"Barcelona has an impressive cultural richness", by Eva Fortes

Eva Fortes, 36 years old, married. Born in San Diego, Eva has lived in New York, Washington and Lima before moving, 9 years ago, to Barcelona. She is a researcher at the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals and a PhD student at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra with a grant from "la Caixa", studying migration and quality of life. She is also president of the cultural platform Mozaika and founding board member of Unlock Art, both from Barcelona.

Why did you choose Barcelona?

From a very young age I came to visit with my family, because, although my grandparents were exiled in the 1950s, my grandmother was originally from Barcelona, and when she was able to return she spent her summers here. As a teenager I decided that someday I would come "for a year", and when I was 27 I came to study a master's degree in political philosophy, thinking of returning to my New York life as soon as I finished. But I couldn't leave.

What are the city’s strengths?

Here life is understood differently. Here health is public and is a right. Here you work to live and your identity consists of more than just your job. Here public transportation makes owning a car or a motorcycle an option, not a necessity. Here you can speak three languages every day. Here you can enjoy concerts, theater, art everywhere.

Which aspects of the city need to be improved? How?

In addition to creating affordable housing, wages and discrimination need to be improved. The former is very noticeable in the fields of culture and the non-profit sector, and could be improved by treating them as the fields of technology and research are treated: public bodies give grants with money for living wages in some but not others. The second is a social issue.

What do you expect from Barcelona in the coming years?

I hope that Barcelona will not lose its unique character as it grows and internationalizes. That it values the art and culture it has, and that it learns to value the people who live here, whether they are from here or from richer or poorer countries. Barcelona has an impressive cultural richness, and I hope it continues to grow in that direction and not flattening out to be like all the other cities.

Which city do you consider to be your home city? What do you miss most?

My hometown is Barcelona, and has been for many years now. What I miss most (besides my family) are the decent and stable salaries in the United States, but I would gladly trade them for the treasure that is public health care here, and the resplendent culture that is lived in Barcelona.