Barcelona, Spain: The Other Side/El Otro Lado (FULL/CLOSED)

Summary

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Engage deeply with the histories and contemporary realities of migrant and refugee communities in the vibrant city of Barcelona, Spain. This program will explore the connections between and differences of migrant and refugee narratives in the Mediterranean sea corridor and migrant experiences (including experiences of undocumented migrants) at the US-Mexico Borderlands.

The course will ask questions like: What are the underlying reasons driving how and why states militarize borders? What strategies are used to deter migration in both sites? How do “threat narratives” shape the ways migrant and refugee communities are racialized/gendered in their “host” country?

Participants will meet with local NGOs, migrant collectives, and scholars working with refugees in Europe to engage with these questions and more. 

Dates:

• June 26 - August 2, 2025
• Please note that this program starts in Madrid for the first week, and then moves to Barcelona for the subsequent four weeks. See timeline tab for more details
• All dates are subject to change

Course:

On this program you will take one course for six units:

• CHICANO STUDIES N180: The Other Side/El Otro Lado: A comparative look at migration and refugees along the Mediterranean and US-Mexico borderlands

Language of Instruction: English

Units: 6

Requirements satisfied through full participation:

• L&S International Studies Breadth
• L&S Social and Behavioral Science Breadth
• Consult with your college/major advisor to see which degree requirements this course may fulfill.

Note: Requirements above must be satisfied through full participation (all courses must be completed with C-/P or better)

Eligibility:

• At least one year of college coursework completed by the start of the program
• 2.0 GPA or higher
• Must be 18+ years old at the time of application
• May not be on academic probation or under censure for student misconduct at any point from application review to the end of your program.
• There are no prerequisites or restrictions for participation.

Housing & Food:

In Madrid:

• Housing: Students will be housed in double rooms at a student residence in the center of Madrid. Please note that students will be paired with roommates based on the gender listed on their passports. This is due to regulations in the housing.
• Food: Three meals a day will be provided in Madrid in the housing. These are home-cooked meals by the housing staff. Please note that vegetarian and vegan options are limited.

In Barcelona:

• Housing: Students will share double rooms with one other program participant. The double rooms have individual bathrooms, air conditioning, internet, a flat screen TV and desks. Bedding and towels are cleaned daily. Please note that students will be paired with roommates based on the gender listed on their passports. However, gender inclusive options are available in the Barcelona portion of the program. If you have clarifying questions, please feel free to reach out to the program staff.
• Students will live in the heart of Gracia, close to where the classes will be held, and in one of the neighborhoods with the most bustling nightlife activities and dining experiences in Barcelona. It is very well connected to public transportation routes, including the green line metro stop, Lesseps. The residency has an outside patio space and a dining room where breakfast will be served to all residents.
• Meals: Daily breakfast provided.

Application:

Application opens February 5, 2025

Space is limited and applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis

Deadline to apply is March 12, 2025

Courses

During the program, you will take one course for a total of six UC Berkeley units.

Course: Chicano Studies N180

Title: The Other Side/El Otro Lado: A comparative look at migration and refugees along the Mediterranean and US-Mexico borderlands

Instructor: Dr. Pablo Gonzalez

Units: 6 units

This summer study abroad is an invitation between US ethnic studies and global ethnic studies in relationship to the construction of particular juridical/social/political subjects like refugees and undocumented migrants in two particular locations: 1) the US -Mexico borderlands and 2) the Mediterranean Sea corridor. We will engage in this invitation in Barcelona, Spain, the location of recent migration from throughout Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and West Asia. We will meet and converse with local NGO, migrant collectives, and scholars over the question of refugees and migrants in the European context. We will relate these conversations to the US-Mexico border, not to suggest that they are the same, but instead to build a necessary meeting between two distinct global locations with geo-political importance.

Requirements satisfied on this program:

• L&S International Studies Breadth
• L&S Social Behavioral Science Breadth
• Consult with your college/major advisor to see which degree requirements this course may fulfill.

Note: Requirements above must be satisfied through full participation (all courses must be completed with C-/P or better)

Course Enrollment:

Summer Abroad staff will enroll you in courses after your acceptance to the program. Please make sure there are no active blocks on your student account that may impact your course enrollment.

Costs

The fees to participate in this program are broken down into 1) tuition and 2) program fees, which are applied to your student billing account as follows:

Fees are subject to change. All non-Berkeley students must pay an additional Document Management Fee of $71.

Estimated Out-Of-Pocket Expenses

In addition to the fees outlined above, Berkeley Study Abroad has estimated amounts for out-of-pocket expenses. These amounts are used to calculate financial aid packages for eligible students. Actual expenses will vary depending on your lifestyle and spending habits.

It is your responsibility to obtain any necessary travel documentation for your program destination (i.e. passport, visa, etc). This may require you to pay fees of up to a few hundred dollars depending on the type of paperwork required.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available for Berkeley students who are enrolled in at least 6 units during the summer. Students can request a financial aid package estimate to understand what their individual financial aid package will look like. We recommend all financial aid eligible students request a financial aid estimate.

​​Requesting a financial aid package estimate: If you wish to receive a financial aid package estimate, please fill out this form (CalNet Authentication required). You will receive an email with your financial aid estimate (please allow a minimum of one week for response).

If you have a specific question about a study abroad financial aid issue you are encountering, please email TravelAid@berkeley.edu. Please do not email to request a financial aid estimate, these requests should be made using the form above. 

All other students should contact the financial aid office at their home institution for more information.

Explanation of Fees

Tuition is based on a per unit cost:

• The UC undergraduate student rate is $419 per unit
• The visiting student rate for all non-UC participants is $615 per unit

The program fee includes the following items:

• Student housing & some meals (see summary tab for more details on the housing and which meals are provided)
• Excursions including entry fees to local museums, historic sites, etc.
• Train from Madrid to Barcelona mid-program
• On-site orientation activities
• Travel insurance, including accident/sickness medical coverage, emergency medical evacuation, security extraction, and other travel assistance services
• Other program-related costs including fees for group transportation, guest speakers, etc.
• The $300 deposit. If accepted to the program, the $300 deposit will be applied towards your program fee. If you are waitlisted or denied admission to the program, your deposit will be refunded. If you request to withdraw your application prior to an admission decision being issued, or cancel your participation after being accepted to the program, the deposit will remain charged to your account. 

*Please note that the list of items included in the program fee is not all-inclusive and is subject to change.

The following items are excluded from the program fee and included in the Out of Pocket expenses estimate:

• International airfare
• Personal expenses (souvenirs, routine medical expenses, toiletries, etc.)
• Course materials (textbooks and readers) if applicable. You can contact the instructor of the course to clarify.
• Other travel expenses (passport, visa, etc.)
• Additional meals

Timeline

* The pre-departure orientation is mandatory and takes place on the UC Berkeley campus. If you are not on campus during this time, we will schedule a meeting via phone or Zoom.

† Students should plan to fly to Spain and check into program housing in Madrid, Spain on June 26, 2025. Students will travel on a pre-arranged bus mid program from Madrid to Barcelona. Students are expected to check out of program housing in Barcelona, Spain on August 2, 2025. Students who arrive early or depart after the last day may do so, but they are responsible for arranging their accommodations outside of the program end date.

All dates are subject to change.

Instructors

Program Director: Dr. Pablo Gonzalez

Email: aztlan71@berkeley.edu

Dr. Pablo Gonzalez is a lecturer in Chicana/o Studies and Ethnic Studies with a PhD in Borderlands Anthropology. His work looks at the social construction of the Mexican-US border, the production of Mexican and Latino “illegality”, transnational social movements, and forms of transnational state violence. Dr. Gonzalez received his BA in Chicana/o Studies from UC Berkeley in 1999 and his PhD in Anthropology from the University of Texas Austin in 2011. His current research looks at housing dispossession in the greater Bay Area and the transnational migration of indigenous communities from Latin American to the United States and other countries. He is also interested in the similarities and differences between the managing and militarization of different borders and boundaries. In particular, the social construction of the US-Mexico border and the Mediterranean Sea as sites of migration and state violence against refugees. His teaching interests include Chicanx and Latinx culture, Chicana/o history, Latinos and the criminal justice system, Mexican and Central American Migration, and Ethnic Studies ethnographic methods.

Local Instructor and Partner: Dr. Mariana Mora

Email: marmorab@gmail.com

Mariana Mora is an Associate Professor at the Center for Research and Higher Studies in Social Anthropology or CIESAS Mexico City research center. She is the recent recipient of the Elise and Walter A. Haas International Award at UC Berkeley. She is a well-published and award-winning scholar in state violence, gendered violence, indigenous rights and social movements. She is the author of Kuxlejal Politics: Indigenous Autonomy, Race, and Decolonizing Research in Zapatista Communities (2017, UT Press). Her work spans not only Mexico and Latin America but also Southern Europe.