The European context , again , is the reference for this study , although we do not exclude the importance of Atlantic dialogues [ 7 ] that support this phenomenon . However , it is important to point out that the African American Redress Network project , as indicated in the first report , establishes chronological frameworks and specific historical processes for the context of the United States . Although we have taken these methodological considerations into account , we believe that it is fundamental to conduct analyses focused on the Spanish and European cases . The colonial history and the sociodemographic composition of the territory present significant differences , which justifies the need to develop specific analysis categories for our context . Following Joan Scott ’ s approach , it is important to observe , for example , that the demands for reparation in the context of the United States can be traced back to the American Civil War and are mainly focused on grievances related to slavery and the Afro-American population . In contrast , the European context differs in various aspects , since colonial action did not take place in our territories , and slavery did not leave such significant legacies in European states . On the contrary , colonial action in the contemporary period takes on greater relevance , especially because of the migratory processes of this time and during the postcolonial period . It is primarily through these actors that a critical consciousness is developing that challenges the hegemonic and naturalised narratives in the European and Spanish context . These actors are driving a wide variety of contestations and demands related to these historical episodes , placing reparation at the centre of the discussion .
In Spain , movements that are critical of the colonial past and its legacies are mainly led by diasporic communities ( migrants or of migrant descent ), who identify themselves as holders of the rights to reparations , understanding that past colonial violence persists in the present through mechanisms of racial discrimination ( police abuse , immigration laws …) and impoverishment of the Global South ( migrations , inequalities …). These narratives have also become an instrument of cohesion for these communities through the telling of a common experience . In other words , although there are groups of strictly African descent , such as the Black African and Afro-descendant Community in Spain ( CNAAE ) and Afroféminas , among others , anti-racist movements are made up of people from different origins who share stories about this colonial past , despite the diversity of historical experiences . In the Spanish case , these movements that are critical of the colonial past must be linked with the trajectories of anti-racist movements on a state level .
[ 7 ] We use the Atlantic concept in the way in which currents such as global history have used the concept of Atlantic history : such as the study of shared historical processes from their individualities in a space where there have been constant migratory and cultural movements since the 15th century ( both in the English-speaking world and in the Spanish-speaking and Portuguese-speaking world ) ( Pietschmann , 2002 ). Moreover , Spanish colonialism in particular has had a clear Atlantic dimension , and although the colonial processes of America and Africa have different chronologies and characteristics , the current narratives on this past often converge , as we shall see , through the diasporic communities .
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