Barcelona is a city shaped by diversity, with the northern area of El Raval standing out as a key example, where a large part of the Filipino community, one of the most numerous non-EU diasporas in the city, has settled. Through local businesses, shared spaces, and traditions, they preserve a strong cultural identity while blending into a multicultural neighborhood alongside other communities.
Their presence dates back to the 1970s and 1980s and continues to grow, and it is especially visible in everyday scenes such as Filipino youth gathering in Plaça Terenci Moix to play basketball, a sport that has become a powerful symbol of their community. Historical ties between the Philippines and Spain are reflected in shared cultural elements such as Catholicism, language influences, and family values, as well as in the close cultural links that continue to shape their identity in the city.
Published in Idees Magazine, September 2025
