De desdenes y añoranzas. Los espacios en las cartas de un empleado Barcelonnette en México: León Martin, 1902-1905

Abstract

This text focuses on 51 letters of a young man from Pra-Soubeyran, a small town located at the foot of the lower French Alps, in the Barcelonette valley. Each one of these letters was addressed to his parents in Mexico from 1902 to 1905. He was hired as a worker for an important cloth store (Las Fábricas Universales), founded by a successful group of immigrants –among them, one of his own cousins– from the same valley. The aim of this work is to expose the relationship of those young workers at public and private spaces. His feelings of a strong homesick and the contempt he developed towards his new place of residence, are key elements for understanding his decision to return to his village, without having accomplished his original goal: provide financial aid to his parents. This attitude which seems is understandable considering his rural origins. Other elements (both objective and subjective) would also affect his condition, helping us to understand his alienation in Mexico and the utterly failure of his long- desired homecoming (he died before achieving it).

Keywords

• Letters. Mexico. France. Migrations. Commerce. Identity. Public and private spaces.