En EspañolSpanish Stereotypes
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What stereotypes exist of Spanish people and Spain? Which ones did you have before you moved here, learnt about the country and met the people?
I would like to highlight, once again, that these are stereotypes, not what I actually think about Spanish people.
A couple of weeks ago one of the things a client asked me for was a really general view of British (foreign) held stereotypes of Spain and Spanish people. This is what we came up with; add yours in the comments:
- Tortilla, sun, sea, sand, bullfighting, flamenco, salsa, Shakira, Ricky Martin, Benidorm, Barcelona, paella, sangría, chorizo (of course!!), wine and tapas;
- I often mix my perception of Spain with some vague idea I might have about Mexico (which I have never visited either); a place where donkeys walk along big dusty roads alongside lots of people in very big hats;
- Spanish people are the same as Latin people, right?
- Spanish people are very lazy and I like the idea of the siesta, even though I don’t really understand it;
- I don’t know many Spanish people, not even when I come to Spain, The waiter doesn’t speak English very well and in the shops people are very rude; I’m the client but it seems like I’ve offended them by entering their shop;
- I don’t understand most Spanish customs and I’m not particularly interested in learning about them; while we’re at it, I don’t really want to learn Spanish either;
- Spanish people are very rude; they all shout at each other and argue instead of talking;
- People here drink a lot of coffee and have no idea how to make a cup of tea properly;
- Spanish people have weird timetables which mean I can’t go to the shops when I want to;
- The beers are very small, they don’t serve them right and they never fill up the wine glasses properly;
- Spain is a very popular destination for British criminals on the run;
- If I’m young (or want to be) this is what I want from Spain: fiesta, Mallorca, Benidorm, Torrevieja, 10 beers for half what I would pay in England, loads of pills in Ibiza watching the sun come up from Café del Mar; Then there’s Benicassim, which is great because loads of British groups play;
- Cigarettes are a lot cheaper in Spain but people smoke some strange brands.
(Note: before everybody starts saying Ricky Martin comes from Puerto Rico and Mexico isn’t Spain, I know! The idea was to try and jot down all the typical things that foreigners think and mix up about Spain.)
Update: if you would like to know what I really think about these Spanish stereotypes, read Spanish Stereotypes 2 – My Views.
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Stereotypes of Spaniards:
They all speak with a lisp
They love to dance and they all know the same dances (flamenco, “follow the leader”)
They only play soccer
Excellent list of stereotypes, they make you smile really. They are deeply rooted in the British culture and they will remain there for a long time.
Contrary to other nationalities, Spaniards do not care about building their prestige and reputation and about managing the projection of the Spanish branding abroad. Spain is too involved in preserving regional differences and local cultures. The tourism industry and the Spanish elites do not make any effort either to counter the stereotypes and misconceptions about the Spanish culture.
Brits flocking to the coast season after season and year after year simply seem impervious to the changes undergoing in the country. Journalists also perpetuate many of the common Spanish stereotypes in articles and books.
I dont think the points you have made are all true and it makes spain seem a unpleasent place
a) non of the people are rude or shout:its a language and to them it is not shouting.
b)we are visting their country so therefore we should make a effort to learn their language not the other way round!
This website was really helpful with my re-search but i think you need to change some of the ’sterotypes’
Shakira is from Colombia not Spain…..good sterotypes tho but I agree with Barbra they are not rude and Brits shud make more of an effort when they go to Spain, its their country not yours!! No wonder they don’t like brits sure look at the way they treat them in their own country!!!!!! If u saw the real spain instead of some tacky tourist area u wud find they are all untrue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think that if YOU go to Spain, YOU must learn Spanish; when we travel to another country we have to make the effort to talk the language, so why haven’t you? I don’t like that stereotype, but since you said that this doesn’t show your point of view I take it as a british thought, lol. I don’t agree either with the “laziness”, but that’s another story… lol!
hahaha
i’m spanish, from Valencia actually (where the good paella is cooked!) and while reading the stereotypes i thought that we really may seem like that! hahaha
really, shouting? YEAH! well, actually it’s not shouting, but we usually are very… effusive ^^ we really tend to speak very fast, very loud and everybody at the same time, but what can i say? tradition ^^
and i cannot even start about all the topics! but i must agree with something… we really have the weirdest timetable of all europe (tough for me it’s quite normal U__U)
I have found a common stereo type about spinards would be there love for soccer, or futbol… They are catholic and attend 3-6 hour church services every sunday. They come from large familes sometime up to 8-12 brothers and sisters. The sisters in the family are always over controlled by there older brothers as well as papa. Many spanish people have tanned skin and deep black eyes, like crying in funerals and usually shout out while they are driving their cars.
You don’t know nothing about spain, the spaniards don’t just drink beer and have a siesta, we make a lot of botellons, thats our culture!