Within the framework of April 25th, the collective Valencian consciousness is the subject of reflection by various writers. These experts emphasize the importance of creating a new narrative that places language at its core and generates spaces of resistance against current challenges. Valencian identity, which dates back to the 1330s with the first testimonies speaking of the «Valencians», has resisted for centuries in coexistence with other identities.
Although 85.7% of Valencian inhabitants feel part of the Valencian identity to varying degrees, 2023 CIS data show that the sense of belonging is not at its best. Only 2.1% feel solely Valencian, and 10.7% feel more Valencian than Spanish. These figures contrast with other historical territories with their own language, where the sense of identity is significantly higher.
“"Many times I think that having come this far is a historical miracle. To ensure survival, we must act as a resistant minority and reformulate the discourse of Valencian identity in the 21st century, to consolidate and compact our minority, and from it incorporate the majority."
A historian highlights that the creation of a «deliberate obstacle» in the past sought for the País Valencià to assume its Spanish identity or set aside its link with Catalonia. This strategy, documented in diplomatic cables, was later addressed by a former president, who saw the link between Madrid and Valencia as a balancing factor against nationalism. Another historian points out that Valencia was the only peripheral area that Spain could minimally control, with economic benefits for the center.
The current situation of Valencian identity is affected by demographic phenomena and globalization. A writer summarizes it as a tension between «aggressive globalization» and «resistant locality». The family emerges as a key space of resistance, where the transmission of the Valencian language and culture to children is considered a valuable legacy. The main task, according to a professor, is for those who are from here, bringing newcomers into this purpose of linguistic resistance.
In the political sphere, the identity issue remains a point of conflict. An autonomous president has repeated the mantra of «Alicante, Valencia, and Castellón» as a new identity axis, which has generated criticism for denaturalizing the term Comunitat Valenciana. The Valencian right is questioned for not adopting its own geopolitical vision, while the left also receives criticism for an «administrative Valencianism» that goes no further. The siege of the Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua (AVL) and the proposal to remove Alicante from the Valencian linguistic domain are examples of the existing tension.
