‘Looking locally to understand transculturally’: A heritage and placemaking approach to the linguistic/semiotic landscapes of Cornish heritage in Mexico

In the years c.1824-1848, miners and their families migrated from Cornwall – a duchy in the southwest of the United Kingdom – to Hidalgo in central Mexico. This coincided with the decline of Mexico’s long-standing mining industry and Cornwall’s rise in the same. Although a historical view on Cornish migration has been afforded, there is a dearth of contemporary-focused scholarship. This thesis examines contemporary heritage in two sites of Cornish migration in Hidalgo: Pachuca and Real del Monte. Scaffolded by concepts from linguistic and semiotic landscapes, heritage, and urban studies, this research has two overarching aims. Firstly, it elucidates how (commercial) heritage historically or currently connected to Cornishness is shaped ‘in’ the landscapes of Hidalgo. Secondly, it examines discourses ‘around’ the landscape – that is, how broader local Cornish heritage is perceived by local communities. In operationalising an ethnographic approach, methods include photography and concomitant multimodal discourse analysis, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and walking tours, as well as media, archival, and document analysis. The analytical approach blends a multimodal frame-focused analysis and reflexive thematic analysis. This thesis suggests that the linguistic/semiotic landscapes of Pachuca and Real del Monte – with respect to Cornish heritage – are highly multi-layered. While there is a specifically Cornish discursive space – reflecting a revival of Cornish heritage overseas – this is oftentimes blended with English and British heritages. This Cornish space appears to be indicative of historic and current discourses in relation to local Cornish heritage in Hidalgo. Importantly, this thesis lends attention to the transformation of Cornish heritage, the latter melding with local cultural contexts. Community perceptions of heritage signal that the commodification of heritage is not inherently negative if it can be balanced with a respectful treatment of heritage. Further, participants signalled a wish for further knowledge-sharing, local involvement, and accessibility around local Cornish and wider mining heritage. It was suggested that sometimes, there is an overemphasis on both the discourse of a local British identity and the paste (heritage stemming from Cornish migration). This thesis suggests that a wider focus on the range of (both Cornish and broader) intangible heritages which have left their imprint on Hidalgo could be a way to further develop heritage in the area. Aligning with emergent conceptualisations of transcultural heritage, this thesis argues that while Cornwall-focused work concentrates on the ‘contributions’ of the Cornish abroad, it is crucial for Cornwall and other sites of emigration to recognise the impact of receiving communities on migratory heritage.<p></p>

Author dc:creator

• Katy Humberstone (21052781)

• Cornish
• Heritage
• Mexico
• Semiotics
• Migration
• Linguistic Landscapes
• Semiotic Landscapes
• Latin America
• Global Cornish

Statement dc:rights

• All rights reserved
• Open Access after 2027-06-01

Identifier

10779/exe.32588949.v1

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:figshare.com:article/32588949