Hope beyond the Sea. Perceptions of the Return to Spain among Immigrants Seeking Assisted Repatriation from Mexico (1910-1930)

Abstract

This text aims to contribute to strengthening the link between emigration and maritime history by examining the processes of return. The form of return addressed here is repatriation – or return subsidised by the state of origin – and the community studied is that of Spanish immigrants who settled in Mexico in the first third of the 20th century. Political and economic crises forced many to write the Spanish Consulate in Mexico City requesting a free ticket to return to Spain, as they could not afford the transatlantic journey on their own. The text first introduces some considerations on the relationship between Spanish migration studies and maritime history, next discussing the process of repatriation as legally established in this period and put into practice in the mentioned case. Thirdly, it analyses the discursive elements of identity in the applications for tickets, as well as the consideration of the maritime space in the immigrants’ imaginary.