They enslaved men, rapes women, and murdered children virtually at will. They imposed "quotas" of minimum amounts of gold ore to be collected daily and imposed penalties of mutilation and death, often depending on whether or not their victims survived after having limbs hacked off as a message to their companions and their communities that the Spaniards were deadly serious about expecting them to find their gold (Stannard, 1993; Zinn, 2008)
The Europeans were immediately surprised to discover societies of people who had no weapons, knew no warfare, and barely even acknowledged concepts such as proprietary ownership (Schwartz, 2000; Zinn, 2008). Instead of learning from them or appreciating the example of communal harmony in which they lived, Columbus and his men exploited their superior military power, rounded up hundreds of human beings, and shipped them back across the oceans to Europe as slaves (Zinn, 2008)
While unemployment in Spain for nationals is at an all time high of over eleven percent, unemployment for immigrants is up over sixty seven percent. By August of 2007, over 280,000 immigrants were receiving unemployment (Abend, 1)
The Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago popular for immigrants, reported in 2006 that 490 bodies had been found off the coast between Africa and Spain. Most perished as a result of dehydration or being thrown overboard (Alfieri, 1)
In addition, these workers are subjected to a lower level of working conditions, lower wages, increased working time, and higher rates of accidents due to faulty equipment. Because many of these immigrants are illegal, or have limited residency permits, they are more likely to accept lesser positions (Artiles, 1)
Almost half of these individuals are women. Interestingly, the majority of immigrants from Africa are men, where as those from South America are women (Corral, 1)
Further, without sufficient translators, access to medical care is barred for many immigrants. Finally, cultural beliefs may stop immigrants from using primary care resources, even if available (Cots, et al
The Law on foreign persons declared that collective labor rights, such as the right to strike and right to assemble, did not apply to immigrant workers who did not have authorization to work within Spain, or to those without a residence permit. However, the Spanish Constitutional Court ruled in 2007 that immigrant workers should be allowed the same working rights as others in Spain, provided they have a valid work permit (Diaz, 1)
Part of the problem with this perceived lack of access to health care comes in the form of disease among immigrant population. Studies have shown that antibodies for diseases such as rubella are much higher in children of indigenous populations than immigrant children, showing a clear need for vaccinations among immigrant women, and particularly those of child birthing age (Dominguez, et al
These individuals come from all over the world, including Ecuador, whose citizens equal over 750,000 in Spain if illegal immigrants are included. There are nearly 150,000 Columbians, 575,000 from Morocco, 525,000 from Rumania, 315,000 from the United Kingdom, and thousands more from Bolivia, Germany, Argentina, Italy, Africa, and other areas (Duncan, 1)
562). Additionally, sexually transmitted diseases tend to be higher among immigrants (Folch, et al
Spanish Immigration In 2007, nearly one million immigrants arrived in Spain, according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute study in 2007 (Kern, 1)
Rents for those properties left have risen substantially. In addition, the number of protected dwellings, or those whose rent and price are controlled, has dropped from thirty percent to less than eight percent (Miguelez, 1)
In many cases, immigrants flee to Spain to escape poverty, war, or other dangers in their home country. The Canary Islands, for example, is a popular destination for immigrants fleeing from sub-Saharan Africans (Reddy, 1)
The plan required immigrants to submit proof they had been living in Spain for at least six months, and provide a contract from a company willing to hire them for six months or more. Provided the immigrant had no criminal record, he or she could qualify as a Spanish citizen, meaning he or she could obtain emergency medical care (Sanchez, 1)
Spanish Colonial Africa Even as late as the 1930s and 1940s, Spanish colonial despotism was still prevalent in central Africa. Spain showed little interest in relinquishing its holdings, even as the other European imperialist nations were beginning to break up (Campos 95)
Spain chose, instead, to allocate its territorial expansion to the Americas. However, Spain was able to exploit its existing African holdings to supply Spanish colonies in the Americas with African slaves ("The Spanish Colonial System" par
However, once the two nations had set themselves up in the New World, they returned to their religious obligations. By the end of the sixteenth century, Spain controlled most of the continental United States, the Caribbean, and a massive chunk of the western casts of South America, (Mills 118)
They were peasants and workers. They had been active in the 1934 revolution and had to flee the country when it failed and in Russia they had sent them to the military academy and to the Lenin Institute the Comintern (Hemingway)
"Italy and Germany have both solemnly promised not to seek territorial advantage in Spain, and thus from all points-of-view, whatever they may have expected to get out of it, the nations concerned have come to the conclusion they have nothing to gain from going further into the Spanish imbroglio." (James, the New Your Times, Feb 7, 1937)