People Groups: A Real-Life Example

Since Caleb gave us a general introduction to the idea of ethnolinguistic people groups, I thought I’d give a more specific example of the people group with whom my family and I interact on a regular basis: North Africans living in Spain.

If you consider that we are Americans in Spain trying to reach North Africans living in Spain, the barriers can seem endless. However, as we’ve learned more about our specific ethnolinquistic people group, God has shown us ways to demonstrate Christ’s love to the different people within the group.

The North Africans of Spain are a unique people group because really there are a few different groups wrapped into one. Three smaller groups seem to emerge from among the North African immigrants we have met here:

• New Immigrants: These “NAs” have arrived in Spain very recently. They are usually living with family or friends. They are here because someone passed along a message that life was more abundant in Spain.

Often times, the new immigrants are quickly learning that life in Spain is not all it’s cracked up to be. Jobs are scarce, and one really does need to learn the language in order to find a decent job.

One woman came here because she had been told that if her baby was born on Spanish soil, he would be a Spanish citizen. Soon after arriving, she learned it was a lie. This NA woman was left without a man to take care of her, without a job, and had no means of providing for her baby.

New immigrants like this lady are in great need of support. However, because they are so far out of their comfort zone, new NAs will cling very tightly to their own people. The following article will discuss ways Westerners can reach this group.

• Veteran Immigrants: This group of people can actually be divided into two parts. There are those immigrants who have lived in Spain a very long time, and continue to live as they did in their home neighborhood. They have usually learned the language, and they maintain close friendships with their own countrymen.

Other veteran immigrants have also lived here a long time; however, they have been influenced by Europe’s liberal mentality. They have adopted some European customs, while still maintaining the traditions from their home culture and religion.
• Second Generation Immigrants: These are the Muslims who were born and raised here. They attended Spanish schools. They are bilingual and grew up with peers from outside of their own people group.

These NAs are usually the most European of the three groups. They are constantly dealing with the reality of living within two paradigms. Often, their parents expect them to grow up and become good Muslims, like they would have in their home country; yet they live in a social world vastly different from their original country.

This is just an overview of the things we’ve come to learn about the North Africans we know who are living in Spain. Perhaps these insights can help you with observations of the people groups who surround you. In the next article, I’ll talk about ways we’ve found to effectively interact with and serve our friends in this particular ethnolinguistic people group.