Excelent post but it appears you are talking on behalf of Spaniards considering that you just perfectly stated why Spaniards are shaky on the immigration issue most Spaniards probably share your opinion.

This whole topic has me really at a simmer, and believe me people...I'm am sooooo tempted at going off on some of these comments because they are so...so thoughtless and just plain VANE!

The very idea that one can't rely or trust someone who is of a different ethnic group or race as your own is completely rediculous, laughable and a plain stupid remark! My best friend in the entire world is Black! B.L.A.C.K.! And I trust him with my very life!!! To me...he is not my Black friend...he is my friend, period! He became my friend because of his moral character, not because I thought having a black friend would be cool. Quintos, you mention that you have Peruvian and Mexican friends, wow...they're so priviledged. Do they know what your feelings are about them? You keep saying how much you're against immigration (the uncontrolled immigration, excuse me), yet you're an immmigrant. Why is it bad for a Peruvian to go to Spain but it's ok for you to live here? What contributions are you going to provide for my country? We both live in California, there's over 35 millions people living here, so why are you here? I don't want to see my state go to pot and have overcrowed schools, traffic congestion and people taking our jobs if they don't need to be here!!!

And Ignacio, you have the right to express yourself and most certainly have the right not to like women with big noses or looking "Indiadas" or big lipped women with bones in their hair! To each his own.

Joselito...why are you apologizing for being from Barcelona? Im sure your fellow Spaniards like you...even if you are from Catalonia!

I can't believe the shallow remarks. "No..No..No...I like Black people...as long as they stay in their place. I like Mexicans, just as long as they don't call themselves Latino or Hispanic! I don't want to be confused as being one of them because they're not my people!"

Am I ranting, people? Damn straight I am! I joined this forum to become better accquainted with Spain and it's people. Boy am I getting an education! Yes, Spain is going to have to go through the pangs and convulsions of diversity just as the rest of the us and maybe in 20 to 30 years it won't be so traumatic to you all to see a Black man walking the streets without having to stare!

"Oiga, que me esta mirando, tengo ceniza en mi cara?" That's what my mother used to ask when people would stare at her. No, she's not Black, she's Spanish!

Hola Joselito -

Please please remain as an active poster - I've just read both your comments (this thread and one under the "safety" heading) and am impressed with the logical progression of your insights and thoughts. You can help so many of us that can't be in Spain full-time to better understand issues that confront a country we love very much

Mucho gracias, amigo -

I am proud too, and everybody should be of his/hers. But what I mean is that that is unimportant, that it makes us not better, we need to deserve it just as the rest. And ETA is not communist, and liberals are not communists, FYI.

Joselito:

So, if someone doesn't like hearing the word "sh*t" I need to take it form my vocabulary? Sorry, no. They have no right to limit that liberty.

Osomajor:

The one with peruvian freinds it's me, and I don't think they are priviledged by my friendship, but I give and ask for honesty and frankness, that's why, when it came out in a conversation we spoke on that issue like we had spoken on any other thing.

And I said I like black people features, not that I dislike them. And I am all the time speaking of aesthetic likes, like some other will like tall people or bald people or whatever.

Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETA

I trust other ethnic groups I know that me being a Spanaird doesn't make me superior to anyone nor do I think as myself as superior BUT I do consdier my people a legit ethnic group and Spain a legit country with a legit ethnic identity. This doesn't mean that I am superior inferior or what have you simple that I cannot rely on Chinese people or Japanese,Arabs to be concerned about the problems which Spain is facing with the cultural and massive immigration assualt. We have to face the problems we are faced with.

I had no choice when I immigrated here my American dad married my mom and brought us all here that is why im here I really doubt that on my own I would of bothered to immigrate. Spaniards are not contributing to the problems that you mention in your statement it is mainly "hispanic" immigration.

You don't get it do you I what you stated is what I don't want to happen I dont want Spain to be like the US no thanks you can keep your lifestyles,fastfood,consumerism and massive immigration to yourself if you like it but it is not fair for America to control Spains media and for the Spanish people to be lead into this. It is not in my interest to see Spain becoming a globalized,consumerized minauture USA I love the US but Spain is not the US nor do I want Spain peppered with a bunch of Wal Marts and McDonalds.

I was in spain a couple of months ago and Quintos I'm sorry to inform you that Spain is already peppered!!! There's McDonalds practically everywhere and Burger King, I'm sure i've seen KFC too. There's cyber cafes, (the Spanish are online too), huge games entertainment complexes and nice boxes going around on wheels, i think they're called cars.
FAST FOOD??!!! The other great thing about Spain is their wide range of fast food, also known as 'Tapas'. I suspect the spaniards got there before America did. Bocadillos de calamares and churros con chocolate are my favourites, often you have to wait a lot less than if you were standing at McDonalds, who by the way serve 'Mahou' beer yippeee.

They have a fantastic tube system as an alternative way for people to commute,...Yep immigration is growing in numbers too, you can see Irish bars almost everywhere even in small towns, there are also Italian restaurants, american bars, chinese restaurants, indian even Ecuadorian restaurants.
I guess the Spain you reminicse about is no longer.

Quintos...your visions of Spain are quite archaic. I suggest you remove those romantacized glasses and see the world for what it is. Economics runs everything and if the government of Spain wants McDonald's and Burger King then you're going have them there. As well as Coca-Cola, Disney, Nike's, Tommy Hilfiger. I understand there's a theme park outside of Madrid called Movie World, a Warner Bros. park, Warner Bros. Movie World -- Madrid . And Disney had planned for Spain to open up Euro-Disney, but France won out. So,why does the government allows these products into there country? Because they get something called...money! People spend money at these places and yes the goverment gets their share in the form of taxes, lots of it! And this makes the politicians that run the country very, very happy!

Whether people like or not, Globalization is the way of the 21st Century and there's no way to stop it! Unless the people themselves want to change, their cultures and traditions will remain intact. But you have to understand Quintos that times and circumstances forces people to change and it's not always a bad thing.

I love the diversity of America. I would get so tired of seeing everyone that looks just like me. I would really get tired of eating the same food everyday, and hearing the same music over and over again. I used to work in South Central Los Angeles 25 years ago and I loved it. Why? Within a one mile radius I had the choice of so many restaurants to eat at...Mexican, Cuban, Argentine, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Soul food, American, not to mention all the fast food places around. I was in heaven gastronomically speaking. Oh yeah...

BTW Quintos...how often do you go to McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut or Disneyland or to the movies? Im sure you don't have Spanish food everyday.

Miche...I loved your last post!

The new Warner Bros. park may be nice for business, but since I spend a lot of time in Pinto, which is just a couple miles away, I'm afraid I'm going to see a big difference in the community when I get back there. None, I would think, for the better.

I already noticed that the price of motel accomodations in Pinto has more than doubled since the park went in. Even though we stay with friends, I would have a hunch that the cost of everything else has skyrocketed in town.

Such is the price of progress, and like was stated in an earlier post, it's what has to happen for jobs, and taxes, no matter where we live.

I am anxious to see if the community itself has changed as well. The only immigrants that I could identify as living in Pinto the last time I was there were the Chinese people who have this fabulous Chinese restaurant in the city center. It was amazing as we talked to them, and with our friends, and there was Chinese, Spanish, and English conversations involved. Fantastic people, and I definitely will stop in to eat there when I get back to visit.

Wolf