Cataluña y el Movimiento de Propaganda Filipino

Abstract

There is a secular argument which establishes that the raising of liberalism in Spain and the opening of the islands to foreign trade and capital investment encouraged the rise of a prosperous class of mestizos and native elites or principales. For the first time, families could afford to send their sons to universities  in Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan. This argument provided by American, Filipino and even Spanish historiography is not an absolute truth since there is no mention  of Spanish universities. If we carefully read the journal of La Solidaridad, we realize most of wealthy Filipinos came to Madrid and Barcelona universities. 
This paper gives a new perspective about Filipinos’ stay in Spain. In the second half of the nineteenth century, several Filipino colonies were established in Madrid and in Barcelona. Barcelona actually became one of the most important Filipino settlements. The Filipino colony  in Barcelona  experienced the raising of Catalan nationalism, the discovery of Catalan roots, Catalan language, the beginning of important associations, etc. There was an active Catalan intelligentsia who unconditionally supported Filipinos. In sum, as it will be explored, the events which took place in Catalonia influenced the  political ideas of Filipinos.