African languages and Spanish among Equatoguineans in Madrid

Abstract

Equatoguinean immigrants in Madrid constitute an often-overlooked group in Spanish society and in the Spanish-speaking world in general, despite the facts that Equatorial Guinea was a Spanish colony until 1968 and the Equatoguinean community in Spain is the largest outside Guinea. This paper analyzes the use of African languages and Spanish among Equatoguineans in Madrid: Do they maintain their African languages in Spain? When do they use them, and what is their significance? What connection do the interviewees observe between the use of African languages and the proficiency of Spanish spoken by different Equatoguinean ethnic groups? The results are based on ten semi-directed, sociolinguistic interviews, which occurred in Madrid in 2017 with Equatoguineans of two ethnic groups: Bubi and Fang. They show the importance of relating data to the contemporary as well as historical sociopolitical and cultural circumstances of Equatorial Guinea.