Appropriate, no?
Cartoon: Breaking news
22 hours ago
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Views from the City: Birthday Edition
While I am celebrating my birthday in Barcelona, here's a shot from the San Cristobal metro stop in southern Madrid.
Appropriate, no?
Appropriate, no?
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Views from the City: Holiday Edition
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa! Given that I live in a country with a strong cultural affiliation with Catholicism, it should surprise no one that Christmas is a major holiday in Spain. That said, the holiday does take on some commercial and whimsical tones throughout the holiday season as the government of Madrid sets up glass christmas trees and lights around the major plazas and thoroughfares throughout the city.
Today's installation features a night time shot of some lights along el Paseo de Prado that I shot while driving to a Spanish Fulbright Association Christmas dinner in a country club on the outskirts of Madrid.
A shot from the north section of Sol at night; note the balls of light floating across the street.
And a daytime shot of Sol, featuring a glass Christmas tree. These 'trees' appear throughout the major plazas in the city during this time of year.
The city also sets up trees that light up around the city. Here is an example of a tree from my neighborhood, Plaza de España:
Today's installation features a night time shot of some lights along el Paseo de Prado that I shot while driving to a Spanish Fulbright Association Christmas dinner in a country club on the outskirts of Madrid.
A shot from the north section of Sol at night; note the balls of light floating across the street.
And a daytime shot of Sol, featuring a glass Christmas tree. These 'trees' appear throughout the major plazas in the city during this time of year.
The city also sets up trees that light up around the city. Here is an example of a tree from my neighborhood, Plaza de España:
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Views from the City: Palacio de Congresos and Estadio Santiago Bernabau
As I noted in previous posts, Madrid houses a multitude of museums that exhibit some of the nation's most important artists from its vast history. That said, the city's urban landscape also manages to incorporate the work of some of its most famous artists in the architecture and facade of its landmarks.
One of the best examples of these types of landmarks is the Palacio de Congresos, an exhibition space on the Plaseo de la Castellana in northern Madrid. The building features a mural painted by Joan Miro, one of the most influential and prolific surrealist artists in 20th century art. Although Miro initially worked with standard mediums such as canvass and sculpture, he received numerous requests to create public works of art such as Miro's Chicago, which sits in the Loop in downtown Chicago.
The building, which is the property of the city of Madrid, was constructed in 1970; the city added the mural to its facade in 1980. The mural was constructed by ceramist Llorens Artigas under Miro's supervision.
Across from the exhibition hall, one can find the home of Real Madrid, Estadio Santiago Bernabau. For any fan of football (or soccer), the team's reputation does not require any sort of introduction; its record and cache of superstar athletes speaks for itself. Although I have not had an opportunity to see a Real Madrid game, I have been able to witness Madrileno's enthusiasm for their home team whenever the stadium hosts a home match. Of course, the team receives its fair share of derision from the fans of its hometown rival, Club Atletico de Madrid, whose stadium, Estadio Vicente Calderon, sits in the southwest corner of Madrid.
The stadium was built in 1947 and received its latest round of upgrades and renovations in 2006. It has received a five star 'elite' rating from the UEFA, the most prestigious honor for a football ground in Europe.
One of the best examples of these types of landmarks is the Palacio de Congresos, an exhibition space on the Plaseo de la Castellana in northern Madrid. The building features a mural painted by Joan Miro, one of the most influential and prolific surrealist artists in 20th century art. Although Miro initially worked with standard mediums such as canvass and sculpture, he received numerous requests to create public works of art such as Miro's Chicago, which sits in the Loop in downtown Chicago.
The building, which is the property of the city of Madrid, was constructed in 1970; the city added the mural to its facade in 1980. The mural was constructed by ceramist Llorens Artigas under Miro's supervision.
Across from the exhibition hall, one can find the home of Real Madrid, Estadio Santiago Bernabau. For any fan of football (or soccer), the team's reputation does not require any sort of introduction; its record and cache of superstar athletes speaks for itself. Although I have not had an opportunity to see a Real Madrid game, I have been able to witness Madrileno's enthusiasm for their home team whenever the stadium hosts a home match. Of course, the team receives its fair share of derision from the fans of its hometown rival, Club Atletico de Madrid, whose stadium, Estadio Vicente Calderon, sits in the southwest corner of Madrid.
The stadium was built in 1947 and received its latest round of upgrades and renovations in 2006. It has received a five star 'elite' rating from the UEFA, the most prestigious honor for a football ground in Europe.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
The Spanish Constitution's 30th Anniversary
Although I do not have much time to write an extended blog entry on a very historic day, I wanted to note that Saturday marked the 30th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution of 1978 that ushered in the era of democracy after Franco's death in 1975.
Given the stability of the U.S constitution's place in the operation of the American government over the last 200 years, the rise of a new democracy -- in Western Europe, no less -- gives one an opportunity to reflect on the challenges that face a post-totalitarian European state as its people create a dynamic and inclusive civil society in a time of major demographic change in the industrialized core of the world economy.
In my case, the emergence of Spain as a major democracy in western Europe has made it an attractive destination for immigrants. As the number of immigrants grow in the country, the questions surrounding immigration have become major issue for the Spanish legal system, which was accustomed to managing emigration during Franco's reign. For instance: How does a legal and political system adjust to the needs of new immigrants? How does a legal and political system adjust to needs of Spaniards adjusting to the changes in their society? How does a legal system incorporate new legal developments within the EU?
The answer to these questions reflect a myriad of views of immigration, human rights, the relationship between individual/group and state/society. Some reflect pro-immigrant sensibilities while others smack of xenophobia and racism. Some reflect sensible approaches to immigration policy while others senselessly criminalize every aspect of the phenomenon. All of these responses, however, reflect the ongoing project of constructing a democratic society, which began 30 years ago. Without the presence of the constitution, it is unlikely that the debate over immigration, much less the opportunity to promote the rights of immigrants, would exist in this country. For that reason - the civil space to fight for justice - one must appreciate the significance of this day.
One quick observation from Morocco: the taxi drivers that serve the train station in Marrakech belong to a union representing the cabbies in the city.
Given the stability of the U.S constitution's place in the operation of the American government over the last 200 years, the rise of a new democracy -- in Western Europe, no less -- gives one an opportunity to reflect on the challenges that face a post-totalitarian European state as its people create a dynamic and inclusive civil society in a time of major demographic change in the industrialized core of the world economy.
In my case, the emergence of Spain as a major democracy in western Europe has made it an attractive destination for immigrants. As the number of immigrants grow in the country, the questions surrounding immigration have become major issue for the Spanish legal system, which was accustomed to managing emigration during Franco's reign. For instance: How does a legal and political system adjust to the needs of new immigrants? How does a legal and political system adjust to needs of Spaniards adjusting to the changes in their society? How does a legal system incorporate new legal developments within the EU?
The answer to these questions reflect a myriad of views of immigration, human rights, the relationship between individual/group and state/society. Some reflect pro-immigrant sensibilities while others smack of xenophobia and racism. Some reflect sensible approaches to immigration policy while others senselessly criminalize every aspect of the phenomenon. All of these responses, however, reflect the ongoing project of constructing a democratic society, which began 30 years ago. Without the presence of the constitution, it is unlikely that the debate over immigration, much less the opportunity to promote the rights of immigrants, would exist in this country. For that reason - the civil space to fight for justice - one must appreciate the significance of this day.
One quick observation from Morocco: the taxi drivers that serve the train station in Marrakech belong to a union representing the cabbies in the city.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Views from the City: Las Torres Blancas
Given General Franco's aversion to modernist architecture, Madrid does not have many major skyscrapers that dot the skylines of cities like Chicago and New York. The city's urban topography tends to resemble Washington, DC's, with a focus on historical buildings and a strong investment in remodeling older buildings for modern uses. As I noted previously in another post, the Reina Sofia, the modern art museum in Madrid, was formerly an 18th century hospital.
Of course, some towers exist in Madrid and today's post will focus on the most avante garde of the set: Las Torres Blancas. Las Torres Blancas, 'the white towers,' were designed by Francisco Javier Saenz de Oiza in 1968. The towers have since lost their namesake white sheen but maintain the uniquely daring approach to the modern apartment block.
Las Torres Blancas from the Cartagenas Metro stop
Of course, some towers exist in Madrid and today's post will focus on the most avante garde of the set: Las Torres Blancas. Las Torres Blancas, 'the white towers,' were designed by Francisco Javier Saenz de Oiza in 1968. The towers have since lost their namesake white sheen but maintain the uniquely daring approach to the modern apartment block.
Las Torres Blancas from the Cartagenas Metro stopTravels!
The next few weeks will see me traveling throughout Africa and Europe in a whirlwind of weekend trips: Morocco this weekend, Dec. 5 - 8; Granada, Dec. 12 - 14; Barcelona, Dec. 28 - 30; and Amsterdam and Brussels, January 5 - 11.
I will try my best to give a quick summary of each trip with some photos as well as a quick update on my work over the next few weeks.
I will try my best to give a quick summary of each trip with some photos as well as a quick update on my work over the next few weeks.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Views from the City: Atocha Memorial to the Victims of the 11-M 2004 Terrorist Attacks in Madrid
Currently, Madrid has two memorials honoring the lives of the 192 victims of the terrorist attacks at the Atocha train station. One of the memorials, El Bosque de los Ausentes - The Forest of the Departed - is located in El Parque de Buen Retiro, which sits on the east side of downtown Madrid. This installation of 'Views from the City" will focus on the second memorial at the station.
The 'Monumento en Recuerdo de las Victimas del 11-M," which was unveiled on March 11, 2007, features four sections: an entrance with the names of the 192 victims, a blue room with an opening in the roof that leads to a pressurized plastic membrane with inscription from condolences from around the world that the country received after the attacks. A glass tower, which stands next to the station, encapsulates the membrane; the tower lights up in the evening.
The membrane with copies of condolences from countries around the world
Some background about the attacks. On the morning of March 11, 2004, an group of Islamic terrorists, who were 'inspired' by Al Qaeda, detonated backpack bombs on four Cercenias trains that serve the suburbs around Madrid. 192 people were killed; 1,800 injured. The aftermath of the attacks, which occurred three days before the country's national election, shook the Spanish political establishment as the PSOE and the incumbent PP began to accuse each other of covering up information over the source of the attacks.
Long story short, the PSOE defeated the right wing PP, which initially blamed the attacks on the ETA to save face over the claims that the attacks were a direct response for the Spanish government's involvement in Operation Iraqi Freedom. I will not attempt to summarize the entire course of events; I suggest the wikipedia entry and this bbc link for more information on 11-M and its aftermath.
Although I do not know anyone who lost a loved one in the attacks, I am very familiar with these trains: I take a Cercanias to the UC3M's campus in Getafe to conduct my research. I have also visited Alcala de Henares, Cervantez's birthplace and the Cercanias station where the suicide bombers loaded the explosives on each train. Whenever I take the line out to Getafe, I think for a moment about the individuals who were rushing to Madrid, only to never make it to their destination. It is truly a haunting feeling to experience on a pleasant ride to campus.
The 'Monumento en Recuerdo de las Victimas del 11-M," which was unveiled on March 11, 2007, features four sections: an entrance with the names of the 192 victims, a blue room with an opening in the roof that leads to a pressurized plastic membrane with inscription from condolences from around the world that the country received after the attacks. A glass tower, which stands next to the station, encapsulates the membrane; the tower lights up in the evening.
The panel with the victim's names
The contemplation room
The membrane with copies of condolences from countries around the world
The view of glass tower from the Atocha Renfe station
Some background about the attacks. On the morning of March 11, 2004, an group of Islamic terrorists, who were 'inspired' by Al Qaeda, detonated backpack bombs on four Cercenias trains that serve the suburbs around Madrid. 192 people were killed; 1,800 injured. The aftermath of the attacks, which occurred three days before the country's national election, shook the Spanish political establishment as the PSOE and the incumbent PP began to accuse each other of covering up information over the source of the attacks.
Long story short, the PSOE defeated the right wing PP, which initially blamed the attacks on the ETA to save face over the claims that the attacks were a direct response for the Spanish government's involvement in Operation Iraqi Freedom. I will not attempt to summarize the entire course of events; I suggest the wikipedia entry and this bbc link for more information on 11-M and its aftermath.
Although I do not know anyone who lost a loved one in the attacks, I am very familiar with these trains: I take a Cercanias to the UC3M's campus in Getafe to conduct my research. I have also visited Alcala de Henares, Cervantez's birthplace and the Cercanias station where the suicide bombers loaded the explosives on each train. Whenever I take the line out to Getafe, I think for a moment about the individuals who were rushing to Madrid, only to never make it to their destination. It is truly a haunting feeling to experience on a pleasant ride to campus.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The Bomb Scare
Sometimes the most interesting things happen when you decide to stay in on a Saturday night.
After a long day training for my volunteer work with La Comision Española al Ayudo del Refugiado, I decided to remain at home last night to cook a meal, watch some television, play some guitar, and catch up on sleep.
I managed to meet my simple goals at 10:00 and decided to head to bed. Just as I changed into into my pajamas, I heard my buzzer ringing over and over again. My roommates had left for the night, so I figured one of them left their keys and needed me to buzz them into the apartment. I picked up the phone and heard a police officer demanding to be let in. I complied with his request and open my piso's door to see two officers running up the stairs and knocking on each door.
As they ran up to my floor, one of the officers told me to get dressed and open the windows in my piso to reduce the pressure in the building; I instantly knew that emergency revolved around a bomb threat or a fire. I asked him to explain the nature of the emergency to no avail; getting out was more important, anyhow. I immediately ran into my apartment to open the windows and turned around to ask the officer if I needed to open or close anything else in the apartment. He stepped into the apartment, saw the door, nodded, and then told me to change into street clothes. I dashed into my room, changed into street clothes, and ran outside with 40 euros, my digital camera, and my wallet.
When I exited my building, an officer directed me towards the left side of the street, which fed into Plaza de España, the public square that anchors the west side of Madrid. Police trucks blocked off both sides of my street, Calle Leganitos, as officers were running into and out of buildings to evacuate occupants from the area. I walked towards the main street as another officer waved me to the right, where a crowd was standing on the side of Grand Via, another major thoroughfares that runs parallel to my street.
As I was walking towards the crowd, I began to ask the bystanders about the evacuation. A server from one of the hotels near my street told me that the police station on my street received a bomb threat from an unknown source. I stood around for ten minutes before deciding to meet up with my friends for a drink in Sol. I figured it would be a better idea to leave the area in the case something went wrong on the street. As I left, I decided to not take photographs to avoid any harassment from the police at the scene.
I met up with my friends for half an hour and decided to return to my street. As I drew near the area around my neighborhood, I noticed that cars were driving through Leganitos. I drew a sigh of relief and continued walking home. I did not notice anything that would suggest that the area could have been the scene of a terrorist attack.
Of course, who would have been the group/individual responsible for such an attack? The description from the story suggests that it could have been a cell of the ETA, the Basque separatist group that has been at war with the Spanish government since the late 1970s. The terrorist group's general modus operandi is to call warn police officials about an impending attack on a site -- perhaps the police station, in this instance -- to reduce the number of casualties. Given that French forces recently captured the ETA's military head in southern France, the terrorist group might seek to make a statement against the operation.
That said, Police forces have remained silent about the incident, leaving me to speculate about the source of the call. In the meanwhile, I am grateful for the good karma and luck that threat was a false alarm. Having suffered from attacks from the 30 year war with the ETA and the 3/11/2004 terrorist bombings by an radical Islamic terrorists, the Spanish people do not deserve another attack to claim more lives; no one does.
More personally, the experience has given me a little more insight into the lives of my Spanish friends. Although our countries -- and England, as well -- have experienced terrorist attacks from radical Islamic terrorists, I realize that they must deal with the daily reality that their country remains in a struggle with another terrorist group capable of inflicting small scale attacks at any given hour. It is a sobering revelation, certainly. But it is a crucial one to realize if I am to gain greater insight into the lives of the people who live in this country.
After a long day training for my volunteer work with La Comision Española al Ayudo del Refugiado, I decided to remain at home last night to cook a meal, watch some television, play some guitar, and catch up on sleep.
I managed to meet my simple goals at 10:00 and decided to head to bed. Just as I changed into into my pajamas, I heard my buzzer ringing over and over again. My roommates had left for the night, so I figured one of them left their keys and needed me to buzz them into the apartment. I picked up the phone and heard a police officer demanding to be let in. I complied with his request and open my piso's door to see two officers running up the stairs and knocking on each door.
As they ran up to my floor, one of the officers told me to get dressed and open the windows in my piso to reduce the pressure in the building; I instantly knew that emergency revolved around a bomb threat or a fire. I asked him to explain the nature of the emergency to no avail; getting out was more important, anyhow. I immediately ran into my apartment to open the windows and turned around to ask the officer if I needed to open or close anything else in the apartment. He stepped into the apartment, saw the door, nodded, and then told me to change into street clothes. I dashed into my room, changed into street clothes, and ran outside with 40 euros, my digital camera, and my wallet.
When I exited my building, an officer directed me towards the left side of the street, which fed into Plaza de España, the public square that anchors the west side of Madrid. Police trucks blocked off both sides of my street, Calle Leganitos, as officers were running into and out of buildings to evacuate occupants from the area. I walked towards the main street as another officer waved me to the right, where a crowd was standing on the side of Grand Via, another major thoroughfares that runs parallel to my street.
As I was walking towards the crowd, I began to ask the bystanders about the evacuation. A server from one of the hotels near my street told me that the police station on my street received a bomb threat from an unknown source. I stood around for ten minutes before deciding to meet up with my friends for a drink in Sol. I figured it would be a better idea to leave the area in the case something went wrong on the street. As I left, I decided to not take photographs to avoid any harassment from the police at the scene.
I met up with my friends for half an hour and decided to return to my street. As I drew near the area around my neighborhood, I noticed that cars were driving through Leganitos. I drew a sigh of relief and continued walking home. I did not notice anything that would suggest that the area could have been the scene of a terrorist attack.
Of course, who would have been the group/individual responsible for such an attack? The description from the story suggests that it could have been a cell of the ETA, the Basque separatist group that has been at war with the Spanish government since the late 1970s. The terrorist group's general modus operandi is to call warn police officials about an impending attack on a site -- perhaps the police station, in this instance -- to reduce the number of casualties. Given that French forces recently captured the ETA's military head in southern France, the terrorist group might seek to make a statement against the operation.
That said, Police forces have remained silent about the incident, leaving me to speculate about the source of the call. In the meanwhile, I am grateful for the good karma and luck that threat was a false alarm. Having suffered from attacks from the 30 year war with the ETA and the 3/11/2004 terrorist bombings by an radical Islamic terrorists, the Spanish people do not deserve another attack to claim more lives; no one does.
More personally, the experience has given me a little more insight into the lives of my Spanish friends. Although our countries -- and England, as well -- have experienced terrorist attacks from radical Islamic terrorists, I realize that they must deal with the daily reality that their country remains in a struggle with another terrorist group capable of inflicting small scale attacks at any given hour. It is a sobering revelation, certainly. But it is a crucial one to realize if I am to gain greater insight into the lives of the people who live in this country.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Views from the City: Terminal 4 at Barajas Airport
Now that I have my camera back, I will add postings that feature noteworthy architectural and cultural sites around Madrid and Spain.
Today's posting features the shots from Terminal 4 at Barajas Airport, Madrid's air hub. The terminal, which sits 10 minutes across from Terminals 1 - 3, was designed by architect Richard Rogers. In addition to the bamboo awnings, the terminal features a color coded check in and check out layout as well as an automatic luggage-sorting system, SATE, which distributes bags to and from the planes from a bomb proof bunker.
I took these photos upon my arrival to the country on Sept. 7. Enjoy!
Today's posting features the shots from Terminal 4 at Barajas Airport, Madrid's air hub. The terminal, which sits 10 minutes across from Terminals 1 - 3, was designed by architect Richard Rogers. In addition to the bamboo awnings, the terminal features a color coded check in and check out layout as well as an automatic luggage-sorting system, SATE, which distributes bags to and from the planes from a bomb proof bunker.
I took these photos upon my arrival to the country on Sept. 7. Enjoy!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Guitar Lessons/Photos
After nearly two months, I have finally received my canon digital camera. Expect an overhaul of previous posts with photos over the next few weeks.
After a brief hiatus, I have started taking guitar lessons with a local jazz/fusion guitarist named Chuma Segura, who I found through at Radical Music, a music store next to my apartment. As it turns out, Chuma's studio is on the north side of the Cervantes Monument/Plaza de Espana, a good five minute walk from my piso, which sits on the southern edge of the public square. Chuma proved to be a fantastic guitar teacher, which is a major relief for me; research, exercise, and socializing can only sustain a person for so long.
After the lesson, Chuma invited me to see his band, the Chuma Seruma Hot Band, that Friday at Moe, a local jazz club located in the far northern edge of central Madrid. The ambiance of the venue was ideal; low lit lights, exposed stone walls, a mellow crowd, and a few whisps of smoke for added atmosphere. In this setting, Chuma's five piece band - guitar, sax, congas, bass, and drums - played a furious and funky set of blues/flunk inflected jazz rock, which reflects the influences of John McLaughlin, Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, George Benson, and John Scofield, among others. Truly riveting.
Here are some photos from the show:
For more information on Chuma's music, check out his website: www.chumasegura.com
After a brief hiatus, I have started taking guitar lessons with a local jazz/fusion guitarist named Chuma Segura, who I found through at Radical Music, a music store next to my apartment. As it turns out, Chuma's studio is on the north side of the Cervantes Monument/Plaza de Espana, a good five minute walk from my piso, which sits on the southern edge of the public square. Chuma proved to be a fantastic guitar teacher, which is a major relief for me; research, exercise, and socializing can only sustain a person for so long.
After the lesson, Chuma invited me to see his band, the Chuma Seruma Hot Band, that Friday at Moe, a local jazz club located in the far northern edge of central Madrid. The ambiance of the venue was ideal; low lit lights, exposed stone walls, a mellow crowd, and a few whisps of smoke for added atmosphere. In this setting, Chuma's five piece band - guitar, sax, congas, bass, and drums - played a furious and funky set of blues/flunk inflected jazz rock, which reflects the influences of John McLaughlin, Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, George Benson, and John Scofield, among others. Truly riveting.
Here are some photos from the show:
For more information on Chuma's music, check out his website: www.chumasegura.com
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Commentary: Si, Podemos
As the dust settles and the election post-mortems grow repetitive, I want to us a post to give a recount of my election night before wrapping up with some thoughts on last Tuesday’s events.
As I noted in my previous post, I had been invited to two election night events: an official American Embassy party at La Casa de America, a non-profit focusing on promoting the culture of the Americas in Spain and a Democrats Abroad Party across the street at El Circulo de Bella Artes, a major arts organization and museum. Both events proved to be swanky affairs for a historic night.
The first party, which was hosted by the American Ambassador, Eduardo Aguirre, was an invitation only event for friends of the embassy: embassy employees, government officials, foreign dignitaries, local politicians, the media, and a few wayward Fulbrighters. (Oddly, the researchers needed to pick up the invitations from the Fulbright office while the teaching assistants’ names were forwarded to the organization’s VIP list). Each Fulbrighter was permitted to bring a guest, so I decided to take one of my roommates, Jeanne, an enthusiastic French Obama supporter, to the party.
The party site was located right at one of the main intersections of Madrid’s city center, Paseo del Prado y Calle Alcala, with an entrance on one of the side streets that led to the back of the building; several of the Fulbrighters decided to make this area the meeting point for the group attending the event. After entering a security check-point, we entered a dimmed atrium where event staffers where handing out gift bags with campaign buttons from both political parties, a free drink/meal ticket, masks of each of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, and a pin with an interlocked set of American and Spanish flags.
We eventually walked through the atrium to the building’s auditorium, which was replete with guests and representatives from the city and country’s media outlets. As we walked through the room, I noticed that most of the well-heeled guests were standing around tables chatting about various topics as cameramen and women, photographers, reporters, and sound technicians interviewed partygoers about the night’s events.
More noticeably, group after group of party-goers were taking photos of their friends with the masks; Sarah Palin masks proved to be a popular pick with the men at the party.
The party also featured a presidential trivia contest between pairs of individuals who volunteered to participate in the game. The prize? A warm, patriotic six pack of Bud Light. Naturally, the Fulbrighters participated in two rounds of the game to win free beers for the group. What else would we drink on a historic night for America?
The presence of free alcohol did not help our group’s standing among the American dignitaries at the event. At the tail end of the final trivia challenge, one of the Fulbrighters suggested that the group pose for a photo in front of the ‘La Embajada de Los Estados Unidos de America’ backdrop at the front of the auditorium. As we posed for a few photos, a cameraman ran up to the stage, which prompted us to brazenly declare our support for Barack Obama to a crowd that was preparing to listen to the American Ambassador’s remark for the evening.
Yes, we cut off the American Ambassador at the very start of his speech. After clearing his throat, the Ambassador sternly said that the Fulbrighters “youthful enthusiasm did not reveal their enthusiasm for any particular candidate.” We immediately grew silent and haphazardly left the stage for the coatroom to leave the party with our egos somewhat intact.
The group subsequently moved over to the Democrat’s Abroad party at 1:30 to catch the results live on CNN. While I imagined the party would be a small gathering of Democrats in a bar, the organization put on a significantly more grandiose event. Hundred of Democrat supporters were floating in and out of each of the museum’s four floors as cameras flashed a live CNN feed on large projection screens hoisted above every room.
As we set up our home base on the top floor of the building, various members of our group were making runs for 14 Euro bottles of Champagne for the result announcements. As Wolfe Blitzer announced each major victory for the Obama Campaign: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, and Virginia, we – and the rest of the party – began consuming bottle after bottle of champagne, growing giddier by the moment.
At this point, Obama had 230 votes after conquering McCain in Virginia; the reality was setting in among the party goers that the race would be over when the polls closed on the West Coast at 4 AM. The bartenders were aware of this fact: all of the Champagne was sold out as people were running back to the video room with the remaining bottles for the next exit poll announcements.
As the groups shared plastic flutes and drinks, the entire crowd’s gaze remained fixed on the screen began to direct itself completely on the screen at 3:55. As CNN’s poll closing ticker for the nation’s west coast states, the crowd began to roar 5… 4… 3… 2… 1, with an intensity that no new year’s party could ever match. The next moment Blitzer announced Obama’s victory in the 2008 election. Then one loud cheer followed by another one and another one…
It is difficult for me to completely describe the emotions and reactions of the party goers in that room at that particular time; people cried, hugged, laughed, cheered, toasted to victory. McCain’s speech was greeted with applause. Obama’s speech, while cut off for three previous minutes, was received with intense joy from everyone in the room. I spent the entire hour crying and hugging my friends, who stood in awe in front of the screen.
In the midst of it all, I called my parents, who were eating dinner in the living room as they prepared for a long night in front of the television. I could barely hear their joyful reactions to Obama’s victory as I screamed out “el gano” over and over again. Given that I was using a prepaid phone, I could not talk to them for more than a minute. But I appreciated the opportunity to hear my family’s excitement while kneeling on the ground of a room strewn with champagne corks and dancing feet.
The party went strong until 6 AM, when the hosts cut off the feed and closed the bar, prompting a large number of tired and happy Obama supporters to walk outside to the empty streets of Madrid.
After the party, we sang a drunken, off key rendition of the Star Spangled Banner while walking to Sol to find a bar or coffee shop serving hot chocolate and churros. Our group managed to find one that was open 24 hours; the diners, mainly older Spanish men, gave us a puzzled look before noticing our Obama buttons and nodding in silent agreement. Our meal was quick, as some of the Fulbrighters needed to show up to their teaching positions in two hours. So we left and parted ways as the sun was beginning to break through a grey and chilly fall morning.
I returned home at 8 AM to find one of my French roommates awake; she was preparing to return to France to visit her ailing grandfather. She hugged me the moment she saw me and told me that her grandmother, who was a staunch Obama supporter, called her at 4 am to tell her the good news while crying with joy. Clearly you know you witnessed global history when your roommate’s grandmother is following an American election in the middle of the night. That reality set the final elegiac tone for the night as I prepared to go to sleep after spending nearly 10 hours celebrating history with my friends.
As I recall this night, I wish Canon had repaired my camera in time for the election. (Cruelly, Canon shipped out my camera to my piso today, a week after the election) Perhaps the effort to videotape the event would have been a wonderful keepsake for future events when I wanted to show friends and family the festivities from November 4, 2008. Even so, I feel that no amount of photography or videos could capture the energy and emotion of that night; I am sure the photographers at Grant Park felt the same way.
More importantly, no visual record of the night could relay the manner in which I felt connected to my country and the world. Perhaps I would have been able to demonstrate how ex pats and foreigners were excited to see a major milestone in the development of the American democratic project or captured the moment when I shared my joy with my family in Pasadena. Given the power of a collective decision to change the history of a nation and engage the hopes and dreams of its citizens and friends abroad, however, the night’s events extended beyond my capacity to completely capture that moment in time.
Having finished my elaborate justification for my failure to take my own photographs at an amazing party, I can say that November 4th, 2008 will remain as one of the greatest moments in my life, and, more importantly, a momentous occasion in the history of the United States.
As I noted in my previous post, I had been invited to two election night events: an official American Embassy party at La Casa de America, a non-profit focusing on promoting the culture of the Americas in Spain and a Democrats Abroad Party across the street at El Circulo de Bella Artes, a major arts organization and museum. Both events proved to be swanky affairs for a historic night.
The first party, which was hosted by the American Ambassador, Eduardo Aguirre, was an invitation only event for friends of the embassy: embassy employees, government officials, foreign dignitaries, local politicians, the media, and a few wayward Fulbrighters. (Oddly, the researchers needed to pick up the invitations from the Fulbright office while the teaching assistants’ names were forwarded to the organization’s VIP list). Each Fulbrighter was permitted to bring a guest, so I decided to take one of my roommates, Jeanne, an enthusiastic French Obama supporter, to the party.
The party site was located right at one of the main intersections of Madrid’s city center, Paseo del Prado y Calle Alcala, with an entrance on one of the side streets that led to the back of the building; several of the Fulbrighters decided to make this area the meeting point for the group attending the event. After entering a security check-point, we entered a dimmed atrium where event staffers where handing out gift bags with campaign buttons from both political parties, a free drink/meal ticket, masks of each of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, and a pin with an interlocked set of American and Spanish flags.
We eventually walked through the atrium to the building’s auditorium, which was replete with guests and representatives from the city and country’s media outlets. As we walked through the room, I noticed that most of the well-heeled guests were standing around tables chatting about various topics as cameramen and women, photographers, reporters, and sound technicians interviewed partygoers about the night’s events.
More noticeably, group after group of party-goers were taking photos of their friends with the masks; Sarah Palin masks proved to be a popular pick with the men at the party.
The party also featured a presidential trivia contest between pairs of individuals who volunteered to participate in the game. The prize? A warm, patriotic six pack of Bud Light. Naturally, the Fulbrighters participated in two rounds of the game to win free beers for the group. What else would we drink on a historic night for America?
The presence of free alcohol did not help our group’s standing among the American dignitaries at the event. At the tail end of the final trivia challenge, one of the Fulbrighters suggested that the group pose for a photo in front of the ‘La Embajada de Los Estados Unidos de America’ backdrop at the front of the auditorium. As we posed for a few photos, a cameraman ran up to the stage, which prompted us to brazenly declare our support for Barack Obama to a crowd that was preparing to listen to the American Ambassador’s remark for the evening.
Yes, we cut off the American Ambassador at the very start of his speech. After clearing his throat, the Ambassador sternly said that the Fulbrighters “youthful enthusiasm did not reveal their enthusiasm for any particular candidate.” We immediately grew silent and haphazardly left the stage for the coatroom to leave the party with our egos somewhat intact.
Eduargo Aguirre, the current American Ambassador to Spain
The group subsequently moved over to the Democrat’s Abroad party at 1:30 to catch the results live on CNN. While I imagined the party would be a small gathering of Democrats in a bar, the organization put on a significantly more grandiose event. Hundred of Democrat supporters were floating in and out of each of the museum’s four floors as cameras flashed a live CNN feed on large projection screens hoisted above every room.
As we set up our home base on the top floor of the building, various members of our group were making runs for 14 Euro bottles of Champagne for the result announcements. As Wolfe Blitzer announced each major victory for the Obama Campaign: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, and Virginia, we – and the rest of the party – began consuming bottle after bottle of champagne, growing giddier by the moment.
At this point, Obama had 230 votes after conquering McCain in Virginia; the reality was setting in among the party goers that the race would be over when the polls closed on the West Coast at 4 AM. The bartenders were aware of this fact: all of the Champagne was sold out as people were running back to the video room with the remaining bottles for the next exit poll announcements.
As the groups shared plastic flutes and drinks, the entire crowd’s gaze remained fixed on the screen began to direct itself completely on the screen at 3:55. As CNN’s poll closing ticker for the nation’s west coast states, the crowd began to roar 5… 4… 3… 2… 1, with an intensity that no new year’s party could ever match. The next moment Blitzer announced Obama’s victory in the 2008 election. Then one loud cheer followed by another one and another one…
It is difficult for me to completely describe the emotions and reactions of the party goers in that room at that particular time; people cried, hugged, laughed, cheered, toasted to victory. McCain’s speech was greeted with applause. Obama’s speech, while cut off for three previous minutes, was received with intense joy from everyone in the room. I spent the entire hour crying and hugging my friends, who stood in awe in front of the screen.
In the midst of it all, I called my parents, who were eating dinner in the living room as they prepared for a long night in front of the television. I could barely hear their joyful reactions to Obama’s victory as I screamed out “el gano” over and over again. Given that I was using a prepaid phone, I could not talk to them for more than a minute. But I appreciated the opportunity to hear my family’s excitement while kneeling on the ground of a room strewn with champagne corks and dancing feet.
The party went strong until 6 AM, when the hosts cut off the feed and closed the bar, prompting a large number of tired and happy Obama supporters to walk outside to the empty streets of Madrid.
After the party, we sang a drunken, off key rendition of the Star Spangled Banner while walking to Sol to find a bar or coffee shop serving hot chocolate and churros. Our group managed to find one that was open 24 hours; the diners, mainly older Spanish men, gave us a puzzled look before noticing our Obama buttons and nodding in silent agreement. Our meal was quick, as some of the Fulbrighters needed to show up to their teaching positions in two hours. So we left and parted ways as the sun was beginning to break through a grey and chilly fall morning.
I returned home at 8 AM to find one of my French roommates awake; she was preparing to return to France to visit her ailing grandfather. She hugged me the moment she saw me and told me that her grandmother, who was a staunch Obama supporter, called her at 4 am to tell her the good news while crying with joy. Clearly you know you witnessed global history when your roommate’s grandmother is following an American election in the middle of the night. That reality set the final elegiac tone for the night as I prepared to go to sleep after spending nearly 10 hours celebrating history with my friends.
As I recall this night, I wish Canon had repaired my camera in time for the election. (Cruelly, Canon shipped out my camera to my piso today, a week after the election) Perhaps the effort to videotape the event would have been a wonderful keepsake for future events when I wanted to show friends and family the festivities from November 4, 2008. Even so, I feel that no amount of photography or videos could capture the energy and emotion of that night; I am sure the photographers at Grant Park felt the same way.
More importantly, no visual record of the night could relay the manner in which I felt connected to my country and the world. Perhaps I would have been able to demonstrate how ex pats and foreigners were excited to see a major milestone in the development of the American democratic project or captured the moment when I shared my joy with my family in Pasadena. Given the power of a collective decision to change the history of a nation and engage the hopes and dreams of its citizens and friends abroad, however, the night’s events extended beyond my capacity to completely capture that moment in time.
Having finished my elaborate justification for my failure to take my own photographs at an amazing party, I can say that November 4th, 2008 will remain as one of the greatest moments in my life, and, more importantly, a momentous occasion in the history of the United States.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Commentary: Election Night 2008
Today is November 4th, election day. Many of you have asked about my plans in Madrid, so I’ll give a brief run down. The American Ambassador to Spain has invited all the Fulbrighters to an election day party at La Casa de America, an organization dedicated to promoting new world culture in Madrid. I will attend the party with the rest of the Fulbrighters before walking across the street to a party at El Circulo de Las Bellas Artes hosted by Democrats Abroad’s chapter in Madrid. Given that we will not hear about the results until 9 AM or so, it will clearly be a long, long night for the Obama supporters in the Fulbright cohort. Expect to see a post with pictures from the party sometime this week.
Parties aside, here are some of my own personal thoughts on my experience as an ex-pat watching the elections from Spain.
I have mixed feelings about living abroad during such a historical campaign in the States. Having lived in DC for two years, I was privy to a culture consumed by the campaign; a day did not pass without hearing the latest news about the Democratic primaries from hearsay from political insiders. More importantly, I would discuss the campaign with my friends and family over the phone on heard about my friend’s opinions – over the phone – on the election, keeping me grounded in the reality that exists beyond the Beltway.
Having lived in Spain for two months during the final stretch of the campaign, I can say that I feel somewhat detached from the political process. I sent in my absentee ballot, follow the news closely, and keep up with my favorite blogs. I talk with my friends and family over Gchat, AIM, and Skype. I recognize, however, that I will not see a presidential inauguration in DC or the long lines of enthusiastic voters ready to cast their lot in the election. It is very disappointing reality to tackle on this day.
That said, I have found other ways to remain engaged in this campaign. As much as people deride European’s support for Obama, I have found my European friend’s enthusiasm for a major change in the personality and policies of an Obama presidency has helped me understand the global dimensions of the campaign. As the cliché goes, it is not merely a historical election for the United States. Rather it is a campaign that has people from all walks of life in Spain and Europe on edge about the possibility of change in the States.
One small example.
I was a closeted Obama supporter for Halloween. Red tie, red striped button up shirt, khakis, moccasins, and a navy blazer adorned with a make shift McSame/Palin button. I looked like a regular in the Georgetown social scene. I affixed two Obama buttons underneath my blazer to shock and awe my friends with my ‘secret’ support for ‘that one.’
Although the costume received a lukewarm reception from the Americans, it was a big hit with the Europeans who attended a Halloween/Birthday celebration for my roommate, David. Whenever I flashed the buttons, the crowd would chant ‘yes we can’ and laugh at my button. Clearly they agreed with my evaluation of McCain’s support for Bush’s policies from the last eight years.
The positive reaction did not end at the party. On the way to a Fulbright get together, a young woman dressed as a hippie sitting across from me on the subway noticed the ‘button’ and started to laugh. I showed her the buttons and the individuals around her – a good half of the car, more of less – began chanting ‘yes we can.’ When I left the car, she asked me if I had voted. I smiled and replied ‘yes,’ an answer that brought an earnest smile to her face.
Aside from demonstrating the Obama campaign’s brilliant marketing scheme, the fact that these young people from Europe know the simplest details of this election reflects their own personal stake in the election. Clearly these desires meet ridicule and derision from certain conservatives who feel Europeans’ near unanimous support for Obama reflects Anti-American and Anti-Bush sentiments. It is a dangerously limited notion to purport to the American public, in my opinion.
These Spaniards do not support Obama out of spite for the United States. To the contrary, these individuals support Obama because they want to see a new era of international relations. More importantly, they support Obama because they feel his approach to government would promote the interests of the American people. Many Conservatives will disagree with this argument, obviously. But I find that European’s personal stake in the election reflects a deep concern about the fate of the nation and its people.
As I said before, I may not be in line waiting to cast my vote; I may not be in a bar with my friends waiting for results; and I may not be in Washington to see the Inauguration of the next president. Witnessing this support for the American people, however, has helped me feel a little more connected to the election. When one is around people who want to see his country succeed, it is hard to feel alienated from the process of change that marks each aspect of this election. Regardless of the election results, I am grateful for the opportunity to witness this support for the future of the United States; it will truly be an amazing night.
Now, let's see if a "Besame, yo vote para Obama" button will receive a positive response from the Spanish girls at these parties.
Parties aside, here are some of my own personal thoughts on my experience as an ex-pat watching the elections from Spain.
I have mixed feelings about living abroad during such a historical campaign in the States. Having lived in DC for two years, I was privy to a culture consumed by the campaign; a day did not pass without hearing the latest news about the Democratic primaries from hearsay from political insiders. More importantly, I would discuss the campaign with my friends and family over the phone on heard about my friend’s opinions – over the phone – on the election, keeping me grounded in the reality that exists beyond the Beltway.
Having lived in Spain for two months during the final stretch of the campaign, I can say that I feel somewhat detached from the political process. I sent in my absentee ballot, follow the news closely, and keep up with my favorite blogs. I talk with my friends and family over Gchat, AIM, and Skype. I recognize, however, that I will not see a presidential inauguration in DC or the long lines of enthusiastic voters ready to cast their lot in the election. It is very disappointing reality to tackle on this day.
That said, I have found other ways to remain engaged in this campaign. As much as people deride European’s support for Obama, I have found my European friend’s enthusiasm for a major change in the personality and policies of an Obama presidency has helped me understand the global dimensions of the campaign. As the cliché goes, it is not merely a historical election for the United States. Rather it is a campaign that has people from all walks of life in Spain and Europe on edge about the possibility of change in the States.
One small example.
I was a closeted Obama supporter for Halloween. Red tie, red striped button up shirt, khakis, moccasins, and a navy blazer adorned with a make shift McSame/Palin button. I looked like a regular in the Georgetown social scene. I affixed two Obama buttons underneath my blazer to shock and awe my friends with my ‘secret’ support for ‘that one.’
Although the costume received a lukewarm reception from the Americans, it was a big hit with the Europeans who attended a Halloween/Birthday celebration for my roommate, David. Whenever I flashed the buttons, the crowd would chant ‘yes we can’ and laugh at my button. Clearly they agreed with my evaluation of McCain’s support for Bush’s policies from the last eight years.
The positive reaction did not end at the party. On the way to a Fulbright get together, a young woman dressed as a hippie sitting across from me on the subway noticed the ‘button’ and started to laugh. I showed her the buttons and the individuals around her – a good half of the car, more of less – began chanting ‘yes we can.’ When I left the car, she asked me if I had voted. I smiled and replied ‘yes,’ an answer that brought an earnest smile to her face.
Aside from demonstrating the Obama campaign’s brilliant marketing scheme, the fact that these young people from Europe know the simplest details of this election reflects their own personal stake in the election. Clearly these desires meet ridicule and derision from certain conservatives who feel Europeans’ near unanimous support for Obama reflects Anti-American and Anti-Bush sentiments. It is a dangerously limited notion to purport to the American public, in my opinion.
These Spaniards do not support Obama out of spite for the United States. To the contrary, these individuals support Obama because they want to see a new era of international relations. More importantly, they support Obama because they feel his approach to government would promote the interests of the American people. Many Conservatives will disagree with this argument, obviously. But I find that European’s personal stake in the election reflects a deep concern about the fate of the nation and its people.
As I said before, I may not be in line waiting to cast my vote; I may not be in a bar with my friends waiting for results; and I may not be in Washington to see the Inauguration of the next president. Witnessing this support for the American people, however, has helped me feel a little more connected to the election. When one is around people who want to see his country succeed, it is hard to feel alienated from the process of change that marks each aspect of this election. Regardless of the election results, I am grateful for the opportunity to witness this support for the future of the United States; it will truly be an amazing night.
Now, let's see if a "Besame, yo vote para Obama" button will receive a positive response from the Spanish girls at these parties.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Julia's Trip Part 2: The Tale of Two Cities; Toledo
In addition to visiting the museums and several sites throughout the city such as the Parque de Retiro, El Templo de Debod, and La Plaza Mayor, Julia and I used Renfe’s high speed AVE trains to travel to the historical cities of Segovia and Toledo, which sit which 30 minutes north and south of Madrid, respectively.
Our first excursion was to Toledo, in the autonomous region of Castilla-La Mancha.
Toledo’s Old City, which sits atop of a mountain, was a charming maze of streets that wound around historical sites that reflected the dynamic culture of ‘la convivencia.’ Since the city’s visitor center charged three euros for a map, we eschewed the guide and wandered around the city, getting lost on a semi-frequent basis. Although we did not visit the city’s library, which was an Roman Palace and an Alcazar in the 15th century, or its Cathedral, which houses works by El Greco, Velazquez, and Raphael, our methodology proved to work well in discovering smaller finds around the city.
Three particular locations come to mind.
First, the city’s Museo de Santa Cruz de Toledo featured an contemporary art exhibit of Simeon Saiz Ruiz’s work titled J’est un Je. The exhibit was a collection of paintings that enlarge and distort the pixels of photos and video screen shots of victims of violence from the civil conflicts in the Balkans during the mid to late 1990s. Although the paintings initially overwhelm the viewer with a kaleidoscope of muted colors, one begins to realize the subjects of the photographs as the pixels for the outlines form the contours of victims lying in stretchers.
Seeing that the trials of the war criminals responsible for these crimes against humanity revolved around attempts to diminish and distort the scope of suffering of the victims captured in these photos, it seems appropriate that an artist would use a visual medium to demonstrate how the violence and suffering of the individuals in the photos persist even in blatant efforts to distort the image in the eyes of the viewers, and, by extension, international human rights law.
Not all the finds were depressing, however. Julia, who wanted to purchase marzipans for her family, happened across a convent with a small, modest storefront that sold artisan baked good and sweets baked at the nunnery itself. The area consisted of a counter, which was attended by a nun, a few shelves of ‘pastas,’ small pastries, lining the walls behind the counter, and a display case of other baked goods that stood against the wall in the customer’s area.
As it turns out, the bakery sold marzipans at very reasonable prices, giving Julia an opportunity to purchase a few boxes. Unfortunately, I did not ask the nun whether the sales fund livelihood of the women at the convent while Julia was buying the sweets. My guess would be yes, given that Trappist monks in Belgium have brewed and sold beer for centuries to maintain their livelihoods.
Finally, the city’s location on the top of a mountain hill provided a lovely view of the area around Toledo, Castilla-La Mancha. The weather was perfect: clear blue skies, large nebulous clouds, and large open plains reminiscent of the Midwest and California’s central valley. When one gazes out at the open plains of La Mancha, it becomes clear why Miguel Cervantez chose this area as Don Quixote’s home. Aside from Toledo, La Mancha is akin to Kansas in the Spanish mind. Consequently, a story about an idealist from a small town only reinforces the novel’s humor and pathos.
My next post on the trip will discuss my day trip with Julia to Segovia, which featured amazing Roman and Medival sights as well as one of the most impressive modern art exhibits in Spain.
A Few Historical Facts about Toledo
After a period of domination by the Romans and the Visigoths, Toledo flourished under the rule of the Caliphate of Cordoba, which conquered and controlled Spain during the 8th and 9th centuries. This period marked the age of ‘la convivencia,’ where the city’s Jewish, Muslim, and Christian populations were equal participants in a lively civil society. This period came to an end during the Reconquista and Inquisition, which expelled the cities’ Jewish and Muslim populations in 1492 and 1502, respectively. The city experienced a cultural revival under the rule of Alphonso the X in the 15th century, however. Incidentally, El Greco moved to Toledo in 1577 and resided in the city until his death in 1614.
Our first excursion was to Toledo, in the autonomous region of Castilla-La Mancha.
Entrance to the Old City
Toledo’s Old City, which sits atop of a mountain, was a charming maze of streets that wound around historical sites that reflected the dynamic culture of ‘la convivencia.’ Since the city’s visitor center charged three euros for a map, we eschewed the guide and wandered around the city, getting lost on a semi-frequent basis. Although we did not visit the city’s library, which was an Roman Palace and an Alcazar in the 15th century, or its Cathedral, which houses works by El Greco, Velazquez, and Raphael, our methodology proved to work well in discovering smaller finds around the city.
Three particular locations come to mind.
First, the city’s Museo de Santa Cruz de Toledo featured an contemporary art exhibit of Simeon Saiz Ruiz’s work titled J’est un Je. The exhibit was a collection of paintings that enlarge and distort the pixels of photos and video screen shots of victims of violence from the civil conflicts in the Balkans during the mid to late 1990s. Although the paintings initially overwhelm the viewer with a kaleidoscope of muted colors, one begins to realize the subjects of the photographs as the pixels for the outlines form the contours of victims lying in stretchers.
Seeing that the trials of the war criminals responsible for these crimes against humanity revolved around attempts to diminish and distort the scope of suffering of the victims captured in these photos, it seems appropriate that an artist would use a visual medium to demonstrate how the violence and suffering of the individuals in the photos persist even in blatant efforts to distort the image in the eyes of the viewers, and, by extension, international human rights law.
Not all the finds were depressing, however. Julia, who wanted to purchase marzipans for her family, happened across a convent with a small, modest storefront that sold artisan baked good and sweets baked at the nunnery itself. The area consisted of a counter, which was attended by a nun, a few shelves of ‘pastas,’ small pastries, lining the walls behind the counter, and a display case of other baked goods that stood against the wall in the customer’s area.
As it turns out, the bakery sold marzipans at very reasonable prices, giving Julia an opportunity to purchase a few boxes. Unfortunately, I did not ask the nun whether the sales fund livelihood of the women at the convent while Julia was buying the sweets. My guess would be yes, given that Trappist monks in Belgium have brewed and sold beer for centuries to maintain their livelihoods.
Finally, the city’s location on the top of a mountain hill provided a lovely view of the area around Toledo, Castilla-La Mancha. The weather was perfect: clear blue skies, large nebulous clouds, and large open plains reminiscent of the Midwest and California’s central valley. When one gazes out at the open plains of La Mancha, it becomes clear why Miguel Cervantez chose this area as Don Quixote’s home. Aside from Toledo, La Mancha is akin to Kansas in the Spanish mind. Consequently, a story about an idealist from a small town only reinforces the novel’s humor and pathos.
My next post on the trip will discuss my day trip with Julia to Segovia, which featured amazing Roman and Medival sights as well as one of the most impressive modern art exhibits in Spain.
A Few Historical Facts about Toledo
After a period of domination by the Romans and the Visigoths, Toledo flourished under the rule of the Caliphate of Cordoba, which conquered and controlled Spain during the 8th and 9th centuries. This period marked the age of ‘la convivencia,’ where the city’s Jewish, Muslim, and Christian populations were equal participants in a lively civil society. This period came to an end during the Reconquista and Inquisition, which expelled the cities’ Jewish and Muslim populations in 1492 and 1502, respectively. The city experienced a cultural revival under the rule of Alphonso the X in the 15th century, however. Incidentally, El Greco moved to Toledo in 1577 and resided in the city until his death in 1614.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Julia's Trip Part 1: Art Museums
As I noted last week, I’ve been very busy with my life; let me bring you up to speed on a few observations and adventures from the last few weeks. My wonderful friend Julia visited me from Washington, DC; the visit was her first time in Spain. It was also my first time playing tour guide in the country, which provided an excellent cover to visit various sites and cities in and around Madrid.
In particular, Julia and I visited the city’s “art walk,” El Paseo de Prado, which features three world renown museums: Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Museo Nacional Del Prado, and the Museo-Thyssen Bornemisza. Although we did not visit the Thyssen, we did tour the Prado and the Reina Sofia on two separate occasions.
The Prado’s collections feature some of the most important works by Spanish and European artists from the 12th to the 18th century. Among the artists, one will find works such as el Greco’s “El Caballero de la Mano en El Pecho” and “La Adoracion de Los Pastores,” Velazquez’s “Las Menaninas,” and Goya’s La Maja Desnuda,” “El 3 de Mayo de 1808 en Madrid” and “Las Pinturas Negras,” a series of dark, existential paintings which the artist painted after he went deaf.
While Julia and I toured the room containing ‘Las Pinturas Negras,” an art professor was giving a lecture on the importance of these paintings in the development of modern art. As she noted, Goya’s paintings reflected individual’s desperate efforts to find spiritual, intellectual, and emotional meaning in a development. In this manner, the artist’s work was a harbinger of the existentialist and postmodern philosophies that would dominate the works of artists, authors, musicians, and philosophers in post World War II Europe. Although I am certainly not an art critic, the artist’s emphasis on the alienation and isolation of its subjects coupled with the use of dark hues created a set of images that viciously disrupted the Museum’s emphasis on historical and religious works of other European artists.
Interesting note: Goya kept the series in the basement of his house; the Prado’s artistic directors followed suit and made the collection the centerpiece of Planta -1, the Museum’s subterranean floor. Given the series’ subject matter, the Museum’s logistical decision seems appropriate.
We also had an opportunity to visit the Reina Sofia, which focuses on 20th century artists. The Museum, which was an 18th century hospital, splits the century into two floors. The Reina Sofia’s second floor focuses on Spanish artists such Picasso, Dali, and Miro while the museum’s fourth floor features work of artists from the latter half of the century such as Rothko, Tapies, Bacon, and Antonio Lopez’s “A Man and a Woman,” which features a spectacular panoramic view of Madrid. The third floor functions as a storage space for the museum’s permanent collection.
The Museum’s centerpiece is Picasso’s iconic “Guernica,” which violently condemns the city’s bombing at the hand of Franco’s fascist forces during the Spanish Civil War; more generally, the piece protests the violence and indiscriminate suffering that mark war itself. As the story goes, A Nazi officer walked up to Picasso during the painting’s initial showing at the 1937 International Exposition in Paris and asked him, “did you make this?” Dali replied, “No, you did.”
The Reina Sofia also featured a temporary exhibit of the works of Nancy Spero, an American artist and feminist who used savagely abstract images of bombs and distorted faces of the dead to protest the Vietnam War and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The exhibit also featured recent work such as “The First Language” and “Let the Priests Tremble” uses icons of women dancing and the testimonials of women who survived torture at the hand of right wing and military dictatorships in Central and South America to reflect the violent limitations and ecstatic possibilities that exist in the lives of women. The exhibit’s title, “Disidanzas,” is a playful reference to the socio-political subtext and images of women in these paintings.
In particular, Julia and I visited the city’s “art walk,” El Paseo de Prado, which features three world renown museums: Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Museo Nacional Del Prado, and the Museo-Thyssen Bornemisza. Although we did not visit the Thyssen, we did tour the Prado and the Reina Sofia on two separate occasions.
The Prado’s collections feature some of the most important works by Spanish and European artists from the 12th to the 18th century. Among the artists, one will find works such as el Greco’s “El Caballero de la Mano en El Pecho” and “La Adoracion de Los Pastores,” Velazquez’s “Las Menaninas,” and Goya’s La Maja Desnuda,” “El 3 de Mayo de 1808 en Madrid” and “Las Pinturas Negras,” a series of dark, existential paintings which the artist painted after he went deaf.
While Julia and I toured the room containing ‘Las Pinturas Negras,” an art professor was giving a lecture on the importance of these paintings in the development of modern art. As she noted, Goya’s paintings reflected individual’s desperate efforts to find spiritual, intellectual, and emotional meaning in a development. In this manner, the artist’s work was a harbinger of the existentialist and postmodern philosophies that would dominate the works of artists, authors, musicians, and philosophers in post World War II Europe. Although I am certainly not an art critic, the artist’s emphasis on the alienation and isolation of its subjects coupled with the use of dark hues created a set of images that viciously disrupted the Museum’s emphasis on historical and religious works of other European artists.
Interesting note: Goya kept the series in the basement of his house; the Prado’s artistic directors followed suit and made the collection the centerpiece of Planta -1, the Museum’s subterranean floor. Given the series’ subject matter, the Museum’s logistical decision seems appropriate.
We also had an opportunity to visit the Reina Sofia, which focuses on 20th century artists. The Museum, which was an 18th century hospital, splits the century into two floors. The Reina Sofia’s second floor focuses on Spanish artists such Picasso, Dali, and Miro while the museum’s fourth floor features work of artists from the latter half of the century such as Rothko, Tapies, Bacon, and Antonio Lopez’s “A Man and a Woman,” which features a spectacular panoramic view of Madrid. The third floor functions as a storage space for the museum’s permanent collection.
The Museum’s centerpiece is Picasso’s iconic “Guernica,” which violently condemns the city’s bombing at the hand of Franco’s fascist forces during the Spanish Civil War; more generally, the piece protests the violence and indiscriminate suffering that mark war itself. As the story goes, A Nazi officer walked up to Picasso during the painting’s initial showing at the 1937 International Exposition in Paris and asked him, “did you make this?” Dali replied, “No, you did.”
The Reina Sofia also featured a temporary exhibit of the works of Nancy Spero, an American artist and feminist who used savagely abstract images of bombs and distorted faces of the dead to protest the Vietnam War and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The exhibit also featured recent work such as “The First Language” and “Let the Priests Tremble” uses icons of women dancing and the testimonials of women who survived torture at the hand of right wing and military dictatorships in Central and South America to reflect the violent limitations and ecstatic possibilities that exist in the lives of women. The exhibit’s title, “Disidanzas,” is a playful reference to the socio-political subtext and images of women in these paintings.
Monday, October 27, 2008
New Posting Forthcoming
Perdoname por el retraso. Between bouts with a cold, a poor internet signal, work, and a visit from a friend, I've had little time to sit down and write an extended blog entry. One will be forthcoming within the next week.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Live Blogging from El Festival de Las Americas
Another quick post. I am currently at the Festival de Las Américas in the eastern side of downtown Madrid. The festival is an enormous street party celebrating the various cultures of Latin America. I am watching a Cuban hip hop group that is performing on a bus that has been converted into a traveling stage. Two other groups - a banda guatamalteca and a brazilian pop band - are performing north and south of the hip hop band's bus, respectively.
The buses are traveling through one of the main streets that head east from the heart of Madrid; it is hard for me to calculate the number of people in the streets, but it easily looks to be in the low thousands. The crowd is quite diverse, ranging from Madrilenos to Central American immigrants waving the flags of their respective countries (naturally I am waving El Salvador's flag). It is quite a sight seeing this many flags in one location in the city. As I will discuss in another post, immigration is a major issue that is impacting Spain in a variety of ways. For now it is simply of the sea of flags traveling through the streets of Madrid as one large celebration that reflects the positive aspects of a city learning to embrace the diversity transforming its social landscape.
The buses are traveling through one of the main streets that head east from the heart of Madrid; it is hard for me to calculate the number of people in the streets, but it easily looks to be in the low thousands. The crowd is quite diverse, ranging from Madrilenos to Central American immigrants waving the flags of their respective countries (naturally I am waving El Salvador's flag). It is quite a sight seeing this many flags in one location in the city. As I will discuss in another post, immigration is a major issue that is impacting Spain in a variety of ways. For now it is simply of the sea of flags traveling through the streets of Madrid as one large celebration that reflects the positive aspects of a city learning to embrace the diversity transforming its social landscape.
The American Embassy: A Quick Observation
A dropped off my ballot for November's election at the American Embassy and wanted to make a quick observation.
First, the interior waiting room that houses the tellers literally looks exactly like my local DMV. And, to be honest, runs with the same efficiency; you receive a ticket with a number (e.g A421) and quietly wait - for a very long time watching CNN - until the lcd screen announces your number.
I am sure I am not the first American to walk onto the embassy and wonder if I needed to pay for a parking ticket.
First, the interior waiting room that houses the tellers literally looks exactly like my local DMV. And, to be honest, runs with the same efficiency; you receive a ticket with a number (e.g A421) and quietly wait - for a very long time watching CNN - until the lcd screen announces your number.
I am sure I am not the first American to walk onto the embassy and wonder if I needed to pay for a parking ticket.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
If the Market Demands It
The general routine I follow for my research revolves around me traveling an hour to UC3M's campus in Getafe and reading for several hours on topics related to my research in the school's library.
An observation: college students at the UC3M shun University apparel and a student union that follows suit and sells a very limited selection of said apparel. As a worker in the UC3M's student union shop explained, the school general purchases small quantities of University apparel for every season. She added that I should check back in the fall to find a new selection of season appropriate clothing.
As someone who attended a Big 10 school and never studied abroad, I am completely open to comments on the development of identity within a Spanish institution.
An observation: college students at the UC3M shun University apparel and a student union that follows suit and sells a very limited selection of said apparel. As a worker in the UC3M's student union shop explained, the school general purchases small quantities of University apparel for every season. She added that I should check back in the fall to find a new selection of season appropriate clothing.
As someone who attended a Big 10 school and never studied abroad, I am completely open to comments on the development of identity within a Spanish institution.
The Guitar Player and the Economic Crisis
While my blog will be covering a wide variety of topics, I will be focusing on two key themes over the next year. First, I will report on during my time in Spain is the country’s current economic crisis and its impact on Spanish society; the other theme will revolve around the issue of immigration and Spanish society.
This post will focus on the story of the impact of the economy on a guitar player who plays in Sol, the heart of the Madrid. I’ll give a brief background on the crisis before I report on the first story in this series.
Background on the Economic Crisis
Since Spain’s emergence as a major democratic nation in Europe, the country has seen its economy grow into the fifth largest in Europe and the eight largest in the world, based on nominal GDP. Most of its exports are construction equipment and agricultural products.
The presence of construction equipment as one of Spain’s major exports is telling for various reasons.
First, the country experienced a major construction boom over the last ten years as construction firms developed large numbers of suburban housing communities to meet demand for new homes outside the vicinities of cities such as Madrid and Barcelona.
Second, the construction boom allowed the country to absorb large numbers of immigrants into its labor market to meet demand for workers in the construction sector. In this manner, the construction boom directly impacts the perception and role of immigrant laborers and immigration in Spanish society, a theme I will explore in other reports and posts on my research.
Finally, the construction boom contributed to the country’s GDP growth to outpace its neighbors in the EU. Given the strong economic performance over the last four years, some commentators have suggested that the construction boom also contributed to the PSOE’s success in maintaining control over the presidency in the 2008 elections.
When one takes into account the importance of the construction boom to Spain’s economy, it is possible to begin to understand how a construction bust would contribute to a major economic crisis. Over the last few months, the global credit crunch, failure of major financial institutions, and the onset of growing consumer debt have contributed to the decline of the industry as an increase in unemployment, a decrease in housing prices, and weak financial system weakened demand for new homes and construction projects. With one of its main engines of economic growth falling apart, the Spanish economy has experienced a major crisis that impacts socio-economic and political dynamics of Spanish society.
The Story of Luis, the Guitar Player
During our orientation, the Commission invited the rector of the Universidad de Antonio de Nebrija and an avowed conservative to give a presentation on the current state and future of Spain’s economy and society. In addition to expressing major reservations about the increase in Spaniards’ reliance on lines of credit, the presenter criticized Spaniard’s ‘addiction to fashion,’ stating that the country was literally shopping itself into debt amidst a major economic downturn. Political differences aside, I have generally observed two trends in the consumption of goods in Madrid that reflect his argument.
First, Spaniards – at least, those individuals who seem to belong to the middle class – continue to shop for clothes, electronic goods, furniture from IKEA, etc. Like individuals from other developed countries such as the United States, many Madrilenos spend their Sunday afternoons shopping at major fashion outlets such as Zara, El Corte Ingles, SFERA, and Mango as well as trendy boutiques that dominate the city’s fashion district, Salamanca.
Several of my European friends have stated that Spanish retail outlets offer goods at lower retail prices than their counterparts in other European countries such as France. While hearsay may or may not confirm the actual price index of a country’s goods, it informally demonstrates that Spanish retail outlets continue to offer products at lower prices to maintain strong demand for said goods from consumers.
Clearly, these trends carry the rector’s reflections on major trends in the consumption patterns of Madrilenos. However, these two observations do not reflect all of my observations of consumption in Spanish society during the economic crisis. While the economic crisis does not appear to impact consumption patterns in Spain, I have found that the effects of the decline on these decisions manifest themselves in other ways. One example is the crisis’ impact on the livelihood of street musicians.
During a late night trip to the center of Madrid, I met Luis, a middle-aged guitar player who plays on the sidewalk of a thoroughfare that leads to the heart of the city, Sol. Luis told me that he began playing guitar in this area after the police informally gave him permission to perform in the area a few years ago. Ever since then, Luis arrives around midnight to set up his equipment: a stool, a small amplifier, a nylon string guitar with a pickup, and a tiny booklet of songs. Depending on the amount of donations he receives during the evening, Luis will play for three hours before heading home.
Although Luis can play a few Jazz and Ragtime standards, he generally focuses on classical compositions, flamenco, and Spanish folk/popular music. As he explained, the general public in Spain recognizes and appreciates street musicians who play Spanish compositions. Given that many of the passerbys are Spaniards, these songs generally earn him more donations from the late night audience. Of course, this observation does not account for every street musician in Madrid; many street musicians play popular music from other countries such as the United States and Great Britain.
While Luis generally earned enough money to support his regular income, he noted that passerybys were donating smaller amounts of money - if they even donated money at all – in the last year. I asked him if a change in the demographics of the late-night passerby or the public’s tastes in music contributed to this trend; he disagreed. In his opinion, the economic crisis has hurt the public’s inclination to donate money to street musicians around the city. Still, Luis generally seemed optimistic about his situation as a late night street musician. He explained that his nightly gigs allowed him to practice music in spite of the fact that the general public was less inclined to give him money.
To preempt a few questions: Yes, I do tip Luis whenever I see him in Sol. Do I think playing at night for a crowd of rowdy party goers might decrease his income? Perhaps, with one caveat. Given my sociological research on the use of public space, the agreement between a street musician and local authorities can vary. If a street musician can secure an agreement in a particular location, it provides a stable location for playing music, receiving donations, etc.
That said, I think Luis’ story exemplifies the obscure – but important – manners that the economic crisis of Spain is impacting the lives of people in this country. One can measure economic crises through various means such as GDP, inflation, unemployment figures, stability of financial markets, etc. As I have argued in previous research, one must also use qualitative means to analyze the development of an economy. The rector’s presentation demonstrated how quantitative and general qualitative observations capture a snapshot of a company’s economic crisis. At the same time, other means of research and social activism allow a society to develop a comprehensive portrait of economic development, regardless whether it is a boom or a bust.
This post will focus on the story of the impact of the economy on a guitar player who plays in Sol, the heart of the Madrid. I’ll give a brief background on the crisis before I report on the first story in this series.
Background on the Economic Crisis
Since Spain’s emergence as a major democratic nation in Europe, the country has seen its economy grow into the fifth largest in Europe and the eight largest in the world, based on nominal GDP. Most of its exports are construction equipment and agricultural products.
The presence of construction equipment as one of Spain’s major exports is telling for various reasons.
First, the country experienced a major construction boom over the last ten years as construction firms developed large numbers of suburban housing communities to meet demand for new homes outside the vicinities of cities such as Madrid and Barcelona.
Second, the construction boom allowed the country to absorb large numbers of immigrants into its labor market to meet demand for workers in the construction sector. In this manner, the construction boom directly impacts the perception and role of immigrant laborers and immigration in Spanish society, a theme I will explore in other reports and posts on my research.
Finally, the construction boom contributed to the country’s GDP growth to outpace its neighbors in the EU. Given the strong economic performance over the last four years, some commentators have suggested that the construction boom also contributed to the PSOE’s success in maintaining control over the presidency in the 2008 elections.
When one takes into account the importance of the construction boom to Spain’s economy, it is possible to begin to understand how a construction bust would contribute to a major economic crisis. Over the last few months, the global credit crunch, failure of major financial institutions, and the onset of growing consumer debt have contributed to the decline of the industry as an increase in unemployment, a decrease in housing prices, and weak financial system weakened demand for new homes and construction projects. With one of its main engines of economic growth falling apart, the Spanish economy has experienced a major crisis that impacts socio-economic and political dynamics of Spanish society.
The Story of Luis, the Guitar Player
During our orientation, the Commission invited the rector of the Universidad de Antonio de Nebrija and an avowed conservative to give a presentation on the current state and future of Spain’s economy and society. In addition to expressing major reservations about the increase in Spaniards’ reliance on lines of credit, the presenter criticized Spaniard’s ‘addiction to fashion,’ stating that the country was literally shopping itself into debt amidst a major economic downturn. Political differences aside, I have generally observed two trends in the consumption of goods in Madrid that reflect his argument.
First, Spaniards – at least, those individuals who seem to belong to the middle class – continue to shop for clothes, electronic goods, furniture from IKEA, etc. Like individuals from other developed countries such as the United States, many Madrilenos spend their Sunday afternoons shopping at major fashion outlets such as Zara, El Corte Ingles, SFERA, and Mango as well as trendy boutiques that dominate the city’s fashion district, Salamanca.
Several of my European friends have stated that Spanish retail outlets offer goods at lower retail prices than their counterparts in other European countries such as France. While hearsay may or may not confirm the actual price index of a country’s goods, it informally demonstrates that Spanish retail outlets continue to offer products at lower prices to maintain strong demand for said goods from consumers.
Clearly, these trends carry the rector’s reflections on major trends in the consumption patterns of Madrilenos. However, these two observations do not reflect all of my observations of consumption in Spanish society during the economic crisis. While the economic crisis does not appear to impact consumption patterns in Spain, I have found that the effects of the decline on these decisions manifest themselves in other ways. One example is the crisis’ impact on the livelihood of street musicians.
During a late night trip to the center of Madrid, I met Luis, a middle-aged guitar player who plays on the sidewalk of a thoroughfare that leads to the heart of the city, Sol. Luis told me that he began playing guitar in this area after the police informally gave him permission to perform in the area a few years ago. Ever since then, Luis arrives around midnight to set up his equipment: a stool, a small amplifier, a nylon string guitar with a pickup, and a tiny booklet of songs. Depending on the amount of donations he receives during the evening, Luis will play for three hours before heading home.
Although Luis can play a few Jazz and Ragtime standards, he generally focuses on classical compositions, flamenco, and Spanish folk/popular music. As he explained, the general public in Spain recognizes and appreciates street musicians who play Spanish compositions. Given that many of the passerbys are Spaniards, these songs generally earn him more donations from the late night audience. Of course, this observation does not account for every street musician in Madrid; many street musicians play popular music from other countries such as the United States and Great Britain.
While Luis generally earned enough money to support his regular income, he noted that passerybys were donating smaller amounts of money - if they even donated money at all – in the last year. I asked him if a change in the demographics of the late-night passerby or the public’s tastes in music contributed to this trend; he disagreed. In his opinion, the economic crisis has hurt the public’s inclination to donate money to street musicians around the city. Still, Luis generally seemed optimistic about his situation as a late night street musician. He explained that his nightly gigs allowed him to practice music in spite of the fact that the general public was less inclined to give him money.
To preempt a few questions: Yes, I do tip Luis whenever I see him in Sol. Do I think playing at night for a crowd of rowdy party goers might decrease his income? Perhaps, with one caveat. Given my sociological research on the use of public space, the agreement between a street musician and local authorities can vary. If a street musician can secure an agreement in a particular location, it provides a stable location for playing music, receiving donations, etc.
That said, I think Luis’ story exemplifies the obscure – but important – manners that the economic crisis of Spain is impacting the lives of people in this country. One can measure economic crises through various means such as GDP, inflation, unemployment figures, stability of financial markets, etc. As I have argued in previous research, one must also use qualitative means to analyze the development of an economy. The rector’s presentation demonstrated how quantitative and general qualitative observations capture a snapshot of a company’s economic crisis. At the same time, other means of research and social activism allow a society to develop a comprehensive portrait of economic development, regardless whether it is a boom or a bust.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
My Address
For all you who want to send me care packages - especially food from Trader Joe's - here is my address in Madrid:
Cris Ramon
Leganitos 27 2º D
Madrid, Spain 28013
I'm semi-serious about the TJ request; email me for suggestions.
Cris Ramon
Leganitos 27 2º D
Madrid, Spain 28013
I'm semi-serious about the TJ request; email me for suggestions.
My Research Project and a Brief Encounter with History
I have been receiving questions over the nature of my research in Spain, so I will outline my research question, the history of immigration law in Spain, and my research methodology, and information about the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, my institutional sponsor. I added a story at the end of this posting that describes an interesting experience at the University.
The Genesis of my Research Project
Generally speaking, I will be studying how developments in immigration law impact the rights of undocumented immigrants to join labor unions in Spain. The topic/question emerged from research I conducted at Macalester for my Political Sociology class that I took during my junior year. At the time I was studying how conflicts between immigration and labor law impacted the rights of undocumented immigrants to receive the right to join unions under the Wagner Act of 1935.
Specifically, I analyzed how the clash between laws with universal scopes of rights – i.e. labor laws, which grants the rights to organize to all workers in the United States – and laws with particular/narrow understanding of rights – i.e. immigration laws that make citizenship a prerequisite to receive the right to work in the United States, vote, etc – created legal precedents that would expand or narrow the right of undocumented workers in the American legal system.
While I could go into further details, I will simply note that a court case from 1998 set the precedent that employers did not have the right to prevent any and all workers from joining labor unions; any effort to use a worker’s citizenship status counted as an action that violated the Wagner act. In this sense, the universalism present in labor laws can supercede the narrow scope of immigration laws, giving undocumented immigrants access to a greater set of rights in the United States.
After many years, I began to wonder how these sorts of legal issues would play out in other countries. Given that I speak Spanish and wanted to travel to Europe, I decide to apply for a grant to study this issue in Spain. The country is ideal for three reasons: Spain has a relatively short history of immigration legislation in the post-Franco period; the country has witnessed a substantial increase in immigration over the last 10 years; and a fairly liberal stance towards granting rights to undocumented immigrants that counters the anti-immigrant policies of centre-right governments in Europe. It is the last point that drives my research.
The History of Immigration Law and Undocumented Worker’s Rights in Spain
In the year 2000, the incumbent president José María Aznar and the right wing Partido Popular (“PP”) passed a law known as the Ley Orgánica 8/2000, de 22 de Diciembre. Whereas previous immigration legislation passed in 1986 and 1998 guaranteed all immigrants the right to join labor unions, the new law stripped undocumented immigrants of these rights. In this manner, the law was significantly stricter than the law passed in 1998, which limited certain rights to Spanish while protecting certain legal benefits – i.e the to belong to a labor union – for all individuals in Spain.
Following the 11/3/04 terrorist bombings in Madrid’s Atocha metro stop, the Spanish people elected José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and the left wing PSOE Partido Socialista de la Obra Española (“PSOE” or “Socialists”) as the new president of Spain. The political climate and attitude towards immigrants experienced a major shift as a result of this change in administrations. Whereas the PP was adamantly anti-immigrant, the PSOE and Zapatero were strong supporters of immigrant’s rights and the integration of immigrants into Spanish society. The administration’s official stance on the issue helped the PSOE legislate a new law in 2007, which reinstated the right of undocumented immigrants to join labor unions and other legal benefits.
The history of immigration law and its relationship with the rights of undocumented workers to join labor unions will form the center of my research.
My Research Methodology
My research methodology generally follows a schedule that sets deadlines for each phase of my research.
First I will use academic texts and copies of each individual law to study the entire history of immigration law. Once I have a firm understanding of this history, I will see how these developments reflect observations of socio-legal theorists. I will subsequently pick the theories that apply to the development of a specific law and form a theoretical framework for historical socio-legal analysis.
With a particular piece of legislation in mind, I will use the framework to study how different factors – social, economic, political, and legal/EU rulings - impacted the development of the law. I will subsequently develop an argument based on the analysis of the development of the specific law. To support this analysis, I will interview members of labor unions, judges, party members, and pro immigrant NGOs to gain a better understanding of the social dimensions of these developments.
The final paper will subsequently feature an introduction, an outline of the history of immigration laws in the Spanish legal system, a literature review/theory section that introduces my argument over the development of a specific law, an analysis of the development of said law, and a conclusion.
Background on my Institutional and Academic Advisors
As I noted earlier, I will be working at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (“UC3M”). The University was founded in 1989 as an institution focused on the development of individuals with a strong intellectual and professional background who will make positive contributions to society. The university’s main campus – and the center of my research – is located in Getafe, a suburb 40 minutes from the southern edge of Madrid. The distance between the University and Madrid is akin to the Claremont Colleges and LA, Bard/Vassar and NYC, Carleton and the Twin Cities, etc.
Over the course of my research, I will be working under the guidance of Diego Blázquez Martín, an associate professor at the University’s Instituto de Derechos Humanos who focuses on socio-legal research on the intersection between society, culture, and the development of human rights law.
How I came to find Prof. Blázquez merits an explanation.
The Fulbright Program requires all researchers to find a sponsor for their work in their country of choice during the application process. Seeing that I have never visited Spain and lacked contacts in the country, I emailed every single law and sociology professor in Madrid with a summary of my research topic. Prof. Blázquez was kind enough to send me a response that stated his interest in sponsoring my research. Given my unconventional methods of searching for a sponsor for my research, I am grateful and excited to work with an enthusiastic, patient, and warm individual who is dedicated to my research in Spain.
A Brief Encounter with History
During our second meeting this past week, Prof. Blázquez introduced me to the former rector of the University, Gregorio Peces-Barba Martínez. During our brief encounter, Sr. Peces-Barba explained the importance of understanding the differences between each dialect of ‘Spanish’ in the country.
After the conversation, Prof. Blázquez explained that Sr. Peces-Barba was a member of the cohort that wrote the Spanish Constitution in 1978, Los Padres de la Constitución. Each of the seven members of the group represented a major Spanish political party, many of them banned under Franco’s dictatorship. Sr. Peces-Barba represented the PSOE, which sent its leader to meet with the King of Spain, Juan Carlos II and the head of the PP to mark the start of a new democratic era that promoted unity among the Spanish people, regardless of their political affiliation.
Some people might an apathetic reaction to the former rector’s choice of conversation with a postgraduate researcher. But how often does one receive a brief lecture on this topic from an individual who wrote a constitution that helped a country successfully transition from a repressive dictatorship to a major democratic government in Europe?
The Genesis of my Research Project
Generally speaking, I will be studying how developments in immigration law impact the rights of undocumented immigrants to join labor unions in Spain. The topic/question emerged from research I conducted at Macalester for my Political Sociology class that I took during my junior year. At the time I was studying how conflicts between immigration and labor law impacted the rights of undocumented immigrants to receive the right to join unions under the Wagner Act of 1935.
Specifically, I analyzed how the clash between laws with universal scopes of rights – i.e. labor laws, which grants the rights to organize to all workers in the United States – and laws with particular/narrow understanding of rights – i.e. immigration laws that make citizenship a prerequisite to receive the right to work in the United States, vote, etc – created legal precedents that would expand or narrow the right of undocumented workers in the American legal system.
While I could go into further details, I will simply note that a court case from 1998 set the precedent that employers did not have the right to prevent any and all workers from joining labor unions; any effort to use a worker’s citizenship status counted as an action that violated the Wagner act. In this sense, the universalism present in labor laws can supercede the narrow scope of immigration laws, giving undocumented immigrants access to a greater set of rights in the United States.
After many years, I began to wonder how these sorts of legal issues would play out in other countries. Given that I speak Spanish and wanted to travel to Europe, I decide to apply for a grant to study this issue in Spain. The country is ideal for three reasons: Spain has a relatively short history of immigration legislation in the post-Franco period; the country has witnessed a substantial increase in immigration over the last 10 years; and a fairly liberal stance towards granting rights to undocumented immigrants that counters the anti-immigrant policies of centre-right governments in Europe. It is the last point that drives my research.
The History of Immigration Law and Undocumented Worker’s Rights in Spain
In the year 2000, the incumbent president José María Aznar and the right wing Partido Popular (“PP”) passed a law known as the Ley Orgánica 8/2000, de 22 de Diciembre. Whereas previous immigration legislation passed in 1986 and 1998 guaranteed all immigrants the right to join labor unions, the new law stripped undocumented immigrants of these rights. In this manner, the law was significantly stricter than the law passed in 1998, which limited certain rights to Spanish while protecting certain legal benefits – i.e the to belong to a labor union – for all individuals in Spain.
Following the 11/3/04 terrorist bombings in Madrid’s Atocha metro stop, the Spanish people elected José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and the left wing PSOE Partido Socialista de la Obra Española (“PSOE” or “Socialists”) as the new president of Spain. The political climate and attitude towards immigrants experienced a major shift as a result of this change in administrations. Whereas the PP was adamantly anti-immigrant, the PSOE and Zapatero were strong supporters of immigrant’s rights and the integration of immigrants into Spanish society. The administration’s official stance on the issue helped the PSOE legislate a new law in 2007, which reinstated the right of undocumented immigrants to join labor unions and other legal benefits.
The history of immigration law and its relationship with the rights of undocumented workers to join labor unions will form the center of my research.
My Research Methodology
My research methodology generally follows a schedule that sets deadlines for each phase of my research.
First I will use academic texts and copies of each individual law to study the entire history of immigration law. Once I have a firm understanding of this history, I will see how these developments reflect observations of socio-legal theorists. I will subsequently pick the theories that apply to the development of a specific law and form a theoretical framework for historical socio-legal analysis.
With a particular piece of legislation in mind, I will use the framework to study how different factors – social, economic, political, and legal/EU rulings - impacted the development of the law. I will subsequently develop an argument based on the analysis of the development of the specific law. To support this analysis, I will interview members of labor unions, judges, party members, and pro immigrant NGOs to gain a better understanding of the social dimensions of these developments.
The final paper will subsequently feature an introduction, an outline of the history of immigration laws in the Spanish legal system, a literature review/theory section that introduces my argument over the development of a specific law, an analysis of the development of said law, and a conclusion.
Background on my Institutional and Academic Advisors
As I noted earlier, I will be working at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (“UC3M”). The University was founded in 1989 as an institution focused on the development of individuals with a strong intellectual and professional background who will make positive contributions to society. The university’s main campus – and the center of my research – is located in Getafe, a suburb 40 minutes from the southern edge of Madrid. The distance between the University and Madrid is akin to the Claremont Colleges and LA, Bard/Vassar and NYC, Carleton and the Twin Cities, etc.
Over the course of my research, I will be working under the guidance of Diego Blázquez Martín, an associate professor at the University’s Instituto de Derechos Humanos who focuses on socio-legal research on the intersection between society, culture, and the development of human rights law.
How I came to find Prof. Blázquez merits an explanation.
The Fulbright Program requires all researchers to find a sponsor for their work in their country of choice during the application process. Seeing that I have never visited Spain and lacked contacts in the country, I emailed every single law and sociology professor in Madrid with a summary of my research topic. Prof. Blázquez was kind enough to send me a response that stated his interest in sponsoring my research. Given my unconventional methods of searching for a sponsor for my research, I am grateful and excited to work with an enthusiastic, patient, and warm individual who is dedicated to my research in Spain.
A Brief Encounter with History
During our second meeting this past week, Prof. Blázquez introduced me to the former rector of the University, Gregorio Peces-Barba Martínez. During our brief encounter, Sr. Peces-Barba explained the importance of understanding the differences between each dialect of ‘Spanish’ in the country.
After the conversation, Prof. Blázquez explained that Sr. Peces-Barba was a member of the cohort that wrote the Spanish Constitution in 1978, Los Padres de la Constitución. Each of the seven members of the group represented a major Spanish political party, many of them banned under Franco’s dictatorship. Sr. Peces-Barba represented the PSOE, which sent its leader to meet with the King of Spain, Juan Carlos II and the head of the PP to mark the start of a new democratic era that promoted unity among the Spanish people, regardless of their political affiliation.
Some people might an apathetic reaction to the former rector’s choice of conversation with a postgraduate researcher. But how often does one receive a brief lecture on this topic from an individual who wrote a constitution that helped a country successfully transition from a repressive dictatorship to a major democratic government in Europe?
Thursday, September 18, 2008
My First Post...
Welcome! After nearly two weeks of settling into life in Spain, I finally have a chance to write my first entry in this blog, which I will try to update on a weekly basis. Seeing that this trip is my first time visiting Europe, I will generally stick to reporting and observations of Spanish society, politics, life, fashion, etc. I will make some commentaries on issues related to my research on the history of immigration law and the rights of undocumented immigrants to join labor unions.
Unfortunately, I broke my camera when I arrived to Madrid and dropped it off at Canon’s service center in Madrid to fix the camera. The company will return the camera within the next two weeks, so expect photos with entries in October.
Life in Madrid so Far
After arriving to Madrid on September 7th, I participated in a weeklong orientation session with the rest of the Fulbrighters studying and teaching in Spain. Currently, the program has hired 66 ETAs – English Teaching Assistants – to assist primary and secondary school teachers throughout the city and country with English classes. In addition to the teaching assistants, the Commission also awarded research grants to 22 postgraduate researchers. I fall into the latter category and will discuss my work later in my next post.
The orientation itself was mostly forgettable, save for a few choice comments from some of the speakers and a meeting with the American ambassador to Spain.
I can’t say the same about my first nights in Madrid.
While I will not divulge into details of my outings in the city - my friend’s pictures on Facebook serve as faithful documents of our adventures - I will note that the sheer number of people who congregate in public to socialize with each other stunned me. In barrios and zonas such as la Plaza Mayor, Gran Vía, La Latina, Palacio Real, and el Parque de Retiro, one will see young people, older people, couples, groups of various subcultures, and parents with children socializing on the streets of Madrid well into the night.
I’ve seen large numbers of people congregating in public spaces in the States. Still, the scale of Madrileno’s regular use of public space as a center of social activity easily surpasses Americans’ use of similar areas in urban areas throughout the United States.
It doesn’t hurt that I happen to live in the middle of one of Madrid’s main social centers, Plaza de Espana when making my observations. The area is home to Gran Vía, the Palacio Real/Palacio Reina Sophia II, the Catedral Nacional, the Senado, and the Cervantes Monument. In comparative terms, the area due east of me – Gran Vía - captures the look and vibe of Broadway/Times Square while the area due west of me – the Palacio Real, et al - mirrors the monumental splendor of the national mall in Washington.
My street sit comfortably between these two extremes, offering small convenience stores specializing in Chinese food, a hookah bar, some questionable ‘disco bars’ for men, a police station, and, most importantly, a guitar store, which will serve as a steady supplier of strings for my acoustic guitar. I am also within walking distance to Sol, the heart of the city and, literally, the country: a small plaque in the center of the plaza declares that the plaza is Kilometer 0, the center of Spain.
I am currently living with two French girls and an Italian guy, all students at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid– ‘El Complu’ – with the Erasmus program, which is a study abroad program for university students in the EU. It is not uncommon to hear four languages – Spanish, French, Italian, and English – spoken in my piso. All we need now is someone who speaks German to turn our piso into a miniature version of the EU. Unfortunately, we’re not taking applications at the moment. (Sorry Ms. Hollis)
About the Fulbright Program
I should note that universities in Europe modeled Erasmus after the Fulbright Program, which was founded in 1946 after Senator William J. Fulbright, D-AK, pushed legislation through the House and the Senate to create the program, which is funded by the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The purpose of the program is to “increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other countries, through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills.”
In addition to granting scholarships to graduate students from other countries to study in the United States, the Fulbright program sends ETA and researchers to 152 countries worldwide. Each country generally has a local Fulbright commission or grant center that works with the Institute of International Education to manage the application, selection, and orientation process for Fulbright researchers and teachers.
The Spanish Fulbright Commission, which works with the Comisión de Intercambio Cultural, Educativo y Científico entre España y los Estados Unidos De América, is celebrating is 50th anniversary this year. Given the momentous occasion, it is very exciting to work with an organization that has promoted the development of intellectual curiosity in American students for 50 years. It should be a good year to conduct research in Spain.
Unfortunately, I broke my camera when I arrived to Madrid and dropped it off at Canon’s service center in Madrid to fix the camera. The company will return the camera within the next two weeks, so expect photos with entries in October.
Life in Madrid so Far
After arriving to Madrid on September 7th, I participated in a weeklong orientation session with the rest of the Fulbrighters studying and teaching in Spain. Currently, the program has hired 66 ETAs – English Teaching Assistants – to assist primary and secondary school teachers throughout the city and country with English classes. In addition to the teaching assistants, the Commission also awarded research grants to 22 postgraduate researchers. I fall into the latter category and will discuss my work later in my next post.
The orientation itself was mostly forgettable, save for a few choice comments from some of the speakers and a meeting with the American ambassador to Spain.
I can’t say the same about my first nights in Madrid.
While I will not divulge into details of my outings in the city - my friend’s pictures on Facebook serve as faithful documents of our adventures - I will note that the sheer number of people who congregate in public to socialize with each other stunned me. In barrios and zonas such as la Plaza Mayor, Gran Vía, La Latina, Palacio Real, and el Parque de Retiro, one will see young people, older people, couples, groups of various subcultures, and parents with children socializing on the streets of Madrid well into the night.
I’ve seen large numbers of people congregating in public spaces in the States. Still, the scale of Madrileno’s regular use of public space as a center of social activity easily surpasses Americans’ use of similar areas in urban areas throughout the United States.
It doesn’t hurt that I happen to live in the middle of one of Madrid’s main social centers, Plaza de Espana when making my observations. The area is home to Gran Vía, the Palacio Real/Palacio Reina Sophia II, the Catedral Nacional, the Senado, and the Cervantes Monument. In comparative terms, the area due east of me – Gran Vía - captures the look and vibe of Broadway/Times Square while the area due west of me – the Palacio Real, et al - mirrors the monumental splendor of the national mall in Washington.
My street sit comfortably between these two extremes, offering small convenience stores specializing in Chinese food, a hookah bar, some questionable ‘disco bars’ for men, a police station, and, most importantly, a guitar store, which will serve as a steady supplier of strings for my acoustic guitar. I am also within walking distance to Sol, the heart of the city and, literally, the country: a small plaque in the center of the plaza declares that the plaza is Kilometer 0, the center of Spain.
I am currently living with two French girls and an Italian guy, all students at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid– ‘El Complu’ – with the Erasmus program, which is a study abroad program for university students in the EU. It is not uncommon to hear four languages – Spanish, French, Italian, and English – spoken in my piso. All we need now is someone who speaks German to turn our piso into a miniature version of the EU. Unfortunately, we’re not taking applications at the moment. (Sorry Ms. Hollis)
About the Fulbright Program
I should note that universities in Europe modeled Erasmus after the Fulbright Program, which was founded in 1946 after Senator William J. Fulbright, D-AK, pushed legislation through the House and the Senate to create the program, which is funded by the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The purpose of the program is to “increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other countries, through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills.”
In addition to granting scholarships to graduate students from other countries to study in the United States, the Fulbright program sends ETA and researchers to 152 countries worldwide. Each country generally has a local Fulbright commission or grant center that works with the Institute of International Education to manage the application, selection, and orientation process for Fulbright researchers and teachers.
The Spanish Fulbright Commission, which works with the Comisión de Intercambio Cultural, Educativo y Científico entre España y los Estados Unidos De América, is celebrating is 50th anniversary this year. Given the momentous occasion, it is very exciting to work with an organization that has promoted the development of intellectual curiosity in American students for 50 years. It should be a good year to conduct research in Spain.
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