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Immigrants feel more welcome in Barcelona than in Stockholm

This is one of the main conclusions of the sociological study carried out by Zenia Hellgren, member of the GRITIM-UPF research group. 
13.11.2018

 

Non-white immigrants often experience racism and discrimination but feel more welcome and included in Barcelona, where there is less urban segregation and more ethnic mixing in everyday life that in Stockholm.

This is one of the main conclusions of the sociological study carried out by Zenia Hellgren, member of the GRITIM-UPF research group. Among the non-white immigrants interviewed, in Barcelona 63% feel included in society, whereas in Stockholm this percentage drops to 29%.

Among the non-white immigrants interviewed, in Barcelona 63% feel included in society, whereas in Stockholm this percentage drops to 29%.

The research, published recently in an article in the journal Ethnic and Racial Studies, examines the perceptions of inclusion and the opportunities that outsiders of various origins have in these two cities. Thus, it analyses whether their relationship with the host city might mitigate the negative effects of the rejection that these immigrants and members of racial minorities perceive of the ethnic majority society.

“The perceptions of immigrants and their experiences of exclusion and discrimination reinforce the need to link ethnicity and class to understand the particular ‘disadvantage of immigrants’”, states Zenia Hellgren, Marie Curie Research Fellow of the Department of Political and Social Sciences at UPF.

According to the researcher, these perceptions also reflect that their attachment to the city or neighbourhood where they live can contribute to generating a sense of belonging: “In general, the respondents feel more included in Barcelona, where every day there are more frequent interethnic contacts that in Stockholm”, she assures.

The study was carried out on the basis of a total of 81 in-depth interviews conducted in the Catalan and Swedish capitals, of which sixty were with immigrants, all with a high level of education seeking qualified jobs, and 21 with professionals and activists in the field of immigration.

Everyday experiences of exclusion that harm the sense of belonging

“The stories of the immigrants interviewed reflect how negative stereotypes affect their self-esteem and sense of belonging, as well as their perceptions of the opportunities they have to improve their ways of life”, Zenia Hellgren points out.

The interviews reveal that immigrants and children of immigrants, despite having the necessary skills and requisites, such as university degrees, are denied access to jobs, housing in attractive areas or, as is reflected in many of the narratives, the perceived right to identify themselves as “Swedish” or “Catalan” without being questioned by the ethnic majority.

“These common experiences can have devastating effects for immigrants’ sense of identification with the majority society: they are not just deprived of their possibilities to identify with the majority society and feel that they belong. They are also being denied the opportunity to gain greater social mobility”, Zenia Hellgren reflects.

Another of the aspects taken from the interviews with the immigrants is that their physical appearance is basic when defining how they are treated in different everyday situations that determine their chances of integration. Those who were identified as very different in relation to the stereotyped image of the host country felt systematically discriminated against. Thus, black Africans suffered the most direct racism in the two cities, often by way of derogatory comments made in public places.

Differences between the two cities regarding the main concerns and positive aspects

In Stockholm, many of those interviewed expressed their concern with the rise of the extreme right in Swedish politics, and with the increasing permissiveness of racist comments or criticisms of immigration in the public or neighbourhood spheres. Racism and discrimination seemed to condition the life of immigrants more. In contrast, in Barcelona the main concern was economic insecurity and not racism, despite being a daily reality for the majority of non-white respondents.

If we change the perspective and focus on the more positive aspects, the differences get bigger. In Stockholm, almost all respondents stressed the advantages of the welfare state and the relative economic security offered to them as being the most decisive reason to continue living there, despite the racism. In Barcelona, on the other hand, the vast majority of immigrants expressed their happiness with living in a generally open, tolerant city, and saw street racism as a series of isolated incidents by anti-social people.

“While race- and class-related inequalities define exclusion structures in general, and they require more efficient policies to combat discrimination and socio-economic exclusion, cities and neighbourhoods that are perceived as being inclusive may potentially counteract the destructive patterns of disaffection and disintegration, providing a sense of belonging and alternative forms of participation at local level”, concludes the GRITIM-UPF researcher.

Reference article: Zenia Hellgren (November 2018) "Class, race – and place: immigrants’ self-perceptions on inclusion, belonging and opportunities in Stockholm and Barcelona". Ethnic and Racial Studies.

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