Madrid, Spain
Spend part of your summer in Madrid, Spain, examining literary and cinematic reflections on immigration, migration and diversity in contemporary Spanish culture.
This Manhattan University faculty-led program explores how Spanish literature, culture and politics have been shaped by migration, movement and debates around racial, religious, ethnic and linguistic diversity, especially over the last thirty years.
From the Reconquista in the Middle Ages to the present, Spanish society has grappled with the multiple cultures that have moved within and beyond its borders. Taking the complex legacy of convivencia, or peaceful coexistence, as a point of departure, students examine how Spain’s multicultural heritage has been represented in modern Spanish culture through literature, art, music, journalism and politics.
This intensive two-and-a-half-week course studies topics such as Spanish colonialism in Africa, the Gitano or Roma population in Spain, the legacy of the Civil War and Francoism in regional independence movements, current immigration to Spain from North and Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and China, and the movement to repatriate Sephardic Jews to the Iberian Peninsula.
Visits to Madrid’s Lavapiés neighborhood, a flamenco show, museums such as the Reina Sofía and the Prado, and an excursion to Toledo help bring the course material to life as students explore the cultural richness of Madrid and its surrounding areas. This course is conducted in Spanish.
Dates Offered
This is a summer intersession program.
- June 14 to 30, 2026
Courses and Credits
This program is open to all majors.
- SPAN 320: Migration and Diversity in 20th and 21st Century Spain