'From mines to signs': Exploring grassroots spatial and multimodal experiences of transcultural Cornish identity in Pachuca and Real del Monte, Hidalg

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My PhD project will explore notions of identity in the Cornish-Mexican diaspora of the city of Pachuca (situated in Hidalgo, Mexico). Despite Cornish mining-related migration to this part of Mexico dating back to the 19th Century, Cornish imprints on the area's tangible heritage remain salient. Taking a transnational perspective, this project aims to examine how locals interact with these multimodal spaces, bringing in notions of 'intangible' heritage which are yet to be examined within Cornish diaspora contexts. Drawing on a combination of innovative sociolinguistic approaches, this project examines the dynamics between 'group' and 'individual' notions of community. Increased 'fanning out' of migration has thrown transnational small language sites into complex, mobile and sometimes unstable networks. Globalisation, transforming spatial and temporal organisation of social interactions, has created possibilities for the study of small languages in diasporic contexts, rather than limiting this work to the territory of origin. Global Cornish constitutes a fascinating instance of these broader circumstances, yet unexplored from a sociolinguistic perspective. Uniquely, Cornish in Mexico has endured pressures from (Mexican) Spanish and (Standard) English. Nevertheless, pride in Cornish identity remains here. Considering the heightened reflexivity among members of small language communities, recent studies have revealed gaps in knowledge of transnational notions of Cornishness. Far from the tropes of 'Cornish for Cornwall,' descendants of Cornish speakers are expressing interest in their Cornish heritage on a global scale. This phenomenon, facilitated by interconnectedness, has taken shape in relation to the blurring of 'boundaries' between the local and the global, placing Cornwall and its diasporas within emerging transnational networks. My study will innovatively blend methodological linguistic landscape approaches. Firstly, contributing to the aspect of place-making, this project takes a situated practice approach by incorporating community-led 'walking tours', which will focus on notions of authenticity and be autoethnographic in nature with participants photographing the LL. Indeed, Szabó & Troyer (2017) stress that fruitful results are produced when boundaries between observer (the researcher) and observed (the researched) are blurred. Then, I will conduct semi-structured interviews with individual participants, which will also analyse the aforementioned autoethnographic element. This builds on methodological experience gained during my MA. This methodology will thus foreground notions of identity, agency and interest, situating the human experience and Engaged Humanities at the forefront of the project. In year one, I will review existing literature, fine-tune my theoretical framework, further my methodological skills through DTP Core Skills training and develop existing partnerships with cultural associations in Pachuca in preparation for fieldwork. In year two, I will conduct fieldwork and data collection for three months and then engage in analysis of this data. During this ethnographic component, I will undertake archival research and community engagement activities alongside the Museo de Mineria (Historic Archive and Museum of Mining in Pachuca) and the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo (Hidalgo University in Pachuca). In year three, I will write up my research and engage in dissemination strategies, alongside the DTP, Exeter, and Cornish-speaking communities with whom I have ongoing partnerships.