La enseñanza de los emigrantes. Entre la defensa de la identidad española y la política de asimilación francesa

Abstract

For a good part of the twentieth century, the teaching of Spanish emigrants in France has been a source of friction in bilateral relations. The Spanish authorities wished to preserve the hallmarks of national and cultural identity in this population, while their French counterparts attempted to promote their integration and subsequent assimilation into the host society. This article analyses the evolution of this contentious issue from its beginnings in the first decades of the century to the end of the Franco dictatorship. It attempts to examine the development and application of the cultural and educational policy relating to emigration that was adopted by the Spanish government, along with the resistance expressed by successive French governments. The actions of these protagonists were coupled with the action of the emigrants themselves. Their mobilization from the 1960s onwards was essential in ensuring that the Spanish state overcome its previous indolence and articulate an educational network that would guarantee, at least to some degree, the possibility of a bilingual education for their children.