Moscardó: A Social Laboratory of Migration and Identity in Madrid.

Abstract Book of the 11th International Conference on Social Sciences in the 21st Century

Year: 2026

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Moscardó: A Social Laboratory of Migration and Identity in Madrid.

Prof. Sheyla Moroni

ABSTRACT:

The Barrio Moscardó, located in the Usera district in the south of Madrid, is an interesting urban and social case study for understanding the evolution of Spain’s suburbs and their migratory patterns, from the Franco era to the present day. Established in the 1930s as a social housing estate under the name ‘Salud y Ahorro’, the neighbourhood was conceived as a municipal response to the housing crisis facing the working class. During the Franco era, renamed in honour of Colonel Moscardó, the area underwent progressive urban expansion coupled with profound infrastructural isolation, becoming the main destination for the wave of internal migration and rural exodus of the 1950s and 1960s. During this period, the social fabric solidified around workers’ struggles for civil rights and access to basic services. From the 1990s onwards, the neighbourhood redefined its identity, welcoming new and massive waves of international migration, particularly from Latin American and Chinese communities, which profoundly transformed the local economy and public space. This essay analyses how Moscardó managed only partially to preserve strong community cohesion and a ‘small-town’ identity up until the 1980s, through cultural and artistic initiatives, such as the famous sundials, and local sports. The overlapping of these different generations of migrants makes Moscardó a historical and social laboratory that has been investigated in the field (thanks to Horizon Global ANSWER – 2020 and subsequent research).

Keywords: Identity; Madrid; Migrations; Neighborhood; Urban History