Introduction: Theorizing the Performance of Spanish Identity

Abstract

This chapter argues that despite of the current postcolonial and democratic era, Spain's medieval past continues to resonate in the political and cultural discourse concerning Spain's relationship to a number of African nations. This introduction aims to investigate how cultural representations of Africa and Africans—with particular focus on those countries formerly colonized by Spain—are implicated in the “performance” of national identities in Spain. It then covers the following eras in Spain's history: from the Spanish-Moroccan War and the period of Sub-Saharan exploration through the Rif Conflict, the Civil War, and the Franco regime, into the current trend of African immigration to the “State of Autonomies” of Spain.