Stereotypes About the Spanish
Stereotypes about the Spanish
What is a stereotype? For me it means putting labels on other people. These labels can be either positive or negative. People make up stereotypes for different groups of people and also for different nationalities. As I like Spanish people, today I will speak about stereotypes connected with them.
During the last years the Spanish tourism industry has grown to become the second biggest in the world. When the Spanish government had tourist campaigns in other countries in the past, they showed the sunshine, the beaches, flamenco dancing, and bullfighting. This may have helped to create some of the stereotypes about Spain.
So the first stereotype about Spain is that the Spanish are very lazy and that they like to sleep the siesta. It is false. In the European Union the Spanish have the longest working hours and they work really very hard. Yes, the Spanish like to sleep the siesta, but only about 20% of them can do this, and those are the retired and those who live in small rural towns. The others probably sleep the siesta on weekends, when they can.
The second stereotype about the Spanish is that all of them have dark hair, dark eyes and dark skin. This stereotype is also not true. There were two tribes who stayed in Spain for centuries: the Vandals and the Visigoths. These two tribes were Germanic tribes and they left their genes in Spain. Today there are a lot of fair-skinned people with light-colored eyes and natural blond hair. The dark skin is not natural, and people who live in the South or along the Mediterranean coast may have a deep tan, but that is because they may spend a lot of time outdoors while the sun is shining.
The third stereotype is about bulls. A lot of people think that every man there goes in for bullfighting. But, of course, it is not true. The bullfight is no longer considered a sport in Spain, but is described as a cultural tradition. Yes, there are bullfights in Spain, but their popularity is
What is a stereotype? For me it means putting labels on other people. These labels can be either positive or negative. People make up stereotypes for different groups of people and also for different nationalities. As I like Spanish people, today I will speak about stereotypes connected with them.
During the last years the Spanish tourism industry has grown to become the second biggest in the world. When the Spanish government had tourist campaigns in other countries in the past, they showed the sunshine, the beaches, flamenco dancing, and bullfighting. This may have helped to create some of the stereotypes about Spain.
So the first stereotype about Spain is that the Spanish are very lazy and that they like to sleep the siesta. It is false. In the European Union the Spanish have the longest working hours and they work really very hard. Yes, the Spanish like to sleep the siesta, but only about 20% of them can do this, and those are the retired and those who live in small rural towns. The others probably sleep the siesta on weekends, when they can.
The second stereotype about the Spanish is that all of them have dark hair, dark eyes and dark skin. This stereotype is also not true. There were two tribes who stayed in Spain for centuries: the Vandals and the Visigoths. These two tribes were Germanic tribes and they left their genes in Spain. Today there are a lot of fair-skinned people with light-colored eyes and natural blond hair. The dark skin is not natural, and people who live in the South or along the Mediterranean coast may have a deep tan, but that is because they may spend a lot of time outdoors while the sun is shining.
The third stereotype is about bulls. A lot of people think that every man there goes in for bullfighting. But, of course, it is not true. The bullfight is no longer considered a sport in Spain, but is described as a cultural tradition. Yes, there are bullfights in Spain, but their popularity is