The Pakistani Ethnic Economy in Barcelona: A Historical Review (1975–2023)
摘要
The Pakistani community in Barcelona on the northern Mediterranean coast of Spain stands out among all migrant groups in the city for its labour-intensive activity in ethnic entrepreneurship. Since the arrival of the first migrants in the late 1970s and the consolidation of these migration flows, especially since the 2000s, the businesses set up by Pakistani migrants have grown exponentially. Although there are no official records of the number of migrant businesses, this chapter makes use of primary and secondary sources based on a mixed-methods research to trace the evolution of Pakistani enterprises over the last four decades. The focus is on the meso dynamics of ethnic entrepreneurship, by paying special attention to the changes in the spatial configuration and the sector specialisation of businesses across the city in three main phases. The results point to the evolution from an ethnic enclave economy located in the old town and in stagnant markets to a more widespread ethnic ownership economy with an increasing prominence in post-industrial markets especially related to the food and telecommunication sectors.