The State Of Chinese Immigration In Present-Day Spain Field Research In The City Of Tortosa

Worldwide, the immigration framework has become one of the most studied and researched topics of the21st century, due to its impact not only in terms of demographics, but also in terms of political, social, cultural and economic impact. The2008global economic crisis has seriously affected nearly every single country in the world.This dissertation is built on field research carried out by the author in Tortosa, Spain. The author chose Tortosa because among Spanish cities with a population of approximately40.000, Tortosa has had and continues to have the highest average immigrant population among them. Besides that, Tortosa is the author’s hometown, which provides her with insights into the local community and a wide pre-existing network of connections allowing her to research the topic more thoroughly and carry out in-depth one-on-one interviews with locals.The Chinese immigration group is among the largest immigration groups in Tortosa, and although it is not the largest, it is the most stable immigrant group in the city, which has not been seriously affected from the economic crisis.The author carried out a series of inquiries and interviews with both native Tortosa citizens and Chinese immigrants. Additionally, the author performed a comprehensive analysis of the influence Chinese Immigration has had on the Spanish economy, society and politics historically, and more especifically from the outbreak of the Economic crisis up until present day.From an economic perspective, the prices in Chinese-run restaurants and stores are lower than those run by locals, and is has helped ease the financial burdens of local consumers during economic crisis context; Chinese businesses are open longer hours than locally-run businesses are, which is also seen as an advantage by local consumers; additionally, many Spanish people believe that the presence of Chinese immigrants in the country may help improve relations between Spain and China, and promote Spain’s economic development. At the same time, though, Chinese immigrants in the country create fierce competition for locally-run businesses.From a social perspective, since the Chinese have extensive cultural traditions, Chinese immigrants in Spain are enriching the local culture through their own cultural contributions. As well, the number of immigration associations created by Chinese in major Spanish cities, is not only helping Chinese immigrants acclimatize to their new home, but are also improving the image of Chinese people in the country and drawing both cultures closer together.From a political perspective, despite Chinese people not being actively involved in Spanish politics, there are progressively more Chinese immigrants leveraging their right of freedom of speech to deal issues relating to their own personal gain. Furthermore, taking into account that Chinese people are becoming increasing influential actors in Spanish society and in the economy, it is evident that they will also play an important role in the development of Sino-Spanish political and diplomatic relations.From the literature and field research, the author proposes practical recommendations for the Spanish Government, Chinese people living in Spain and Spanish citizens, in order to improve Sino-Spanish cooperation when dealing with immigration issues. The author believes that if both societies are to benefit from these relations, economically and socially, it is essential that the Spanish Government changes its policies towards Chinese immigration, and Chinese immigrants should make more effort to integrate into the Spanish society. In the near future, Chinese immigration can play a positive role for building bridges between Chinese and Spanish society.