Madridification part 2: Usera
Madrid is, without a doubt, a very multicultural city. In 2016, 1 out of every 5 citizens was considered to be an immigrant according to La Comunidad de Madrid. One of the most rapidly growing immigrant communities is that of the Chinese. Between the two most recent polls done by La Comunidad de Madrid, the Chinese population is the fastest growing and has more than tripled in size (from about 56.000 Chinese in 2014 to 172.000 in 2016). Having become the second largest immigrant population in Madrid (the Romanians at 19.0%, the Chinese at 14.3% and followed by the Moroccans at 13.8%), we can see how Chinese culture is slowly but surely spreading out to the Western world.
To further investigate this new movement, the two Stork writers Jasper Bates and Thomas Stenger traveled down to Usera, a barrio that has in recent years become the “Chinatown” of Madrid. With us we had Haoqun Wang, a second-year IE law student, helping us with the translation as well as giving us some cultural insight to the Chinese community.
According to Wang, the Chinese community has everything they need within an area of 4 blocks. Here, Chinese services such as real estate, lawyers, and even wedding planners are available to solve Spanish logistics to those who cannot speak Spanish. This makes Usera the place to be for them in Madrid. In the Supermarket, you can find exotic fruits, tasty sweets and of course several strange products unfamiliar to the Western population. In the shops, you can fetch yourselves items such as rice cookers, Maneki Neko, and other special ingredients that will help you to make the perfect homemade Kung Pao Chicken. They also have a center for Chinese language and culture open to anyone interested and a Buddhist temple, as it is the most exercised of the world religions in China.
At little glimpse at the bustling streets of Madrid’s Chinatown
One of the many humming Chinese restaurants around the area.
Getting to know the locals
Although it cannot be compared to the Chinatowns found in London and New York, Usera has clearly developed itself into a flourishing district where Chinese commerce is rapidly growing. When we were visiting the neighborhood there were many red lanterns lit along the main street of Nicolas Usera and dozens of busy Chinese going about their daily business. We tried to stop a few of them to pick their brains about the recent changes both locally in Usera and also those happening back home in China. Despite the fact that the older Chinese in particular were both reluctant to talk and most often in quite a hurry, many of the younger Chinese were open to stop for a chat.
Shi-Qi & Meiwy:
Age: 16
Origin: Qing-Dao
Living in (Madrid): Usera
The Stork: “Why do you think Madrid is so attractive for so many Chinese people?”
Shi-Qi: “Both of our parents are doing business here. I moved here with my family one year ago because of that. So I guess that’s the reason.”
The Stork: “Do you think there are more opportunities to be successful here in Spain for you than in China?”
Meiwy: “Yes! It’s way easier for us to make money here.”
Shi-Qi: “There are more opportunities and we can save money to later bring it back home to China.”
The Stork: “For how long have you been living here and are you planning to stay?”
Shi-Qi: “Only for one year but I want to go back for sure. I’m missing my life in China.”
Meiwy: “I’ve been living here for two years and I want to stay. It’s a good life and my family is doing well so there’s no reason to go back.”
The Stork: “As a Chinese person living in the Western World: What you think about Western Democracies compared to Chinese Democracy? Here especially with regards to the recent constitutional changes (i.e. unlimited terms for Xi Jinping).”
Meiwy: “I don’t know that much about politics but I think as long as China is doing well everything is good.”
Shi-Qi: “Yes, same with me. I think development and growth are important and good for China and right now it works.”
The Stork: “What is your favorite spot here in Usera (food, bars, nightlife, etc.)?”
Shi-Qi & Meiwy: “Spicy Heaven. It’s the place to go if you’re into spicy food.”
Li:
Age: 37
Origin: Hejing
Living in (Madrid): Usera
The Stork: “Why do you think Madrid is so attractive for so many Chinese people?”
Li: “I’m just here because of my family’s business. So probably that’s why so many Chinese people come here - business.”
The Stork: “Do you think there are more opportunities to be successful here in Spain for you than in China?”
Li: “I think it’s more or less on the same level in both countries but I’m not sure. I’m mainly a house wife and my man takes care of bringing money home. He is pretty successful so I can’t complain.”
The Stork: “For how long have you been living here and are you planning to stay?”
Li: “For 17 years already, can you believe that? I’m happy here so I will stay as long as possible, maybe even forever.”
The Stork: “As a Chinese person living in the Western World: What you think about Western Democracies compared to Chinese Democracy? Here especially with regards to the recent constitutional changes (i.e. unlimited terms for Xi Jinping).”
Li: “What I think is important in life is stability and prosperity. A good life standard is something positive and something more and more people in China have been able to enjoy. So as long as the economy continues to grow those policy changes are justified. It’s not like Xi Jinping is passing his position on to his son but to the president that will be elected after him. Like this, I don’t really see any problem with it.”
The Stork: “What is your favorite spot here in Usera (food, bars, nightlife, etc.)?”
Li: “To be honest I like Western restaurants more. I love to go to those high end restaurants around Gran Via!”
Zhang & Liu:
Age: 25
Origin: Shandong & Guangdong
Living in (Madrid): Estrecho
The Stork: “Why do you think Madrid is so attractive for so many Chinese people?”
Zhang: “I’m here for university so I think education is definitely something young Chinese people are looking for here. Especially as it is in Europe and offers a great opportunity to us to learn about Western culture.”
Liu: “People here are pretty welcoming and Spanish food is so good. There are just so many reasons why Madrid is an amazing city.”
The Stork: “Do you think there are more opportunities to be successful here in Spain for you than in China?”
Zhang: “China’s economic policies offer more opportunities with regards to being successful and doing business than the ones they have here in Spain. The “One Road, One Belt” project is a very ambitious step toward the future and shows the economic potential China has.”
Liu: “Yes, and learning different languages, like Spanish, and to understand different cultures is very important. We can profit from these skills when we go back to China. Also, there is a high unemployment rate here in Spain, especially among young professionals.”
The Stork: “For how long have you been living here and are you planning to stay?”
Zhang: “ For three years and Liu for two years. We like it but as soon as we graduated we want to go back to China.”
The Stork: “As a Chinese person living in the Western World: What you think about Western Democracies compared to Chinese Democracy? Here especially with regards to the recent constitutional changes (i.e. unlimited terms for Xi Jinping).”
Zhang: “For me, the democracy in the European Union is real. China’s democracy could be called a “fake” democracy. Just look at the fact that there is no real freedom of speech and those recent policy changes are another proof of the restrictiveness of the system.”
Liu: “I think people have many rights in China and live quite well. In the EU we always see how democracies are struggling with their elected presidents as they’re not able to fulfil the promises they made to their citizens during election. This shows how fake democracy can be in Europe as well. It is often not working well. We don’t have these problems back in China.”
The Stork: “What is your favorite spot here in Usera (food, bars, nightlife, etc.)?”
Liu: “It’s called “Taste” and is located around Plaza de España. I don’t really eat around Usera that often.”
Wuyuhao:
Age: 22
Origin: Liaoning
Lives in (Madrid): Getafe
The Stork: “Why do you think Madrid is so attractive for so many Chinese people?”
Wuyuhao: “I just really like Spain in general and I’m a big fan of Real Madrid. So it came naturally to me when I applied for my exchange semester at the university Rey Juan Carlos here in Madrid.”
The Stork: “Do you think there are more opportunities to be successful here in Spain for you than in China?”
Wuyuhao: “I think the situation is better in Spain. I work in the delivery service sector here and we’re focusing on importing food from China. Especially with the ever growing Chinese community in Spain it is an area not yet fully exploited. I have the feeling that there are many of these unexploited business opportunities around here, while most of them are already exploited and satisfied back home in China.”
The Stork: “For how long have you been living here and are you planning to stay?”
Wuyuhao: “For three years so far and I’ll stay for at least another three years. Depending on how life is going for me I might just stay here for good.”
The Stork: “As a Chinese person living in the Western World: What you think about Western Democracies compared to Chinese Democracy? Here especially with regards to the recent constitutional changes (i.e. unlimited terms for Xi Jinping).”
Wuyuhao: “Well, that’s a good question. In my opinion, Western democracies are majority democracies, while Chinese democracy is the democracy of the government. I don’t think that these policy changes really make a difference because the Chinese government is focusing on long-term results. So, if it’s Xi Jinping or another person doesn’t actually matter I guess.”
The Stork: “What is your favorite spot here in Usera (food, bars, nightlife, etc.)?”
Wuyuhao: “ To be honest I don’t really hang out in Usera that much. For food I got my favourite place in Tetuan, it’s called “Donostiarra” and highly recommendable if you’re into meat.”
Lorena (Girlfriend of our contributor Haoqun Wang):
Age: 21
Country of Origin: Spain
Lives in (Madrid): Salamanca
The Stork: “As a Spanish person who has been visiting China together with your boyfriend: what were your first impressions and feelings when you arrived in China?”
Lorena: “Besides being happy about being with Haoqun and visiting his family and home I just felt a bit isolated by my environment. Not in a bad way though! It’s just a natural reaction when you’re not able to understand Chinese and can’t even read street signs or anything else.”
The Stork: “Would you say Usera is similar to any town or city you visited in China?”
Lorena: “It’s quite different. You see the vibe you’re getting in Usera just isn’t the same. Chinese people in the places we visited in China were so friendly and welcoming to foreigners, but not so much here in Usera. Maybe that’s because the feel like they are being excluded somehow by the overall Spanish society? I’m not sure but it could be.”
The Stork: “What you think about Western Democracies compared to Chinese Democracy? Here especially with regards to the recent constitutional changes (i.e. unlimited terms for Xi Jinping).”
Lorena: “The Chinese conception of the State is different from ours. There the State is more seen as a sort of “father-figure”. As long as there is growth the ends justify the means. The Chinese system wouldn’t work in Europe because of our mentality and the culture differences. We can see that when we look at the fact that there is much less trust in the government in Spain . Any measurement, that could somehow be interpreted as unfair or undemocratic, is perceived in a very negative way and people would take to the streets.”
HQ and Lorena
Diving into Chinatown:
Ovlsok Pastelería
Although the name might fool you, in this little shop you will find all kinds of strange Chinese sweets. However, the taste is nothing less than marvelous. A great place to check out if the croissants and pain au chocolats are getting too boring.
Win Qing Mercado
A Chinese supermarket with more products than you will find in any Carrefour. With the help of HQ we were able to decipher some of the Chinese-labelled products they had in stock. Ranging from Oreo’s with Mochi flavor to Udon noodles and honey pomelos, this mercado offers a wide selection of products rarely tasted or even seen by European consumers. Highly recommended for adding something exotic to your cooking repertoire.
Royal Cantonés
If cooking Chinese food seems like too daunting of a challenge, there are several Chinese restaurants in the area as well. Royal Cantonese is one of them serving tasty cantonese dishes. In particular, the Peking duck and the meat stuffed dumplings are incredibly tasty. Keep in mind that the cooks are Chinese, so we would recommend to stick to the Chinese cuisine and not to branch out to any of the other International dishes they’re offering.
Mila Café y Restaurante
A newly opened place in Usera. This café and restaurant is recommended especially because of its modern ambience. As most of the Chinese dining places are rather classic, Mila offers something a little more fresh in style. Their dishes are also more funky, with one of the fried rice dishes being served in a pineapple. Definitely worth to check out for a delicious lunch break.
Madridification
In this new segment the Stork writers Thomas Stenger and Jasper Bates will, every two weeks, explore Madrid in a more extensive journey through all it has to offer. We believe that although there are many exciting places to travel in both Spain and Europe, within Madrid itself there are more than enough places to explore. Will it be possible for a German and a Norwegian to become Madridified? Join us as we go from place to place to see what is up, what to do and how the locals are. Whether you are a Madrileño, curious to what two foreigners have to say about your city or a foreigner looking for some recommendations, these are the articles you want to read. If you have any suggestions to where we should visit next, feel free to contact us!
Next time, we will move towards more familiar territory with Parque de Retiro.
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