According to reports from Ouhua News in Spain, due to the relatively short history of large-scale Chinese immigration to Spain, various factors have prevented the formation of a traditional Chinatown. However, as the number of Chinese people in the Usera district of Madrid, the capital of Spain, continues to grow and various Chinese businesses flock to the area, rumors have begun to circulate that a Chinatown will eventually form there. The earliest claims originated from Chinese merchants on Nicolas Sanchez, a narrow street in Usera where the Chinese community is most concentrated.
Since 2007, it seems as if some Chinese individuals were enchanted, choosing to invest and establish businesses on Nicolas Sanchez street one after another. At that time, there were only about 7 shops owned by Chinese people on this street. However, by the end of 2013, after six years, the shops on this once-obscure little street were almost entirely occupied by Chinese owners. From the start of the street at the subway entrance to the intersection with Dolores Barranco street not far away, a mere 300-meter stretch now hosts 41 Chinese-owned shops, a five-fold increase compared to seven years ago. Snack bars, general stores, mobile phone shops, clothing stores, nail salons, hair salons, and grocery stores are lined up one after another, with Chinese shop signs everywhere, making this street seem like a veritable Spanish Chinatown. It is attracting more and more Chinese people to the area, with the development and changes on Nicolas Sanchez street being the most representative and convincing, serving as the face of Spain's Chinatown.
In interviews, local veteran overseas Chinese stated that the prosperity of Nicolas Sanchez street today is due to many factors. First, it benefits from the surge in the number of Chinese immigrants. By 2013, the number of Chinese living in Spain had reached 180,000. This is due to the relaxed immigration environment in previous years, which made labor visas and family reunion visa applications relatively easy, as well as the secondary migration of a large number of Chinese from other countries. Second, the rapid development of the Chinese economy over the past few years. Since Spain entered a period of economic prosperity in 2002, the Chinese economy has also expanded rapidly, leveraging this momentum. Chinese economic forms, represented by foreign trade wholesale, have sprung up like mushrooms. All of these have driven the development of related Chinese industries, benefiting Nicolas Sanchez street. Third, the special geographical location of Usera. Because the area is close to the Fuenlabrada warehouse district, the Madrid Atocha train station, and the South Bus Station, it is convenient for living, residing, working, doing business, and shopping in the area. Fourth, this district is not a high-end area, and housing prices and rents are relatively cheap, making it most suitable for Chinese people starting businesses.