La emigración española a México (1898-1936). El caso de la provincia de León

Abstract

This doctoral dissertation analyzes emigration from León to Mexico during the time between 1898 and 1936, highlighting its economic, social and cultural impact as much in the place of origin as in that of destination. This phenomenon, although relatively minor in quantity when compared with other Spanish provinces, becomes deeply meaningful when we consider the translational dynamics it created and its capacity to connect two different geographical and cultural realities. This study starts with a detailed analysis of migration causes, contextualizing them within the structural crises that affected Spain in general and León in particular. Thus, from a multidimensional framework, this research deals with Spanish and Mexican migration policies, showing how legislation, although restrictive sometimes, did not prevent migratory flows derived from family and community networks. These networks facilitated the chain migration, the settlement and integration of migrants who found opportunities to prosper in business, hospitality and other industries, as in the case of Pablo Díez Fernández, founder of the trademark Grupo Modelo. At the same time, this research underlies how Leonese migrants maintained their cultural identity through associations, festivities and community practices, strengthening their links between Mexico and León. Besides, these emigrants’ legacy had a transformational impact in their communities of origin, with the improvement of local infrastructures, the financing of educational projects, and the promotion of regional development. All this proves that Leonese emigration did not only work as a cultural bridge between both regions but also as an engine of development and change in the contexts of destination and origin.