Black beyond borders

What’s it like to be black in Spain?

African-Americans share their experiences interacting with Afro-Spaniards in Valencia

By Kamari Pless

As I counted through the heap of clothes—jeans, skirts, tops, T-shirts, shoes (most of which are heels) and dresses—it was evident that I overpacked. On suitcase number three, it was time to address the anxiety at hand. So many questions sprinted across my mind: Are you ready for this? Will you make any friends? Most importantly, how many outfits do you need?

Yet, beneath all those questions was another: the elephant in the room.

This is a question that simply can’t be answered by flipping through Valencia brochures, and no amount of orientations can prep you for this experience. What would it be like for a black girl in Spain? Africans have long had a historical presence and influence in Spain. Due to this, black lives in Spain sparked my interest.

Fortunately, I was not the only one with similar questions.

Seeking answers, I interviewed Khari King, a Florida State University student studying in Valencia in 2019; Jori Davis, a professional women’s basketball player from the U.S. who played for Valencia; Marcia Porter, an FSU music professor; Toni Hermano, a Nigerian-born business owner in Valencia; and Amber Lewis, a former FSU Valencia student.

With these interviews,

I gained a wider perspective on black experiences in Spain, learning that each experience is a unique story to be told.

Khari King enjoys her viewpoint overlooking the Mediterranean Sea during the 2019 Valencia summer program

King studied in FSU’s 2019 summer international program in Valencia. While enjoying a cafe con leche, she walks across the stone road past the Torres de Serranos and into the classroom. As she walks, she realizes that the Afro-Spaniard presence she expects to see is lacking.

I can only think of about 10 black people that I have seen, that I know are Spaniards or Latino, based on hearing them speak Spanish or asking them for directions,

King says. Although she has encountered some black people, overall, blacks in Valencia seem few and far between. This makes King’s presence somewhat of an anomaly.

Students are not the only ones who have noticed this lack. Davis played professional basketball for a year for the Valencia women’s team, until fall 2019, when she was traded to an Italian team (Costa Masnaga). However, Davis says that she did not get much exposure to the black community while living in Valencia.

“I did meet one girl—she was from Nigeria and played soccer in a lower division,” Davis says. “I met one guy from Senegal, and he was in Valencia to study. Those are the only two black people that I came across.” Outside of her teammates, Davis rarely interacted with other black people when living in Valencia.

Valencia is Spain’s third largest city. Part of its history includes the assimilation of Africans, Afro-Spanish or Afroespagnols, into the Spaniard culture. These terms are easily understood by some.

Davis is all too familiar with immersive cultures. “Coming from New Orleans, we are Creole,” she says with pride. “I know the Spanish had slaves and Afro-Spaniard is that mix, like Creole.”

Likewise, Lewis—who studied in the Valencia program in 2017—has background knowledge about the term. “I have heard the term Afro-Latina,” Lewis says. “While extremely different, it can be compared in the sense that it is a person of African descent, from Spain.”

Similar to the term Creole, “Afro-Spaniard” holds significant historical trauma. Alessandro Stella, a historian and author at the French National Center for Scientific Research in Paris, writes about the long presence of slavery in Spain.

Slaves were present in early-modern Spain, starting from the mid-16th century,” Stella writes.

Seville had a population of 7.4 percent slaves while other cities reported as many as one in 10 residents were slaves.

After Spain lost her empire in the 19th century, most slaves were freed, and the African population became part of the general Spanish population. Today, Afro-Spaniards have a variety of origins and migrate from across the globe.

Though most people interviewed for this article had not seen lots of blacks in Valencia, the city is speckled with Afro-Spaniards.

Women’s professional basketball player Jori Davis, in her Valencia uniform

Photo courtesy of Jori Davis

Porter, a professor of voice, has spent three summers teaching in Valencia. When not teaching, she often explores the city. As she strolls past museums, parks, and churches, she notes the black people she sees.

“I saw black street vendors around the main tourist areas and a few women braiding hair at the beach,” Porter says.

Vendors sell purses, shoes, fans, and other items laid out on sheets, while braiders set up shop alongside stands on the shore walks.

However, peddling is frowned upon by the police. “The street vendors were often noticeably anxious, aware of potentially being told by police to pick up their goods and move,” Porter says.

At first glance, it seems as though the black community lacks legitimacy. With negative connotations attached to the work of the street vendors, it is no surprise that they did not want to be interviewed for this article.

Nevertheless, we can see some Afro-Spaniards thriving in both business and Spanish integration.

Take Toni Hermano, a Valencia restaurateur, for example, who was interviewed for this article via WhatsApp. Hermano, a Spanish citizen, comes from Nigeria but has lived in Spain since 2001.

“A typical day includes meeting suppliers of essential commodities and products we use in our restaurant, quality control, and distribution of stocks in our department after receiving orders,” Hermano says.

Yet as a black entrepreneur, he notices the lack of representation of his black peers. “Well, unlike in GB (United Kingdom) or France, blacks here in Spain are still in hiding,” he says. “It’s a bit complex when it comes to setting up entertainment businesses or things like that.”

Hermano says he has some “mixed feelings” about his experiences in Spain, having been stopped by authorities for document control. “The sad part is that whenever they police, it only falls on those that look different, for the color of their skin, face, or religion,” he says. “Despite odds, I didn’t allow such issues to weigh me down.”

However, Hermano says he does have issues with the term Afro-Spaniard.

“Afro-Spaniard is equivalent to African-American, but it is wrongly applied,” he says.

If Spain does not call those from Argentina, Peru, Colombia, etc. names that have to do with their origin, color of their skin, or hair, then it is not wise to use Afro-Spaniard either.

Are those of African descent who live permanently in Valencia treated differently than tourists of African descent?

Hoping for an insider’s take, I talked with FSU Valencia Dean and Director Ignacio Messana, a native of Valencia.

In Spain, “racism is not related to the race,” Messana says. Instead, he thinks that immigrants’ socioeconomic status, as well as their origin, plays a role.

While Hermano perceives some racism in Spain, the African-Americans interviewed for this article did not share his experience.

“In Valencia, people are more drawn to the fact that I am American and speak English, rather than the color of my skin,” Lewis says, “whereas in America people obviously don’t care about me being American because it is expected, but my race may be the first thing they take note of.”

Amber Lewis (center) takes a selfie with students in the FSU 2017 Valencia summer program

Other African-Americans interviewed for this article have the same or similar sentiments, surprised by the lack of racism they encountered.

I was expecting there to be an extent of racism here, but I haven’t encountered people being mean, rude, or noticeably prejudice towards me,

King says.

Of course, everyone’s experience is different, but the similarities we share are comforting.

I don’t have all of the answers. I don’t know why Africans in Spain might feel some prejudice or why the treatment toward African-Americans might be different.

Is the lack of black representation due to limited access to resources? Or does it help to discourage more Africans from immigrating to Spain? As I packed my suitcase to leave Valencia, I left with some questions answered, others unanswered, lots of advice to share—and a new suitcase to fit it all.

Speaking with those I interviewed, I learned that I was not the only one curious about being black overseas. Davis and I spoke at length about the baggage of being black in the United States.

“In America, the anxiety of being black is out of this world,” Davis says. “You don’t realize how much of a weight it is until coming to Europe, where it is lifted.”

With this weight lifted, you can explore yourself, and Spain, to the fullest.

What is Lewis’s advice for African-Americans traveling to Spain?

“Don’t be nervous about traveling abroad because of your race— people can be more accepting than those back home,” she says.

My advice? When visiting Spain, specifically Valencia, come with an open mind. Be willing to immerse yourself in the culture and learn the language—both Spanish and Valencian. If you come across black businesses, try to interact with them. Be yourself and let people get to know you. Lastly, explore—and have a great time doing it.

Kamari Pless, the author of the article