Safia El Aaddam, activist: “Stop lying in the history books is the first step to repairing structural racism in Spain”

We interview Safia El Aaddam, writer and anti-racist activist. After his first novel, daughter of immigrantsnow publish Spain racist?where he denounces “structural racism” in the Spanish State and the ethnic erasure of the Amazigh people.

Safia El Aaddam (Tarragona, 1995) is writer and communicator and is known for her anti-racist activism on social media (@hijadeimmigrantes). Through various social projects and campaigns such as I give you my vote, in which abstentionist volunteers put into the ballot box chosen by a migrant or daughter of migrants who cannot vote, El Aaddam fights against “institutional racism“of the Spanish State

After his first novel, daughter of immigrants (Nube de Tinta, 2022), now publishing Spain racist? (Ediciones B, 2024), an informative book that contextualizes the origin of racism in Spain and explains its consequences. It also presents personal experiences and makes visible real cases of migrants who have suffered discriminationpolice and institutional abuse and violence.

For her, the first form of reparation would be “dstop lying in the history books“and guarantee that migrants who have been living in Spain for years, as well as their children born in Spanish territory, can obtain nationality and exercise the right to vote.

How has the jump from novel to essay been? Beyond the informative text, why is it relevant to include your own experiences and specific cases of abuse and discrimination of other racialized people?

I really like writing fiction, but readers may be left wondering whether the story I tell is true or not. I have been working on social projects and campaigns for some time, with testimonies of institutional and structural racism, and I thought I would explain it in an essay format. Apart from personal experiences, it seemed to me
It is important to write in a physical book voices and data that normally do not reach citizens.

In the first part of the book you explore the origin of racism in Spain, the context of al-Andalus and the differences between the Arabs and the Amazigh people. How important is this historical contextualization before addressing current reality?

I defend the visibility of peoples and fight against ethnic erasure and the oblivion of indigenous peoples. This has happened to the Amazighs, their language and culture, due to the Arabization of North Africa. We were the first to have contact with the Iberian Peninsula and ordinary people don’t know it.

At what point did “Moor” begin to have a derogatory connotation, instead of referring to people originally from North Africa? How to reappropriate the term?

In the book I explain how fellow activists are making a different use of the word “Moro”, which began to be used in a derogatory way after the “reconquest”, which really is not. The term “reconquista” is a racist ideological construction, there was no Spain to recover and it is used to justify the colonization of Muslim lands. “Moro” has become a very offensive term for the North African community, but I, for example, now give it another meaning. When I listen to it, after many years, I no longer feel my heart racing and I relate it to positive aspects.

What is expected of migrants to be tolerated in Spain?

“We only accept migrants when they are heroes or boost the economy”

Being heroes, climbing a balcony and saving a child, working for free… This is a consequence of the discourse of some progressive forces who say that they are not racist, but that they only think about the benefits of immigration because it boosts the economy and pays the bills. pensions. This argument dehumanizes migrants and means that they are only accepted because they will give something in return. With DANA, for example, we have not only seen fake news on social networks, but migrants have been asked and asked why they do not work without pay.

At the end of the book you conclude that, indeed, Spain is racist. However, in cases like that of Lamine Yamal, when he scored the goal that led the team to win the European Championship, attention focused more on his success than on the color of his skin. How would you respond to the argument that Spain is actually more classist than racist?

It’s a lie. His skin color is not ignored. Not long ago, in a match at the Bernabéu (Real Madrid’s stadium) they called him everything: “moro”, “monkey”, “mena”. Lamine Yamal was very good when he led the Spanish to the Euro Cup victory, but when the Madridistas lose, for example, they reproduce racist insults against him. Classism exists, but we cannot say that there is no racism because it is very evident when the result is not what matters.

What is it like to live day to day with the constant worry of making a mistake, with fear of the police and distrust of the institutions that should guarantee the well-being and protection of all citizens?

Very badly. You are constantly on alert, waiting for something negative to happen. Racism is structural and institutional and, therefore, you can find it in all areas of your life. Many racialized people cannot walk calmly down the street, knowing that the police will not stop them.

You write: “This aversion (towards Moorish and Muslim people) is rooted in Spanish identity and has been fueled by a colonial past that the Spanish State has not addressed or repaired.” How could I start repairing it?

The first step to repairing structural racism is to stop lying in the history books and look at how we call things. Not to mention invasion, which has a very negative connotation. On the other hand, highlight the fact that the descendants of the Sephardim who were expelled in 1492 can apply for Spanish nationality, but the descendants of the Moors cannot. The racism towards our community is very evident.

According to legislation, a child born in Spain acquires the same legal status as his or her parents. This means that, if they are holders of a NIE (Foreign Identity Number), the minor automatically obtains the same document. What are the consequences of not having Spanish nationality?

“A child born in Spain inherits the immigration status of his parents; if they are in an irregular situation, so does he”

It is a reality that almost no one knows. And when we talk about it, people think that they are isolated cases, not that there are thousands and thousands of children of migrants without Spanish nationality, when it is their right. Unfortunately, current law grants nationality by blood, not by being born in Spanish territory. You inherit your parents’ immigration status, so if they are in an irregular situation, so are you. You will not have a residence permit and they can expel you.

On the other hand, if you have a NIE, you must comply with all obligations and pay taxes, but you do not have all the rights despite having resided in Spain for many years. You cannot vote, take competitive exams, apply for certain scholarships or travel freely to certain countries without a visa. I have encountered all this; I obtained nationality not long ago.

What would change if all these migrants could vote, in a context of the rise of the extreme right?

That they could exercise a universal right. I don’t know if the political results would change, but we also claim the right to individuality of migrants. Obviously, a party that goes against our lives will not be a good option, but… at the very least they should have the right to vote.

The anti-racist movement is working to transform laws that perpetuate endless bureaucratic procedures, prevent the right to vote and make access to public healthcare difficult, among other barriers. Where to start? What role do leftist forces have?

“The most progressive government in history has not been able to regularize migrants”

Institutions and government spaces want to sell that racism is something social, but it is the opposite: it is structural, systemic and is what fuels racism in society. If you leave a series of people in a situation of exclusion and vulnerability, far-right parties take advantage. It is very important to raise awareness in society because, as we have seen, we have the power to pressure and change things.

The left has a light or passive role that makes the speeches of the extreme right succeed on social networks. The state government, calling itself “the most progressive in history,” has not been able to regularize migrants, leaving them abandoned in a precarious situation. This reality is exploited by racist parties, which take advantage of the vulnerability of young people who, upon turning 18, find themselves on the streets, without family support or work permits. In the progressive sectors there is no real political anti-racism, the left does not have a commitment to migrants.

They often talk about integration. What exactly does it mean to integrate?

“Right now, integrating means leaving your language and culture to reproduce what the dominant population does”

Right now, integrating means leaving your language and culture to reproduce what the dominant population does. This is what all parties want, from the extreme right to the left. However, integrating and being part of society means having a work permit, working, being able to vote or occupy spaces of power. Having just one person in a political formation is a quota. The religion you practice or the way you dress should be a free choice; We should not all be the same.

What is the position of white people in this fight?

They should be part of it, but not head it. It is necessary to join forces to actively support and denounce attacks and systemic racism. They must recognize their racist attitudes, even if they are unconscious, and work daily to get rid of them. Initiatives like “I Give You My Vote” allow white people to use their privilege to redress structural inequality. It is about using your time and resources to guarantee the rights of migrants. It is everyone’s fight.