Núria in Spain: A young cosmopolitan in the new Catalonia

Núria grew up in a midsized city in the Autonomous Region of Catalonia in Spain; she was a teenager in the late 1990s. During her lifetime, Spain opened itself to the world in every regard. The economic and cultural environment in which she grew up was very different from what her parents had experienced. Núria spoke Catalan, instead of Spanish, because speaking Catalan was not forbidden any more. She had broad access to goods and media from other countries. She could and did travel easily and also studied in other European countries for short periods. She had a great exposure to immigrants from Africa and the rest of Spain and their cultures. In 2003 she was in her third year at the university in Barcelona. She was also active in international issues such as environmental protection and opposition to the U.S. war in Iraq. Núria would like to study or work in other countries after graduation, and she knows she may have to get an advanced degree. Spain began to open itself to democracy, market forces, and international trade in 1975. That year marked the end of Francisco Franco's military regime, which had ruled since the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939. Spain joined the European Union (E.U.) and NATO in 1986; this institutionalized the democratic reforms made after the dictatorship ended and opened the country's borders to more trade with the E.U. But an even greater economic opening occurred with liberalization measures that were initiated in 1992. Also in that year, the Olympic Games were held in Barcelona. This event gave worldwide legitimacy to the identity and culture of Catalonia and made Barcelona a recognized international tourist destination.