Spanish-Moroccan Voices: Identity and Integration in Modern Spain

Youssef el Maimouni, 42, from Ksar el Kebir, arrived in Coma-ruga (Tarragona) before the age of one month. Rapper Miss Raisa, 27, from Tangier, arrived in Barcelona in 2004. Nadia Hafid, 33, lives in Terrassa in Catalonia. It is difficult for these three Spaniards of Moroccan origin to define themselves. "To define oneself is to limit oneself. I am a mixture of many things. I have a very strong sense of belonging to Catalonia and Spain and at the same time I have a great admiration for my origins. So I can’t define myself... I am what I do," explains Miss Raisa to El Periódico.

For Youssef el Maimouni, "the question of identity is more a matter of the other’s gaze than of one’s own gaze... Fortunately, society is becoming more and more diverse and intercultural." "It’s a delicate question. The pressure and expectations come both from here and from our culture of origin. Each side expects something different from you, and it’s very detrimental because it perpetuates stereotypes about communities," says Nadia Hafid. It is also, perhaps, a matter of ignorance, adds Youssef, specifying that not all Moroccans are believers and Muslims.

It is rather a "matter of social class", argues Nadia. "If you have euros in your pocket, doors open for you and discrimination disappears. No one cares where a foreign-born football player comes from," agrees Youssef, stressing that the word migrant is closely linked to social class. Miss Raisa, who considers herself "middle class", says she always has "the impression of being working class because there are still people who tell me that I have to integrate".

The three appreciate the positive impact of the music of Morad, a rapper of Moroccan origin, on young people. "In French urban music, there are a lot of Morad. It has given meaning to the experiences of many young people who have problems with the police. I work as a social worker and I think he is a very important figure," says Youssef. "I don’t feel concerned by what he says, but I’m glad that finally an artist who looks like me represents so many people," declares Miss Raisa.