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Paper short abstract:

The paper analyzes the objects taken by migrants in their first suitcase. It will reflect on how these objects contribute to providing continuity and meaning to their biographic and migratory experience.Transformations at the destination and the importance of (new) location will be also considered.

Paper long abstract:

Which objects do migrants choose to accompany them on their migratory journey? What trajectories do these objects experience once they reach the destination, and what possible transformations do they undergo?

The paper proposed is based on an investigation that answers these questions in the context of migrants to Catalonia (Spain). It deals with objects that have been appropriated; objects that carry biographical and personal meaning and that, once they have travelled in the suitcase, also serve to tell of the migratory experience.

Through the use of interviews, observations and photography, data were gathered that showed regularities in the kinds of object that were selected; these being, objects relating to certain moments of the biographical experience that the person wants to emphasize or remember; objects embodying the person's relationship with the loved ones, and objects that were gifts given at the time of the departure. These objects transmit continuity towards the personal experience that has been lived until the moment of migration, which is perceived as a moment of uncertainty.

The analysis also considers the trajectory of the objects in connection to the migratory experience and the subsequent transformations as "testimonies" of the migratory experience; this includes ruptures and the emergence of new necessities that are translated into the material surroundings. In addition, the paper will reflect on the importance of considering the spatial location of the objects, as this provides important data on the ways of experiencing migration and the different manners of conceiving the private and public spheres.