Mixing cultures and identity: Getting to know new generation Catalans 

Catalonia is home to a whole new generation of young people who don't fit into just one box. Many of them come from migrant families or have parents who moved here from other countries.  

These kids are what we can call 'new generation Catalans,' a vibrant, diverse group that's mixing old traditions with new cultures and languages. Their experience and presence in society challenge old ideas about what it means to be Catalan. 

Linguistic importance and education 

A major factor in this identity puzzle is language. Catalan isn't just a way to communicate; it's a language with great cultural significance for many people in Catalonia.  

A good level of Catalan often acts as a gateway to full inclusion in society. Lots of these new generation Catalans learn Catalan in school, but they speak another language at home. Because of this, language acquisition can be tough to achieve.  

Mariona Jorba is a 25-year-old primary school teacher in Barcelona who has a number of new generation Catalan kids in her class. She confirms that learning Catalan is difficult for some pupils that recently moved to Catalonia.

"New kids come to school without having any knowledge of Spanish and Catalan. So it's especially difficult for them in the beginning."  

She emphasizes the difficulties for children whose native language isn't related to Latin-based languages, explaining that the languages are very different when comparing it to Catalan and therefore harder to master.  

Sometimes, especially in the early stages of arrival in Catalonia, this linguistic barrier creates a feeling of not truly belonging. "Even though they're quite fast to learn, it's still super hard for them.

Imagine that you are six years old, and you go to a school with no understanding, nothing. You cannot play with other kids, only with gestures. But the first weeks are super hard for them. They are sad," she explains. 

Besides that, it's also the teachers that struggle with these linguistic challenges: "I think adaptation is hard for us as well. It's difficult to teach these kids, because I don't have the tools to do it. I'm not specialized in that," says Jorba.  

Teaching these new generation Catalans comes with various challenges, but it also brings lots of opportunities.

"We're having an international day at school, where these kids can talk and teach their classmates about their culture. It's good for kids to learn about different cultures. Almost half of the kids in my class have a migration background, so it's an important topic to deal with," she concludes.  

But identity goes far beyond just language proficiency. Many of these young people embody what researchers call a hybrid identity: the ability to navigate and experience multiple cultural worlds at once.  

At school, they might feel fully Catalan, speaking the local language and sharing cultural references, like Catalan internet jokes. At home, they switch to their parents' heritage, languages, and traditions. Among friends, they might switch between Spanish and Catalan effortlessly, something that often already naturally happens between Catalan youth in general.  

A perfect mix 

Mike Verkoelen (36) was born in Girona to Dutch parents. He grew up like any other Catalan and feels deeply connected to Catalonia and everything connected to it. "I think if I have to say what my origins are, I have to say that it will be Catalan because when I go to Holland, I don't feel really Dutch. I like the way their jokes are, and home we always talk Dutch. But looking at the way of living here at the Costa Brava, I really feel Catalan." 

He explained his parents helped him connect to Catalonia when he was younger, as they always told him to embrace the culture and its people. "They always told me to go out with my Catalan friends. So it was a real Catalan experience for me growing up." 

That said, it's not always a smooth ride. Experiences of being seen as "not really Catalan" due to ethnicity, religion, or family origin, can create real barriers to feeling accepted.  

Another new generation Catalan, Mohssine Sibari, a 22-year-old with Moroccan roots reflects on some of the struggles during his childhood: "I moved here when I was three years old. In the beginning it was hard because I didn't know how to speak Catalan or Spanish and it was hard to make friends. But when I got older, I got more social, made more friends and started feeling better." Mohssine also stated that these obstacles in his youth made him improve himself in areas like social skills and language.  

He agrees with the fact that it was harder for him to fit in due to his background. "I think it is quite normal. It's not racism or something. Someone who wasn't born in the same country or does not look like any of your friends is going to have a harder time fitting in." 

Though he faced some challenges in his youth, his social life and friend group is now a rich blend of numerous cultures and nationalities: "I have Dutch, Moroccan, Spanish, Catalan, British and Czech friends," he says before naming a few more nationalities. "I feel like when we grow up, people get more educated, they are more open to get to know new people." 

His identity? Mohssine embraces every part of it. "Thanks to my parents, thanks to Spain, my country, thanks to Morocco, my country as well, I feel like a perfect mix. I'm also Catalan, I speak Catalan, I feel Catalan, I'm doing Catalan things. I am Catalan." 

Hybrid Identities 

According to Zenia Hellgren, doctor of sociology and lecturer at Pompeu Fabra University, these so-called hybrid identities are not only common, but important for understanding how new generation Catalans navigate today's society. "It's very typical that young people shift identities depending on where they are," she explains.  

"You may have your most Catalan identity at school, where Catalan is the main language, and then switch to Spanish or another language outside school or at home." 

This fluid switching is not inherently problematic, Hellgren explains. In fact, most young people handle it easily. The difficulty arises when their identity is questioned by others. "Many of the young people I talk to, especially those from Moroccan or Roma backgrounds, say that even if they feel Catalan, others don't see them that way. When they say they're Catalan, the reaction is often, 'But where are you really from?' That's where the problem starts." 

Inclusion and exclusion are often closely tied to perceptions of language and race. Catalonia presents itself as inclusive, especially through its language policies, but in practice, many young people experience the opposite.  

"If you don't speak Catalan perfectly, you might be treated differently in school," Hellgren says. "Some students feel they're at a disadvantage simply because their mother tongue isn't Catalan." 

While some studies show that a strong identification with Catalonia correlates with better Catalan proficiency, Hellgren highlights that this relationship works both ways.  

"Those who already feel more Catalan often find it easier to learn the language and integrate, but others, especially those who arrive as teenagers or have difficult home situations, may never reach that native level. And that can make it harder for them to feel fully part of society." 

What is the way forward? 

Hellgren suggests rethinking the idea of what it means to be Catalan altogether. With over 30% of Barcelona's population now being foreign-born, and even more having foreign roots, the concept of a single, fixed Catalan identity may no longer reflect reality.  

"Maybe it's time to acknowledge a more multiethnic, multilingual Catalan identity," she argues. "Instead of making young people feel like they have to become Catalan in a specific way, we should create space for them to be Catalan in their own way." 

At the end of the day, identity is not a checklist, but a lived experience. For new generation Catalans, it's a dance between languages, cultures, and perceptions. Sometimes smooth, sometimes difficult, but ever evolving.