When I first arrived in Barcelona, I expected to learn about the city through its architecture, history, and food. I didn’t expect that the most powerful lessons would come from quiet conversations in cafés, libraries, and community spaces—moments where people trusted me with stories about who they are and who they’re still becoming.
My research focused on second-generation Chinese-Spaniards and how they navigate identity in a place shaped by many cultures yet still searching for its own balance between tradition and change. Some people I spoke with immediately understood why this question mattered; others weren’t sure at first. I learned to shift my tone, paraphrase my words, and meet each person where they were. For some, talking about identity was a way to feel more visible. For others, it was a chance to challenge assumptions about what “being Spanish” or “being Chinese” means.
Those conversations reshaped how I see communication—not just as translation between languages, but as translation between lived experiences. I began to notice how identity is always negotiated: in the way people introduce themselves, in the foods they miss, in the silences between sentences.
Barcelona gave me more than a study-abroad semester. It gave me a deeper understanding of diaspora, belonging, and the emotional labor behind being “from two places at once.” Most of all, it taught me how listening—slow, patient, and without assumptions—can open doors to worlds I would never have understood otherwise.
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