According to reports from the Spanish European Wave Network, Spain "is no longer an immigration country," said Alejandro Portes, a co-author of a report on the integration of second-generation immigrants. This is a survey conducted jointly by Ortega y Gasset University College and Princeton University, which shows that from 2008 to 2012, the percentage of second-generation immigrants who feel they are Spanish increased from 30% to 50%.
Moreover, second-generation immigrants born in Spain have a significantly stronger sense of belonging than those who arrived in Spain at a young age, with 80% of second-generation immigrants considering themselves Spanish. "This result shows that the process of integration, although slow, is making positive progress," Portes said. Researchers believe that the "pleasant integration" can also be attributed to the increased acceptance of Spanish society, with less than 10% of immigrant children feeling discriminated against.
In the 2008 survey, Latin American immigrants were the group with the highest level of identification, while in the 2012 survey, Filipinos and Bulgarians had the strongest sense of belonging. In contrast, Chinese and Bolivian immigrants had the least sense of belonging. "This may be because they have a longer relationship with their own communities," said researcher Aparicio.
According to El País, second-generation immigrants and young Spaniards share the same career and educational aspirations. 70% hope to attend university, although their modest family income means that only 57% can ultimately achieve this dream. In a 2008 survey of 17-18 year old immigrants, 80% were still studying by 2012, but only a small number, 5%, entered university, while "one-third are still trying to complete secondary or vocational education."
Chinese students perform better in school than any other students. The research indicates that immigrant children from Spain, Argentina, Chile, and the Philippines have longer educational durations than those from the Dominican Republic and China. However, "the latter's situation is quite interesting," Portes said, "Chinese students are the group most likely to drop out to join family businesses. However, those who stay in school perform better than anyone else."
The average grade level of second-generation immigrants is 6.15 (out of a total of 10 grades), which is only 0.5 points lower than that of native Spanish children. The highest educated immigrants are from Western European countries.
Despite their relatively low educational levels and income disadvantages, the vast majority of immigrant families choose to stay in Spain during the crisis, the report states. In the 2008 survey, only 1.76% of immigrants moved outside of Spain, most of whom did so to return home or study in other countries, rather than for economic necessity.
"Our findings do not support any comments on the integration of the second generation of immigrants in Spain," the report states, noting that the similarities in unemployment and dropout rates between immigrants and native Spaniards lead to the conclusion that "the second generation of immigrants has gradually integrated into Spanish society, and the differences among children have diminished over time."
