New generation Catalans - Mixing cultures, making home

Filling the Sink

Raised in Catalonia to international parents, new generation migrants are a growing demographic in Catalonia, however they often navigate dual identities, balancing their family’s cultural heritage with local traditions. This week on Filling the Sink we dedicate an episode to exploring the challenges faced by this significant collective.

Zenia Hellgren, Doctor of Sociology a Senior Researcher at Pompeu Fabra University, discusses what identity is and how young people with a migrant background may find it hard to achieve a true sense of belonging in any one place.

Reporter Gigi Giulia talks to secondary school teacher Mariona Jorba Solsona about the importance of education in breaking down language barriers and creating an inclusive environment which nurtures hybrid identities.

Plus, we meet two new generation Catalans to hear their stories, and host Beth Cohen analyzes Catalonia’s migration history and how it has shaped the current social reality.

This week, our Catalan phrase is “És tard i vol ploure” - “It’s late and it wants to rain”. It’s an expression that is used when time is running out or something is too late to fix. It can also be used as a way of saying goodbye or telling someone to hurry up.