Ethnic Minorities
At the beginning of the Modern Age, the national State imposed a rigid ethnic,
religious and cultural homogenization. After expelling the two most important
minorities, the Jews exiled by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492, and the Moriscos
banished by Felipe II in 1609, there remained a religiously homogeneous
population that was oblivious of its ethnic origins (at least until the appearance of
the late 19th century Basque nationalism) and easily assimilated the small
immigrant minorities (African slaves brought to Spain in the 16th and 17th
centuries and the Germans who settled in the Sierra Morena in the 18th century).
There has always existed some differentiated groups, for example the 'agotes' in
Navarra or the 'vaqueiros de alzada' in Asturias, however the only clearly
traditional ethnic minority are the Gypsies, who seemed to have arrived in Spain
at the end of Middle Ages.
Their nomadic way of life has dispersed them all over the country, although the
greatest number, Gypsy communities, are to be found in Madrid, Barcelona and
the larger southern cities.
As in other countries, Spanish gypsies have for centuries managed to preserve
their own culture and social organization, based on classes and lineages. The
traditional pattern of segregation is increasingly difficult to maintain in urban
areas, where their integration poses conflicts in schools, neighbourhoods and
even in local communities.
Recent immigration is giving rise to new ethnic minorities as of yet not clearly
defined. While Europeans have no incorporation problems whatsoever, and the
assimilation of Latin Americans presents few difficulties owing to their cultural
affinity to Spanish, the integration of Africans and Asians is more problematical.
Surveys which have been made on this subject show that the level of hostility
towards foreign immigrants is Spain is one of the lowest in Europe.