Black in Spain: Advice for Black American Travelers

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Ahhhh what was it like being in Black in Spain? I thought you’d never ask.

At 20, I studied abroad in the sunny and southern city of Granada, Spain. I had on rose-colored glasses. I just wanted to exist. As I traveled around Spain, Morocco, Italy, and more that is what it felt like. But there were times when people would stare and point at me as I walked down the street in Spain. Other times, I was being stopped and asked if I needed to marry a Spanish man for a visa to stay in the country.

At 22, I moved to teach English as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant in Logroño, Spain. As a teacher, I wine-tasted my way through Spain’s wine region. I planned the Spring break of my dreams to vacation in Greece. However, I also had to address the n-word in the classroom and became the face of Black American culture as my students knew little about it.

Being Black in Spain had its ups and downs – and obviously I liked it enough to go back twice! But living in the south then moving to the north provided me with two opportunities to understand some differences within the country itself. I am not here to disparage Spain, but I want to share some lessons and experiences. So, here are some things for Black travelers to be aware of in Spain.

Black Travel in Spain Tips

Blackface is still very common in Spain

During my time in both Granada and Logroño, I witnessed blackface. Coming from the U.S., I had seen it before so the sight of it was not new. However, its prevalence caught me off guard.

Blackface came up during Spain’s Three Kings parade and celebrations. It was on commercials, in-school celebrations of the holiday, etc. Asking some Spaniards about it, many did not understand its implications. A few did, but still based on their response to it, it was not a pressing issue to change for them. 

Your English level may surprise people

Throughout my experiences in Spain people always seemed surprised that I knew English. Or rather, that I was fluent in English as it is my first language. To be honest, I do not really understand why this was always a shock. People know who Beyonce and the Obamas were, so obviously, they were aware Black people are in the U.S. Thus, if you are a Black American, some people may be shocked when you open your mouth every now and again.  And some even assume we speak French instead of English largely due to the African immigrant population.

Our “American” status may surprise Spaniards too

Oh the lovely, “what part of Africa are you from?” question. Don’t we just love it? NOT. I got this question often on my travels in Spain and Europe as a whole. People often assumed I was anything but from the U.S.

It was exhausting when I attempted to explain Black American history in Spanish. If you are a Black American, this question may arise. You do not have to answer it. You can play the dumb, “I don’t speak Spanish” card. Just know, it may be a question that comes up often and it’s 100% your choice to choose how you respond.

Do not assume there are no Black people in Spain

Black people are in Spain y’all! This was an assumption I had, and due to my own ignorance, I was wrong. Afro-Spainards exist whether they are immigrants or first-generation Black Spaniards. Their visibility is another question.

Black Spaniards have and are currently fighting for representation and equality. I went to an event hosted by LMDES and there were Black Spaniards discussing these experiences. Because at the end of the day, Spain is still a homogenous country. 

Furthermore, Black people seem separate from Spaniards. In places like Madrid, there is a neighborhood called Lavapies where I found the most Black people reside. In Logroño, when I looked for an apartment, I was told not to live in a certain neighborhood upon arrival. I later found out it was a predominantly immigrant neighborhood, full of Black people (not from the U.S).

A few weeks after, I further learned they were all Black African immigrants. I suspect that my U.S American and English language status played a role in why I was not treated the same as them. I will expand on my social identities more below. 

Spaniards will stare and point 

Whew, this one took some getting used to. Coming from Black American culture, we do not stare and point at people. Spain operates differently. I could be walking to class, on a bus, or on a beach, and people would stare and point. It was so blatant and uncomfortable at first.

Most times, I chose not to engage and tried to ignore it. Other people I know have asked what they were staring at. I was told staring is a cultural difference which I understand, yet it doesn’t make it any less uncomfortable. And Spain isn’t the only country in the world that stares, so it’s not necessarily unique to them either.

During my time in Logroño, I noticed other Black people stared too. Eventually, I befriended an African woman and her son on my daily bus route. We began chatting every now and again, and she was also surprised I spoke English. When I told her I am a Black American, she responded that she knew “we were not the same.”  

Black Americans, be aware of our nationality, language, and passport privileges

In the same breath of speaking English, we should be aware of our travel privileges. While our race is one thing, our U.S. American and passport privilege are magnified when we travel. As mentioned previously, there were instances in Spain when I was treated differently than Black people who didn’t speak English nor are from the U.S. 

However, this is…complicated. Our travel privileges are not like others. We know that many of our privileges we do not feel when we are in the U.S. Black Americans ended up in the U.S. due to the colonization done by Europeans, including Spaniards.

Even though we may not be fully conscious of our nationality, language, and passport privileges until we travel, they still exist. And they impact how we move through the world and are perceived by others. It is good to have self-awareness and understand the complexity of our identities.

Black women can be and often are fetishized

People dating outside of their race is not new and you are free to do as you please. That is not what I am referring to. Yet, there were multiple occasions where Spanish men attempted to caress my skin because they wanted to “touch a Black girl.”

When I studied abroad, I walked to and from the place where I volunteered. On one occasion, a Spanish man old enough to be my grandfather chased me down to ask if I wanted a husband. He said he loved Black women and had been “looking for one.” It was an uncomfortable situation.

These instances were few and far between, and were similar to being catcalled as I walk down the street or go to the corner store in the U.S. I think being seen as “exotic” was a weird phenomenon for me because that’s not my experience in the U.S. at all.

Pack hair care things you will need

Beauty supply stores or Black hair care stores are rare. Do not rely on buying any products related to our cultural grooming practices in Spain as they often don’t use the same products and there aren’t as many Black people there. While some cities may have some things, it is still very limited compared to our normal.

This means packing any Black hair care tools and products before you visit. If you are in need of Black hair care abroad packing list, I got you covered here. We have our priorities and hair is at the top of the list!

Being Black in Spain? Racism still exists

“Is Spain racist?” is the question everyone asks. Truthfully, I do not like generalizing entire countries. I have not met nor interacted with every person in Spain. Each person’s experience is different based on where they are and who they interact with during their visit.

But, Spain is the home of Christopher Columbus and we know how his exploration ended in the U.S. They are the original colonizers. So yes, there is racism in Spain. I would be lying if I said it was not even though my bad experiences were rare. Most of my interactions were pleasant.

Occasionally, people had clutched their purses around me when I walked past them. I got my bags randomly checked in grocery stores more than my white counterparts. I heard stories of people being denied entry in clubs because they did not want too many Africans or Black people. Afro-Spaniards are fighting for the same representation in Spain that we do in the U.S. That is no coincidence. Racism is a global issue. Even a popular tourist destination such as Spain cannot escape the ugliness of it all. 

My final piece of advice for Black travelers in Spain

I’m not here to make a decision for you. That’s on you. My two times in Spain were not perfect. And the funny thing is, I never intended to go to Spain. As a Spanish major in undergrad, I was a girl who just wanted to go abroad. Literally anywhere. Given what I know now, I still would not change my decision! Living in Spain changed my life and perspective in so many ways.

Yes, there are experiences I wish did not happen. But, I learned so much about who I am outside of those experiences too. I learned I could, not only survive but thrive in another country and its language. I saw places I dreamed of and met people I’m friends with years later. So go and make your own adventure too, in Spain or beyond.

Want to know more about Black experiences in Europe? Read this post. 

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(This post was originally published on January 21, 2021 and updated on March 1, 2023)

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