Ethnic diversity in the historic centres of Spanish cities (1991-2001)

Juan Jose Pons Izquierdo, Universidad de Navarra
Dolores D. Lopez, Universidad de Navarra
Carolina Montoro, Universidad de Navarra

Over the last few years, the arrival of considerable contingents of foreign immigrants is leading to profound transformations within Spanish society. In contrast to former uniformity, the cities – and their historic centres in particular – have become areas of considerable social variety in which it is possible to encounter people of many different races, nationalities, cultures, languages and religions. This paper analyses the changes caused by the arrival of foreign immigrants during the period from 1991 – 2001. It studies the quantitative and qualitative transformations experienced in the evolution of the different foreign minorities; the specialisation of the historic centres based on the source continent; the principal demographic and social consequences derived from the presence of the new minorities; population trend changes with regard to growth, rejuvenation of the age structure and spatial concentration of immigrant minorities. The analysis of these factors enables us to characterise the diversity of situations encountered in the historic centres and to create an ethnic group typology based on the variety of immigrant-related changes in the cities.