Generally Speaking

In my internship with the Movement against Intolerance, part of their activism is trying to break down prejudices and stereotypes toward immigrants, homosexuals and other races. We live in a society that is constantly bombarded by statistics that we take as facts, not knowing where or how they come about. These statistics have allowed us to place numbers to justify generalizations or maybe even creating them. Generalizations, stereotypes, however you want to call them are dangerous and here in Spain there is definitely no exception.

While taking a walk with a friend of mine in Mijas, we came across a police car questioning three gypsy women. My friend explains that the gypsy women go to the communities made up of foreigners and rob their houses. Foreigners normally feel safe enough to leave their doors open or one of them would lure them out their house peddling products, while the others would enter and steal. As my friend tells me this, I say, so if he sees a gypsy in the area, you immediately think they're here to rob? He does not hesitate to say yes. We get into an argument. I cannot win. Gypsies here in Spain, are nothing more than scoundrels, thieves, lazy bums who are not considered Spaniards. They are responsible for the majority of under handedness and lawlessness that happens in Spain. I am not convinced. This sounds all too familiar. Hmmm, Blacks in America maybe? Blacks only listen to rap, eat fried chicken and watermelon, and then of course, they are responsible for the majority of crime that takes place in American society, according to statistics of the number of blacks that fill up the jails etc. Riiiiiight. We’ve managed to break through many of these stereotypes as more and more blacks gain power and social mobility. Obama. But, who is the voice of the gypsies besides those that sing flamenco, which is also another stereotype. Days later, I would be talking to my friend’s mom and she said that in Mijas around the time we were there, a house was robbed by some gypsies. How can I disprove something that is proven when things like this happen? We love to speak in general based on our few encounters and never really take the time to dig deeper. We look on the outside and take what we see as is, and where does our information come from? The media? Our own observations?

In Spain, in Malaga, ideas, beliefs, prejudices against the gypsies and other “inferior” races will continue to pervade for now, this is clear while listening to what the youth has to say about them. That sucks, generally speaking of course.