Abstract

Studies of the concept of identity have become of vital importance in the pluralistic societies of the 20th century. Spanish identity has been debated since the 17th century. But when Spain lost its last colonies, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Spanish East Indies, in 1898, the concept of Spanish identity became the main vehicle in the struggle for social and political power. In spite of their presence in the Iberian Penninsula since the 15th century, the identity of the Spanish gypsies did not receive sufficient attention in Spain until Francisco Franco’s death in 1975. In my introductory paper I introduce the historical account of Gypsies’ nomadic lifestyle and the evolution of flamenco dance, which is interwoven with both the Spanish Gypsy identity and the broader Spanish identity.