policy/multilingualism_en] Accessed 8 Apr 2017

Burgen, Stephen. “Immigration complicates Catalonia's separatist picture.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited, 20 Nov 2012. Web [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/nov/20/immigration-complicates-catalonia-separatist-picture] Accessed 7 Apr 2017.

“Catalan vs Spanish in Barcelona.” Lonely Planet. Lonely Planet, n.d. Web. [https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/europe-western-europe/spain/catalan-vs-spanish-in-barcelona] Accessed 8 Apr 2017.

Garzon, Luis. "Globalization, Latin American migration and catalan: Closing the ring." Sustainability 4.10 (2012): 2498-2512.

Garzon, Luis. "Latin American Migrants in Bilingual Cities: A Comparison Between Barcelona and Brussels." XVIII ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 13-19, 2014). Isaconf, 2014. [http://www.academia.edu/7805121/Latin_american_migrants_in_bilingual_cities_a_comparison_between_Barcelona_and_Brussels]

Barcelona-life.com N.p., n.d. [www.barcelona-life.com/language/language2.php] Accessed 9 Apr 2017.

Image taken from:
http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1052.php

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Rafael is a graduate student in European Union Studies at the University of Illinois. He is planning on getting his MA in European Union Studies in May 2018 after which he is looking forward to moving to Europe and work as a representative in an European Institution for Latin America. He is interested in conducting research on EU and Latin America relations. He wrote this text in the 418‘Language and Minorities in Europe’ course in the spring of 2017.

Latin American influx and tourism in Barcelona, the clash between Spanish and Catalan

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