Immigration stories from Spain: According to Spanish media reports, recently, Daniel J. Ollero, a reporter for the Spanish World, wrote an article titled "Chinese is Writing the Unique Culture of Usera," focusing on the Chinese community in Madrid's Usera district. Let us see what Usera looks like through the eyes of a Spanish journalist. A Spanish website also recently published an article by Diego Molpeceres, focusing on "The Expansion of Chinese Businesses from Dollar Stores to Asian Zara." Both reports objectively and positively reflect the development and current situation of the Chinese community in Spain. The journalist has compiled and integrated the following:
The Chinese community in Madrid's Usera district resembles a small city, prominently showcasing its unique charm within this large Spanish city. With its own language, customs, traditions, trade, and products, this enclave has embraced the cultural label of "China."
The presence of "Chinatown" signifies the transformation of Usera, where the social structure and trade patterns of China have deeply penetrated its essence. Here, one can navigate the area using Chinese, and even without the helplessness of being far from home, one can quickly find a sense of belonging without speaking Spanish.
Chinese people in Spain are very entrepreneurial, especially in the tertiary sector, and there are no language barriers. However, the situation in Usera is quite different. There are nearly 500 Chinese businesses in the area, and their business model is self-sufficient, catering exclusively to the Chinese community. Therefore, Spanish has become less important for them. Thus, Usera has become synonymous with Madrid's "exotic charm," and encountering someone who does not speak Spanish here is not surprising; it is a microcosm of China.
Walking along Nicolas Sanchez Street, Dolores Barranco Street, and the surrounding areas, you will feel as if you are 12,000 kilometers away in Eastern China. The daily experience of entering a bar for lunch, typical for Spaniards, has been completely rewritten in Usera. Here, all the advertisements are in Chinese, the television broadcasts programs from China Central Television (CCTV), and the menu features Chinese delicacies such as spring rolls and Yangzhou fried rice.
Usera has a relatively high population of Chinese from Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong, making Zhejiang cuisine, Fujian cuisine, and Cantonese cuisine the signature dishes of this area.
The Chinese businesses here have expanded their industry fields to meet the diverse needs of Chinese merchants. There are supermarkets selling Chinese imported products, candy and snack shops, hair salons styled for Chinese preferences, and many leisure venues. Additionally, pharmacies, fashion stores, lingerie shops, and more are also very popular. Furthermore, Usera has its own educational centers, libraries, churches, wedding companies, housekeeping services, media companies, real estate agencies, and law firms, providing all necessary services for daily life.
For many Chinese merchants in Usera, finding law firms and consulting service companies is fundamental to establishing roots in the local community. A staff member from the bilingual law firm A&J in Usera stated that most of their services address issues related to fines and penalties. "Many people have insufficient language skills and, when faced with fines or similar issues, do not know how to resolve them and may seek help from law firms. The law firm assists them in addressing legal issues related to their business."
In terms of transaction methods, Chinese people often have their own trading habits, which differ significantly from those of Spaniards. Due to their unfamiliarity with financial systems, their financing methods are also quite different. Compared to taking loans from banks, Chinese individuals prefer to seek help from relatives and friends to circulate funds. Chinese people place great importance on reputation and credibility, and personal reputation and credibility play a significant role in their lives.
Most Chinese in Spain come from rural areas in Qingtian and Wenzhou, Zhejiang, and they are very community-oriented. They were among the first groups to arrive in Spain to start businesses in the late 1970s, and their relatives and friends also chose Spain, settling in the same area to work together and care for one another, thus forming a unique cultural social circle, just like today's Usera.