In this month’s Americans in Spain newsletter Barcelona-based journalist Jennifer Lutz speaks to US nationals who’ve made the move to ‘España’ about what other Americans should expect if they relocate here, from advice, preconceptions and experiences.
Welcome to The Local’s “Americans in Spain” newsletter for members, featuring all the news and practical information you need as an American resident, visitor or second-home owner in Spain. You can sign up to receive it directly to your inbox before we publish it online via the link below.
What’s it like to be an American in Spain? With more of us coming than ever, and amid an intense and shifting global backdrop, many Americans are concerned about how they’ll be viewed and whether they’ll be welcomed.
Others are unsure how to adapt to a new way of life. To get the local perspective, I spoke with Spaniards, as well as Americans who’ve made the move already.
Ana, a forty-something-year-old translator from Madrid, says there’s no need to worry: “It is a funny time to be an American, so respect and love to all of them.”
Advertisement
Ana and her wife now live in Cadaquès with their four-year-old daughter.
“A lot of my friends from the States are looking to leave now,” she tells me.
For the most part, Spaniards aren’t worried about your politics; they’re more concerned with who you are and how you act towards the community.
Advertisement
“As long as you’re nice to the people, and you try to integrate yourself into the country, my opinion is positive,” says Gaëll, a 28-year-old graphic designer from Barcelona.
“Try not to expect things to be the same as in the country you’re from. So, if you’re American, this is not America; it’s about accepting that and trying to experience Catalonia and Spain for what it is,” she says.
And remember, even if Spain currently has one of the most progressive governments in Europe, not everyone feels the same.
“It’s true that American politics can indeed affect us a lot, for example, the tariffs,” says Deborah, who lives in a village outside Barcelona, and describes herself as politically conservative.
“But I don’t care about your personal politics. I mean, if you’re on the left or more to the right, it doesn’t change my life, as long as you’re a good person.”
Advertisement
Others are watching the US through the lens of history. “We lived through Franco, so we know what fascism looks like and we know how quickly things change,” says an older couple in Barcelona who asked not to be named.
I didn’t find any Americans who felt persecuted for their politics — not the ones I spoke to on the streets of Catalonia nor the hundreds that answered my questions through social media channels.
“Most Spaniards I meet are busy with their own lives and are split on the US, should it come up,” says Brad, a San Franciscan living in Mijas.
“The same is true in the broad foreigner community. The occasional reaction has more to do with the background of locals and migrants… it depends on their media choices and age.
“Reactions are split just as politics in the US, UK, and EU are split; some are reactive, others wish Trump could replace Starmer or Sánchez. Populists lead in all EU and UK polls.”
Unlike in the United States, there’s discourse; you’re unlikely to be attacked for your views. But be prepared to back them up; for the most part, conversations delve into the actual policies, rather than the personality.
Because I moved here on my own, I reached out to friends who have families here.
“Having a daughter here has been amazing,” says Josh, a 41-year-old from Buffalo who moved to Cadaquès five years ago.
Advertisement
“She’s attending the local school here, so in school she speaks Catalan, in the house we speak English, and my wife is Uruguayan, and she speaks Spanish with my daughter. Having my daughter speak three languages at the age of five has been an amazing experience.”
Being in Spain also gives the couple more freedom; there’s less labelling.
READ ALSO: ‘The grass IS greener’ – Americans in Spain agree life is better than in US
“Here, in Spain, our daughter is just Ame,” says his wife, Lucia, “But in the US, she’s a Black, Hispanic, Jewish girl. I don’t want society choosing her identity for her.”
In Spain, politics centre less around identity and more around practicality. “You, the Americans, can buy houses that we can’t afford, so there’s a conflict because the global prices in Spain increase,” says Joan, a musician from Olot.
“But I agree to have American influence, because it’s great to have immigration.”
READ ALSO: American buyers hit historic highs in Spain’s property market
It’s not just the Spanish local feeling the pressure; Americans who moved here years ago are watching their cities price them out.
“It’s difficult,” says Isabell, a thirty-year-old American tour guide and documentary filmmaker.
Advertisement
“I’ve lived in Córdoba, Madrid, and Barcelona, and prices are going up everywhere.”
Her landlord keeps upping the rent. “I know it’s illegal, but I also know if I won’t pay it, someone else will.” Isabell is meeting with the local housing authority and consulting with a lawyer to fight for her home.
“I understand wanting to flee the States,” says Patricia, who moved to Barcelona from New York forty years ago.
“But for us, it’s becoming painful. You’re taking away the opportunity for young people to live in their cities. Americans come with their bundles of dollars, and they don’t think.”
The Spanish government is working to address the housing crisis; that’s why Isabell will likely keep her apartment.
But there’s little they can do to preserve the city’s culture, and that affects the politics here.
“I don’t know all Americans,” says Ramón, a Catalan artist living in Cadaquès. He smiles. “So, it depends on the American, just like anyone. But, for us, it’s very nice if they try to speak a bit of our language, and try to know us. It’s about making a connection. Try to connect.”
Culture is a funny thing, and we often don’t realise how much it impacts us. So, of course, this month’s oops is about my own initial cultural missteps. When I first came here eight years ago, I was staying with a Spanish family.
Every day for lunch, I bought the most expensive dessert I could find; it was my way of showing gratitude. It’s what I’d do in New York. The family was grateful, but I had a sense the eldest daughter didn’t approve.
Finally, one day, as I lingered by the kitchen, I asked if I could help prepare the meal, something I’d never do in the States, because I was taught to stay out of another woman’s kitchen.
The change was immediate and lasting. She invited me to prepare the salad, and eight years later, it’s still my job to pour olive oil over greens from the garden.
Whatever your politics, if you’re open, Spain will likely welcome you — just be ready for a different view.
READ ALSO: All the new flights between Spain and the US and Canada in 2026
Leave a Reply