Filipinos and Hispanics in Spain

How do Spaniards perceive immigrants and foreign workers, particularly Filipinos and Latin Americans who are working in Spain?

Agents Sands,

I've been waiting for someone to post here, since I'm interested in the question myself. Meanwhile, since I'm very close to the Philippino community, I married a Philippina who worked in Madrid, I can tell you what I know about their situation.

Philippinos have been working in Spain for many decades. It seems that the cultural closeness made it convenient, and for a long while, cheap, to hire Philippinos for mostly domestic type work. I find it silly how many of the Philippinos, whom I knew as domestic helpers, maids, in Spain, tell many American friends that they were nurses or teachers. To me there's nothing wrong with this profession, and it helped keep many family members alive.

As I return now, after twenty, twenty-five years, I see that many Philippinos have prospered. Many of them have become small business owners and their progress makes me happy.

Unfortunately, because of inflation in general, I don't believe very many of them are still brought over to Spain for work anymore. The only dark side of this relationship between the Spanish and Philippinos is the predudicial and corrupt nature of the Spanish legal system. When a Philippino has a run-in with the law, it goes very badly for them. Some of the stories I heard were pathetic.

Hello gazpacho. Thank you for the input. I am Filipino myself, but i emigrated to California during my early teens. I still speak Tagalog and now I am quite comfortable speaking decent conversational Spanish although I can't say I am fluent. I am glad to hear that so many Flipinos have prospered even in Spain just like the ones who prospered in the United States. As a Filipino-American, do you think it will be difficult for me to find a job teaching English in Spain. I have two years teaching English in Japan, and I am hoping I can do the same thing in Spain.

Agent Sands,

I haven't lived in Spain for many years now and I'm not sure what they require as far as teaching goes. However, if there is a way an American can land a teaching job, I'm proud to say I would place my bet on a Filippino any day. I don't believe your nationality, other than not being a EU citizen, will be an obstacle.

My wife didn't know any Spanish either when she went there, besides your shared vocabulary. Now, everytime she returns, she is complimented on how she speaks it. Not me though.

If you've already travelled to Spain before, you won't be lonely. There is still quite a large community of Phillipinos in Madrid.

I just met another Filippino at work today at the Air Force Base. He was born and raised here, but still spoke a little Tagalog.

Hello Gazpacho.

I travelled to Spain for the first time last year. I went to Bilbao, Santiago de Compostela, Sevilla and Madrid. I fell in love with the country, the culture and the hospitality and warmth of the Spaniards I met of various ages and gender. I saw many Filipinos in Madrid. Spain reminds of the Philippines, especially the historical ambiance. I truly felt at home there more so than in the United States despite the presence of so many other ethnicities here. The simplicity of life in Spain captured my heart, and I would't mind relocating and living there for a long time, especially in emerald Galicia.