A demonstration against racism led by migrants in Madrid. Photo: EFE.

Many migrants living in Spain who have been subjected to racism regret that this problem is talked about only when the victim is a famous personality such as the Brazilian footballer Vinícius Júnior of Real Madrid.

"We live racism in Spain", "institutional racism has left me out of Spanish society", "I have suffered discrimination in Spain", "I have witnessed racism in housing, in health, in culture": these are just some of the stories of people who have suffered discrimination in the European country.

Most of these people report having suffered hatred because of their skin color. Aliou Badara, a Senegalese immigrant who has been in Spain for five years, says that every racist gesture has a reason: lack of education and ignorance. "In the bottom of your heart you cry, because you feel very bad because they treat you like that," Badara said.

Hate because of race?

The non-profit organization Aculco, which defends the rights of immigrants in the Iberian nation, has registered dozens of cases of racism in the daily life of Spanish society. Eric Mantilla, a Colombian immigrant, says that this scourge is widespread almost everywhere on the planet, even in his own country, but recently he had to suffer it in Spain. While Eric was working as a waiter, a customer branded him a thief just because of his skin color.

The racist insults against Vinícius Júnior, registered last week during the La Liga match between Valencia C.F. and Real Madrid, opened a debate in the local media about the hatred for race that exists in Spain.

However, several human rights organizations criticize that racism only has real relevance when the victim is famous. These NGOs claim that there are hundreds of complaints a year and most are totally invisible.

For their part, several Spanish citizens who, although they claim to reject discrimination, also admit that there are "outbreaks of racism" in the country and that it should be eradicated. A survey by the Reina Sofía Center on Adolescence and Youth of the Fad Spanish Youth Foundation, published last November, revealed that one in four young people has racist opinions or attitudes.

In addition, a report by the Ministry of the Interior released in October 2022 showed that hate crimes constitute a complex phenomenon that has been growing in Spain since 2014. Meanwhile, a part of the victims asks society and the institutions themselves not to look the other way.

(Taken from RT en Español)