Race, Crime and Criminal Justice in Spain

Abstract

Any discussion of the intersections of race and crime remains a relatively new topic for contemporary scholars of Spanish society. The reason the topic is new remains rooted in two interrelated problems, both relating to Spanish history — or at least a general interpretation of Spanish history. The first problem is a historical unwillingness to acknowledge the role that racial identity, or ethnic difference, has played in forging Spanish notions of national identity. This view is generally buttressed by the claim that Spain remained relatively isolated and inward-looking during a period when the rest of Europe became dominated by racial definitions of ‘national identity’. For one, Spain stood apart as the rest of Europe spread outward in imperialist adventures which brought notions of race and social Darwinist explanations of difference back to the metropole. How can there be racism if there is no deep sense of racial hierarchy?