Elvira Roca Barea facts for kids
María Elvira Roca Barea (born in 1966) is a Spanish writer and expert. She studied languages and literature, focusing on texts from the Middle Ages and early modern times. She is well-known for her research on the Spanish Black Legend.
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About Her Career
María Elvira Roca Barea was born in El Borge, Spain, in 1966. She earned degrees in Spanish and Classical Philology from the University of Málaga. She has worked for the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). She also taught at Harvard University in the United States.
She has written many academic papers. These papers mainly discuss how ideas and images are created through plays and books. Today, she teaches at a high school in Alhaurín de la Torre.
Her Main Books
Imperiofobia y leyenda negra
Her 2016 book, Imperiofobia y leyenda negra (meaning "Empire-phobia and Black Legend"), became a huge success. It also won many awards. In this book, Roca Barea talks about how some empires are unfairly criticized.
She created the term "Imperiofobia." This word describes how powerful empires are often shown in a very negative way. This happens when other nations twist facts or make things seem worse than they are. She explains that the Spanish Black Legend is one example of this. But it also happened to other empires, like ancient Rome and the Ottoman Empire. She says it even happens to the modern United States.
The book defines what an "empire" is and what a "black legend" means. Roca Barea shows how these negative stories use similar tricks across different times and places. She compares anti-American, anti-Russian, anti-Roman, and anti-Spanish propaganda. She also looks at how these empires reacted, or didn't react, to these stories.
This book inspired a 2021 documentary film. It is called España, la primera globalización. Roca Barea herself appeared in the film.
Fracasología
Roca Barea's second book is called Fracasología. In this book, she expands on her ideas. She suggests that Spain's history is often shown in a wrong way. She believes this is partly due to how France and Protestant countries viewed Spain. She also argues that Spanish thinkers, especially since the House of Bourbon came to power, have been too critical of their own country. She believes this has led to a "self-contempt" among Spaniards.
Awards and Recognition
In 2018, María Elvira Roca Barea received two important honors. She was given the Medal of Andalusia. She also received the Medal of Honor of San Telmo. Both awards came from the government of Andalusia.
In 2019, her book Imperiofobia y leyenda negra won the Espasa-Calpe Award. This award celebrates great works of literature, journalism, and thought. The judges praised her book. They called it "a brave review" that changes how people see Spain's history. They also said it helps Spaniards understand themselves better.
Her Views on Politics
In 2018, Roca Barea signed a public statement. It was called Manifiesto por la historia y la libertad (Manifesto for History and Freedom). This statement disagreed with the Law of Historical Memory. She believes this law tries to force one official version of history. She thinks it goes against people's right to have their own political opinions.
Roca Barea also does not support Catalan nationalism. She believes this movement, which led to the 2017 Catalan independence referendum in 2017, was a "rebellion of feudal elites."
See also
In Spanish: Elvira Roca Barea para niños
