Qué importa el mar

I have been exposed since childhood to the conflictive relationship between Moroccans and Spaniards in Spain. My friend Hajar was teased in school for being Muslim and foreigner. In this text I wonder about the social reasons behind this being so. During my time in Iowa City, I read texts, from 1492 to 1650, related to the “morisco issue” – a term coined to refer to all discussion, political or religious, concerning those Muslims who converted to Christianity. Although the particular era is believed to be one of tolerance, my personal experiences and research show how moriscos were never truly accepted in Imperial Spain. Qué importa el mar, a book written in Spanish, is a partially autobiographical project on which I explore Spanish history and the consequences it has on my identity as a Spaniard, and the identity of Spain as country.