The Return of exiled stories: historical memory workshops in Chalatenango and Cuscatlán

Abstract

Since 2017, a number of workshops have taken place in repopulated communities of Cuscatlán and Chalatenango. Coordinated by local leaders and teams of foreign researchers, these workshops have utilized historic materials rescued from their northern exile to prompt the recollections of formerly displaced Salvadorans. This essay outlines some preliminary conclusions from these workshops. It begins with an exploration of an emblematic memory of displacement, then continues with an explanation of how workshop participants constructed an alternative of parallel memory. Third, it brings to light some histories that remain displaced to this day.

Realidad: Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades No. 153, 2019: 93-121