Volume LII
Núme o 106
Dezemb o 2017
Cen o
de Es udos
Geog áficos
FINISTERRA
Re is a Po uguesa de Geog a ia
AGEING ‘HERE’ OR ‘THERE’?
SPATIO -TEMPORALITIES IN OLDER LABOUR
MIGRANTS’ RETURN ASPIRATIONS FROM THE AZORES
Do a Sampaio1
ABSTRACT – In his a icle, I seek o unpack he mul iple spa io - empo ali ies in
olde mig an s’ ideas abou e u n, shedding ligh on he complex se o mo i a ions and
imagina ies ha p ecede e u n mig a ion. The pape sp ings om a space - ime app oach
based on he asse ion ha e u n aspi a ions a e con inuously shaped and nego ia ed bo h
in and ou o place. The discussion is amed a ound 36 in -dep h li e na a i e in e iews
wi h la e -li e labou mig an s li ing in he Azo es, and a se en -mon h pe iod o e hnog aphic
ieldwo k. The ole o spa ial dimensions such as he place o se lemen and he coun y o
o igin, and empo al ea u es such as age, leng h o s ay in he hos coun y o s age o li e a
he ime o mig a ion, is discussed in de ail. The pape iden i ies a ‘ amily -wo k ma ix’ and
a ‘home -hos coun y dialec ic’ as cen al o ces shaping mig an s’ hough s and possibili ies
o e u n. The mul i -s anded, ime - luid, space -induced, con ex -dependen na u e o ( e u n)
mig a ion decisions is highligh ed and i is shown ha an appa en sa is ac o y social in e-
g a ion in he des ina ion coun y does no , by i sel , p e en mig an s’ desi e o e u n.
Keywo ds: Re u n aspi a ions; spa io - empo ali ies; olde labou mig an s; Azo es.
RESUMO – UM LUGAR PARA ENVELHECER? ESPAÇO -TEMPORALIDADES E
ASPIRAÇÕES DE RETORNO ENTRE IMIGRANTES LABORAIS NOS AÇORES. Nes e
a igo explo am -se as múl iplas espaço - empo alidades p esen es nas conside ações de
e o no dos imig an es labo ais, lançando -se luz sob e o complexo conjun o de mo i ações
e imaginá ios que p ecedem a mig ação de e o no. O a igo, alice çado numa abo dagem
espaço - empo al, pa e da p emissa de que o desejo de e o no é pe manen emen e mol-
dado e negociado no (e o a do) luga . A análise e discussão êm po base 36 en e is as de
his ó ias de ida com imig an es labo ais a esidi nos Aço es e um pe íodo de se e meses de
abalho de ca iz e nog á ico no a quipélago. Dimensões espaciais ais como o país de o igem
Recebido: se emb o 2016. Acei e: ma ço 2017.
1 Doc o al Resea che , Depa men o Geog aphy and Sussex Cen e o Mig a ion Resea ch, Uni e si y o Sussex,
Falme , B igh on BN1 9SJ, B igh on, Uni ed Kingdom. Collabo a i e Resea che , Cen o de Es udos Geog á icos, Ins i u o de
Geog a ia e O denamen o do Te i ó io da Uni e sidade de Lisboa, R. B anca Edmée Ma ques, 1600-276 Lisboa, Po ugal.
E -mail: D[email p o ec ed]
Finis e a, LII, 106, 2017, pp. 49 -64
doi: 10.18055/Finis9961
A igo
50 Do a Sampaio
e des ino, e dimensões empo ais ais como idade, pe íodo de esidência no país de des ino,
ou ase de ida aquando da mig ação são discu idas em de alhe. O a igo iden i ica duas
dimensões -cha e no p ocesso de ponde ação das possibilidades de e o no – uma ‘ma iz
amília - abalho’ e uma ‘dialé ica o igem -des ino’. En a iza -se a na u eza luída das decisões
ine en es ao p ocesso mig a ó io, nomeadamen e o e o no, salien ando -se ambém o ac o
des as omadas de decisão se em o emen e condicionadas pelo espaço, con ex o e luga . O
a igo e ela ainda que uma in eg ação apa en emen e sa is a ó ia do pon o de is a social
no país de acolhimen o não eduz, po si só, o desejo de e o no ao país de o igem.
Pala as -cha e: Aspi ações de e o no; espaço - empo alidades; imig an es labo ais em
idade a ançada; Aço es.
RÉSUMÉ – OÙ VIEILLIR ? LES ASPECTS SPATIAUX ET TEMPORELS DU DÉSIR
DE RETOUR AU PAYS DES TRAVAILLEURS ÉMIGRÉS VIVANT AUX AÇORES. On é u-
die dans ce a icle les mul iples aspec s spa iaux e empo els, e le complexe de causes,
conc è es ou imaginai es, qui condi ionnen le e ou au pays. D’un poin de ue spa io-
- empo el, il semble que ce dési de e ou soi en cons an e é olu ion. L’analyse es basée su
36 en e ues ai an d’his oi es de ie de a ailleu s émig és ésidan aux Aço es e su 7
mois d’é udes e hnog aphiques de e ain. On a p is en considé a ion e discu é en dé ail des
dimensions spa iales, comme les pays d’o igine e de séjou , e des dimensions empo elles,
comme l’âge, le emps de ésidence e les phases de ie. On a dis ingué deux no ions ela i es
à la possibili é du e ou , une «ma ice amille - a ail» e une «dialec ique o igine-
-des ina ion». On insis e su le ca ac è e luide des décisions ela i es au phénomène mig a-
oi e e su ou su le e ou au pays. Une in ég a ion sociale appa emmen bonne dans le
pays d’accueil ne édui pas, pa elle -même, le dési de e ou au pays d’o igine.
Mo s clés: Aspi a ion au e ou ; empo ali és spa iales; a ailleu s mig an s d’âge
a ancé; Aço es.
I. INTRODUCTION
Re u n in en ions a e impo an o wo main easons: i s , e u n aspi a ions p o-
ide a necessa y, e en i incomple e, elemen o planning and ac ion; and second, mo e
impo an ly, e u n in en ions ep esen a gene al s ance owa ds he mig a ion expe-
ience which shapes a i udes and beha iou s o he han he e u n i sel . This is he case
wi h in eg a ion in o he ecei ing socie y, place a achmen , o he main enance o links
wi h he home coun y (Ca ling & Pe e sen, 2014). Concep s such as he ‘my h o e u n’
(Anwa , 1979), he ‘ideology o e u n’ (B e ell, 1979), o he ‘mi age o e u n’ (Gua -
nizo, 1997) con ey he complex link be ween aspi a ions and ealisa ions o e u n. While
mos empi ical s udies end o ocus on ac ual e u n mig a ion beha iou , o e ing a
limi ed glimpse in o he ole o space and ime in he e u n conside a ions (Gmelch,
1992; Gua nizo, 1997), his pape d aws a en ion o he spa io - empo ali ies in olde
mig an s’ e u n aspi a ions, shedding ligh on he complex se o mo i a ions, hough s,
plans and imagina ies ha p ecede e u n mig a ion.
51Ageing ‘he e’ o ‘ he e’? Spa io - empo ali ies in olde labou mig an s’ e u n aspi a ions om he Azo es
Fou key analy ical dimensions eme ge om he analysis: amily, economic-
-occupa ional s a us, heal h, and place a achmen . The ole o spa ial dimensions such as
he place o se lemen and he coun y o o igin, and empo al dimensions such as age,
leng h o s ay in he hos coun y o s age o li e a he ime o mig a ion, is examined in
de ail. The pape sp ings om, and is in o med by, concep s such as Häge s and’s ime-
-geog aphy (1985), May and Th i ’s imespace (2001) and Schwanen and Kwan’s space-
- ime geog aphies (2012). Building upon his concep ual amewo k, I discuss and p oble-
ma ise he ole o space and ime in he wide ( e u n) mig a ion deba e. F om a li e -cou se
pe spec i e, he adi ional assump ion ha middle -aged and olde adul s hold a s ong
desi e o e u n home is pu in o a mo e nuanced pe spec i e (Ce ase, 1974). In a con ex o
poli ical and economic unce ain y and socio -cul u al ans o ma ion in mos mig an -
- ecei ing coun ies, mig an s’ eelings o belonging, household nego ia ions, and plans o
e u n gain enhanced ele ance (De Haas, Fokkema, & Fih i, 2015; Bolognani & E dal,
2016). Looking a he case o Po ugal and i s mos emo e au onomous egion, he Azo es,
assumes pa icula ele ance in he p esen economic con ex .
The analysis is based on 36 in -dep h li e na a i e in e iews wi h la e -li e mig an s
esiding in he Azo es, and a se en -mon h pe iod o e hnog aphic ieldwo k encompas-
sing also a subsequen e u n o he ield. A se o pa icula ly insigh ul na a i es a e
explo ed in de ail h oughou he pape . In a con ex o esu gence o s o y elling in
human geog aphy (Riley & Ha ey, 2007; Came on, 2012), using in -dep h li e na a i e
in e iews allows he b inging oge he and making sense o no only he indi idual ac-
o s shaping e u n aspi a ions, bu also o he complex in a - amily dynamics and econo-
mic ac o s inhe en o he e u n decision -making p ocess. In using a li e na a i e
app oach, I also seek o add ess De Haas and Fokkema’s (2011) conce n abou he need
o be e unde s and how ini ial mo i es and s a egies change o e he li espan.
The pape is s uc u ed as ollows. Fi s , a c i ical e iew o he ole o space and ime
wi hin in eg a ion, ansna ionalism, and e u n deba es is p o ided. Nex , an o e iew
o he Azo ean mig a ion con ex and da a and me hods used is gi en. This is ollowed by
a compa a i e discussion o mig an s’ e u n na a i es as space - ime shaped ideas. The
pape concludes by summa ising he main indings, highligh ing he a ious o ces
moulding mig an s’ e u n aspi a ions and he mul iple spa io - empo ali ies in an icipa-
ing e u n.
II. FROM ASPIRATIONS TO REALISATIONS: PLACING SPACE AND TIME WITHIN
THE INTEGRATION, TRANSNATIONALISM AND RETURN DEBATES
Whe eas e u n mig a ion has been ecei ing inc easing academic a en ion in ecen
yea s (King, 2000; Cassa ino, 2004), less has been w i en abou he ac o s ha in luence
mig an s’ in en ions and decisions o e u n (Waldo , 1995). In pa icula , wi h he excep-
ion o ecen wo ks om E dal and Ezza i (2015), and Je ey and Mu ison (2011), bo h
52
looking speci ically a he empo al dimension in an icipa ing e u n, e y li le a en ion
has been g an ed o he ole played by space (and ime) in mig an s’ ideas abou e u n.
Theo ies on mig an in eg a ion, pa icula ly hose ollowing a mo e assimila ionis
line, end o sugges ha he longe mig an s s ay in he hos coun y, he mo e in eg a ed
and se led hey become, and he less p one hey a e o e u n (Cas les & Mille , 2009;
Senyu ekli & Menji a , 2012). Also, i mig an s a e gi en access o social igh s in he
des ina ion coun y, hey a e likely o emain o longe pe iods o ime. Se e al empi ical
s udies suppo his logic (Waldo , 1995; Haug, 2008). A second s and o heo y a emp s
o b ing oge he bo h spa ial domains – he home and hos coun ies – wi hin a e u n
mig a ion amewo k, he New Economics o Labou Mig a ion (NELM). In his case,
mig an s ha e ull in e es in maximising hei in eg a ion in he hos coun y in o de o
inc ease hei income and sus ain a p ope li ing o hei amilies back home. Nego ia-
ions wi hin he household assume hen a majo ole. This does no , howe e , ansla e
in o a desi e o pe manen se lemen ; a he , mig an s a e equen ly seen as ‘ a ge
sa e s’ o en holding a u u e plan o e u n (De Haas & Fokkema, 2011).
Mo e ecen ly hough, and o special ele ance o his s udy, he wo a o emen ioned
heo ies ha e been challenged by s udies on ansna ionalism (Ahlbu g & B own, 1998;
Le i , 1998). The s eng hening o ansna ional ies and links be ween he ‘home’ and
‘hos ’ coun ies has led o he o ma ion o mul iple place a achmen s and mixed emo ional
belongings (Sil ano, 2015). This seems o be, o ins ance, he case o he Po uguese in
Ge many. Despi e hei s ong a achmen and belonging o Po ugal, isible in equen
emi ances and local in es men s, hei plans o e u n end o be pe manen ly pos poned
o a ‘ ew mo e “li le” yea s’ (Klim , 1989; 2000, p. 261). This is wha Lubkemann (2005) has
desc ibed as ‘na a i es o in ended e u n’. A ansna ional pe spec i e has shown e idence
ha in eg a ion in o he ecei ing socie y and he main enance o ansna ional ies wi h
he home coun y a e no always con lic ual; a he , hey can be complemen a y (Po es,
Gua nizo, & Landol , 2003; E dal & Oeppen, 2013). And ye , e en in a ansna ional age,
o he s udies ha e shown ha pe manen e u n is s ill he ambi ion o mos mig an s
(Hun e , 2011; Sina i, 2011). I is he e o e c ucial o go beyond adi ional app oaches
opposing in eg a ion and ansna ionalism, and ecognise ha e u n aspi a ions a e
mul i -s anded, ime - luid, space -induced, and con ex -dependen . Re u n is hus a mul-
i ace ed phenomenon ha encompasses a mul iplici y o indi idual, amily and s uc u e-
- ela ed mo i a ions shaped by bo h spa ial and empo al dimensions (Cons an & Massey,
2002; De B ee, Da ids & De Haas, 2010; De Haas & Fokkema, 2010).
In he complex in e play o mig an s’ place a achmen s, eelings o liminali y, and mul-
iple possibili ies o e u n, space plays a c ucial ole. As ini ially u ged by To s en Häge s-
and (1985), and la e emphasised in wo ks such as hose o May and Th i (2001), Massey
(2005), o Schwanen and Kwan (2012), mig an s (as well as non -mig an s) ace mul iple –
in e nal and ex e nal – cons ain s o hei mobili y endea ou s. Pa icula ly ele an o he
discussion ahead, a e he physical (o bodily) cons ic ions b ough by and ein o ced by
age ( he capabili y cons ain s men ioned by Häge s and), coupling cons ain s, ela ed o
he desi e o mo e close o amily o acquain ances, and au ho i y cons ain s, conce ning
Do a Sampaio

53
s uc u al limi a ions imposed by ou side o ces such as immig a ion bodies. In a wo ld ha
eels inc easingly ‘comp essed’, and whe e connec edness eaches i s highes poin (Ha ey,
1990; Massey, 2005), spa io - empo al di e en ia ions and inequali ies (and associa ed
mobili y aspi a ions) ha e been subjec o li le discussion (Schwanen & Kwan, 2012).
The abili y o mo e ac oss space depends on bo h biog aphical and socially embedded
ea u es and only a combined s udy o bo h can lead o a deepe unde s anding o he
mo i es, expe iences and ou comes o e u n aspi a ions. Di e ences ac oss space,
be ween he coun y o se lemen and coun y o o igin, can mould (and e en dic a e) a
po en ial desi e o e u n ‘home’. Thus a , howe e , he discussion o spa iali ies in e u n
mig a ion o en eeds in o la ge hema ic discussions, a ely playing a cen al ole i sel
(Plane & Ju je ich, 2009; Ca ling & Pe e sen, 2014).
Space is no a s and -alone playe hough, as e u n aspi a ions a e any hing bu s a ic.
As Johnson -Hanks (2005) a gues in he s udy on Came oon, li e e en s and decisions a e
o en no ully a ional o logical since hey a e also con ingen upon changing aspi a ions
and judicious oppo unism. Al hough he empo al dimension is key o unde s anding he
mig a ion p ocess as a whole and, mo e speci ically, e u n imagina ies, he e a e ew s u-
dies ha highligh empo al dimensions such as age o he li e -cycle as co e esea ch opics
(Plane & Ju je ich, 2009; E dal & Ezza i, 2015). E dal and Ezza i (2015), o ins ance, s ess
he impo ance o ime as a ans e sal dimension ha cu s ac oss gende , class, eligion,
and na ional and e hnic bounda ies, also unde lining he ac ha mig a ion heo ies a ely
inco po a e he empo al dimension in o he analysis. In sho : age, leng h o s ay in he
ecei ing coun y and indi idual li e -cycle s ages signi ican ly shape mig an s’ highly sub-
jec i e cons uc ions o ‘home’ and ‘homeland’, and hei desi es, a i udes and imagina ies
o e u n. As shown by Dus mann, Ben olila, & Faini (1996), he desi e o e u n inc eases
wi h he age o en y in he hos coun y, bu ends hen o dec ease wi h he mig an s’
leng h o s ay. As ega ds he li e cycle, e i emen equen ly ac s as a key empo al junc u e
o e - hinking a po en ial e u n (King, 2000; Hun e , 2011). As an al e na i e o pe ma-
nen e u n, mig an s o en op o swaying be ween coun ies o o igin and se lemen ,
mo ing ac oss ansna ional social ields, and engaging in o ms o pendulum mig a ion
which e lec hei sha ed loyal ies and ways o o e coming ensions wi hin he household
(De Haas & Fokkema, 2010; Zon ini, 2015). Family – wi h men mo e p one o e u n han
women and child en – ends o play a cen al ole in hese ‘ imespaced’ nego ia ions and
dilemmas. Al e na i ely, he e may also be a wish o ‘in eg a ed ageing’; he desi e o s ay
pu and g ow olde in he hos coun y (A ias -Don u , Teissie , & Wol , 2005).
III. FROM A PLATFORM OF EMIGRATION TO A PLACE OF IMMIGRATION:
LABOUR MIGRATION IN THE AZORES
A nine -island Po uguese a chipelago in he No h A lan ic, geog aphically emo e
and adi ionally sha ing weak social ies wi h mainland Po ugal, he Azo es has hus
a ecei ed li le esea ch a en ion. His o ically a place o emig a ion, he islands ha e
Ageing ‘he e’ o ‘ he e’? Spa io - empo ali ies in olde labou mig an s’ e u n aspi a ions om he Azo es
54
expe ienced s ong ou lows, mainly o No h Ame ica, om as ea ly as he nine een h
cen u y. Following a la es majo wa e o emig a ion which peaked in he la e 1950s,
Azo ean emig a ion has g adually decele a ed since he mid -1970s (Williams & Fon-
seca, 1999; Rocha, Medei os, & Fe ei a, 2011), gi ing way o he a i al o a g owing
and inc easingly di e se g oup o immig an s. While he i s immig an s in he a chi-
pelago a i ed in he mid -70s and ea ly 80s, ollowing he Po uguese decolonisa ion
p ocess, since he la e 90s he numbe o o eign esiden s in he Azo es has s eadily
inc eased (AIPA, 2011; Rocha e al., 2011). This change in egional mobili y pa e ns
canno be dissocia ed om b oade , coun y -le el socio -economic and poli ical ans-
o ma ions such as accession o he Eu opean Union in 1986 and subsequen economic
enhancemen cha ac e ised by a boom o majo cons uc ion p ojec s and lou ishing
job oppo uni ies.
Labou mig an s in he Azo es gene ally sha e he same cha ac e is ics as hose in
mainland Po ugal in e ms o coun ies o o igin, mo i a ions and p o essional inco -
po a ion in o he labou ma ke . The immig an s in he a chipelago a e la gely concen-
a ed in ou main islands – São Miguel, Te cei a, Faial and Pico. Mig an s om he
Po uguese o me colonies in A ica we e he i s o a i e, ollowed by Eas e n Eu o-
peans and B azilians. B azilians a e cu en ly he mos nume ous na ionali y o labou
mig an s in he a chipelago. Cape Ve deans, adi ionally he second la ges g oup o
labou mig an s on he islands, a e now he hi d, a e he Chinese (Se s a , 2008-
-2015). Simila o mainland Po ugal, he e a e mo e male immig an s han emales,
al hough he la e ha e been inc easing. Men wo k mos ly in cons uc ion, ishe ies
and, in he speci ic case o he Chinese, in small sel -owned businesses such as shops o
es au an si, while women end o be employed in ho els, es au an s and pe sonal se -
ices. Mo e ecen ly, he economic c isis in Po ugal and in i s au onomous egions, el
igo ously in he cons uc ion sec o , led o a d op in he numbe o mig an s a i ing
in he Azo es. The numbe o mig an s li ing in he a chipelago be ween 2008 and 2014
has emained mo e o less cons an , om a o al o 3,513 mig an s in 2008 o 3,536
indi iduals in 2014, wi h a sligh decline in 2015 (3,361 indi iduals) (Se s a , 2008-
-2015). The e is a gene al endency o mig an s o se le and s ay in he egion o
signi ican pe iods o ime (Rocha e al., 2011). In his, mixed ma iages and amily
o ma ion in he Azo es a e impo an ac o s o ake in o accoun , as shown by Men-
des (2015) o he case o he B azilian, Cape Ve dean and Uk ainian communi ies in
São Miguel island.
In a con ex o economic gloominess on he islands, mig an s’ aspi a ions, whe he
o s ay, engage in onwa d mig a ion, o e u n ‘home’, ha e gained inc eased ele ance.
This esea ch also ep esen s a use ul upda e o he mos comp ehensi e s udy on
immig a ion in he Azo es conduc ed by Rocha e al. (2011), which is based on su eys
om 2004 and 2008, he e o e lea ing ou he pe iod o economic ecession ha signi-
ican ly a ec ed he islands since 2008. Unde s anding mig an s’ ideas abou u u e
mobili y pa e ns ep esen s addi ional e idence o planning and policies a he local,
egional and na ional le el.
Do a Sampaio
55
IV. DATA AND METHODS
The analysis is based on 36 in -dep h li e na a i e in e iews wi h la e -li e
labou mig an s esiding in he Azo es and a se en -mon h pe iod o e hnog aphic
ieldwo kii.
Da a collec ion was ca ied ou be ween June and Decembe 2014; o his pe iod,
I was based in São Miguel island while also ex ensi ely a elling be ween he o he
islands. Follow -up in e iews wi h a selec ed numbe o pa icipan s whose na a i es
we e pa icula ly ich hema ically we e conduc ed in Janua y 2016. Du ing his pe iod
no only did I e -in e iew some o my esea ch pa icipan s and e - isi my main ield
si es, bu I also engaged in a b oade expe ience o e u n mysel , wha O’Reilly (2012)
e e s o as ‘e hnog aphic e u ning’.
De ining olde age is p obably one o he g ea es endea ou s in he s udy o
ageing and la e -li e (Rowles, 1986). Following a pe iod o e lec ion and delibe a-
ion, a minimum h eshold o 50 yea s old was se o he in e iews. An admi edly
a bi a y cu -o , his is howe e g ounded on he cen al assump ion ha la e -li e is
an inc easingly di e se s age o li e, and hus i was impo an o accoun o mig an s’
di e en expe iences o age and ageing and con empla e a ela ional unde s anding
o age (Biggs & Daa land, 2004; Hopkins & Pain, 2007). O he s udies o ageing
mig an s ha e adop ed simila age h esholds (Casado -Díaz e al., 2004; Lulle &
King, 2016).
The in e iews ook place in he mig an s’ homes o o he con enien si es such as
local associa ions o close -by public spaces. The pa icipan s we e ec ui ed h ough a
combina ion o me hods – my own p io ne wo ks and con ac s, local ins i u ions and
associa ions, and snowballing – in o de o de elop and maximise he di e si y o he
sample collec ed. Gi en he in -dep h na u e o my in e iews, I ended o adop a ee-
- lowing app oach – na u ally dependen on he pa icipan ’s ype o na a i e – also
keeping a lis o ques ions and hemes I wan ed o co e h oughou he in e iew.
S emming om a e i al o s o ies and s o y elling in human geog aphy and, mo e
b oadly, a ‘cul u al u n’ in social sciences, li e na a i es ha e gained enewed in e es
in ecen decades, p o ing o be a co e me hodological ool able o success ully unpack
he indi idually -expe ienced, socially and his o ically w ough , mig a ion biog aphies
and ajec o ies (Riley & Ha ey, 2007; Came on, 2012).
The in e iews we e ansc ibed and analysed ollowing an induc i e and dialec ic
p ocess be ween esea ch ques ions, he na a i e ex s and suppo ing heo ies. The
p ima y da a collec ed was complemen ed by ieldno es, pa icipan obse a ion, and
e lec ions a ising om engagemen in mul iple ac i i ies wi h he s udy g oup. The
labou mig an s in e iewed came mos ly om Cape Ve de, B azil and Eas e n Eu o-
pean coun iesiii, hei age anged om 50 o 72 yea s old, and he e was a p edomi-
nance o women. The majo i y o he mig an s we e se led in he Azo es o 10 yea s
o mo e and we e ma ied, al hough some did no ha e hei amilies wi h hem.
Ageing ‘he e’ o ‘ he e’? Spa io - empo ali ies in olde labou mig an s’ e u n aspi a ions om he Azo es
56
V. SPATIO -TEMPORALITIES IN MIGRANTS’ RETURN ASPIRATIONS: EXPLO-
RING THE ‘FAMILY -WORK MATRIX’ AND THE ‘HOME -HOST COUNTRY
DIALECTIC’
Th ough an induc i e analysis o he da a collec ed, ou analy ical dimensions eme -
ged as cen al in unde s anding mig an s’ e u n aspi a ions: amily, economic-
-occupa ional s a us, heal h, and place a achmen . Bea ing in mind ha hough s abou
e u n a e he p oduc o a mul i ude o ac o s a he han ac o s in isola ion, he ou
dimensions highligh ed mus be looked upon as inex icably linked and highly depen-
den on each o he . Fo Yolandai , a Cape Ve dean woman in he la e 50s, li ing in he
Azo es since he ea ly 80s, access o economic esou ces allowed he o keep in pe ma-
nen con ac wi h Cape Ve de a he han p omp ing any desi e o e u n. Ha ing ea-
ched a com o able economic si ua ion h ough he small business, as well as a aining a
espec ed social posi ion in he island communi y, Yolanda main ains ansna ional links
wi h he homeland by sending goods o disad an aged child en back home and by e-
quen ly isi ing Cape Ve de. Despi e his close emo ional link, Yolanda does no hold any
illusions o e u n:
“I hink i doesn’ make any sense o go and li e in Cape Ve de now because I ha e all
my g andchild en he e. My amily is all he e, I only ha e one sis e in Cape Ve de. The
li e I ha e he e can no longe be achie ed in Cape Ve de.”
As in Mo an -Taylo and Menji a ’s s udy (2005), he loca ion o he immedia e
amily, pa icula ly child en, seems o be a cen al ac o shaping he desi e o e u n
‘home’. Also isible in Yolanda’s na a i e is app ehension abou he economic clima e in
Cape Ve de, and he s ong place a achmen o he Azo es:
“When I go o Cape Ve de, I’m he e bu I know home is he e. Bu I always enjoy going
back and helping he Cape Ve dean people. I makes me eel good. (…) Li e in Cape
Ve de, s ill oday, is a lo o wo k, he e’s a lo o po e y. I emembe when I was a kid,
gi ls we e no allowed in school because hey would lea n how o w i e o hei
boy iends. We used o wo k in he ields om mo ning o e ening and hen go eed he
animals. We used o ca wa e pails on ou heads a 1 o 2 in he mo ning o b ing
wa e home o cook couscous o b eak as . Then in he mo ning i would s a all o e
again.”
Like Yolanda, ano he Cape Ve dean, Ti o, also se led in he Azo es long ago. A
ishe man, he a i ed in a ishing illage in mainland Po ugal in 1974. A he age o 20,
he mo ed o he Azo es o wo k in a local ishe ies company. He is now in his ea ly 60s,
ma ied o an Azo ean woman and wi h wo g own -up child en. Wi h no close amily
in Cape Ve de (his siblings a e mig an s as well, mos o hem li ing in he Ne he lands
and I aly), he las ime he isi ed he island whe e he was bo n was in 1982. T ansna-
ional links wi h Cape Ve de ha e been los o e ime. Re lec ing on his ‘homeland’, he
s esses:
Do a Sampaio
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i I is impo an o highligh ha he Chinese communi y is especially isible in he mos popula ed island o São Miguel.
Gi en he ecen na u e o his mig a ion, hese mig an s a e no mally young o middle -aged adul s.
ii This ieldwo k is pa o my ecen ly comple ed PhD esea ch a he Uni e si y o Sussex, which also includes in e iews wi h
wo o he g oups o olde mig an s – e u n mig an s and li es yle mig an s.
iii This includes pa icipan s om Poland, Uk aine, and Russia. Geo gia is also included in his g oup.
i All names ha e been changed o p ese e he anonymi y o he pa icipan s. All quo a ions we e ansla ed in o English by
he au ho .
I mus be acknowledged ha , o some ex en , his is a biased pe spec i e since hose who a e/we e o ien ed o e u n may
ha e al eady le .
Do a Sampaio