In contrast to the domesticity traditionally assigned to immigrant women, their contributions to the life of Barcelona are many. First generation immigrant women, who have been here for some time, often play a key role in assisting newcomers to their communities in relocating. As community leaders, their activities and exchanges reflect the revised values, freedoms and norms that they have acquired in Barcelona. Women from severely patriarchal cultures find that within the urban landscape of Barcelona, and despite what are often difficult circumstances that continue to confront immigrant women, they evolve into individuals in the absence of the family networks within which they had been shielded or confined. In contrast to many metropolises, many speak of Barcelona as a hospitable city, one that offered them opportunities and a good life. This reflects back, no doubt, on Barcelona’s active policies in place to integrate immigrants through a range of schemes, courses and shared public spaces intended to create affiliation with the local.
Parvati Nair
