The conference, titled \u201cThe Time Loop: Diaspora, Identity, and Circular History: The Historical Mirror Between the Canary Islands and Venezuela,\u201d explained that in the case of Canary Islands-Venezuela migration, history doesn't move in a straight line, but in circles; it's not a story of departures and definitive returns, but an incessant loop of comings and goings. \u201cCanarians carried their memories, their idiomatic expressions, and their laments in their suitcases. In welcoming Venezuela, they forged a new, mixed identity. And several decades later, the mirror offers a reflected image,\u201d as Venezuelans now return to the islands from which their grandparents and parents departed.<\/p>\n
In D\u00e1vila Mendoza's opinion, the migratory process cannot be explained solely through the coldness of statistics and historical data, as it is necessary to incorporate more anthropological aspects to analyze the affective memory that helps shape identity in a diaspora process. Therefore, she pointed out that from this perspective, gastronomy and cuisine represent the primary memory of resistance for the migrant population, which undoubtedly modified some of its personal attributes.\u00a0 <\/span>to adapt to the new context, but remains faithful to the flavors and aromas of his homeland. \u201cFamily recipe books are true bastions of identity. Every stew is a political act of identity affirmation because gastronomy is the most honest and lasting bridge between both sides of the Atlantic.\u201d.<\/p>\n The Venezuelan migration phenomenon is of considerable magnitude in Spain, with some 84,000 people of Venezuelan origin residing in the Canary Islands, placing this autonomous community among the three Spanish regions hosting the most migrants from that country. However, these stark figures fail to explain other realities of migration, such as the recognition of qualifications and skills and the fight against inequality. In these areas, when institutions fail, informal networks become crucial, providing support against phenomena like xenophobia and agoraphobia. \u201cMigrants are made scapegoats for many problems, but the response cannot be retreat.\u201d.<\/p>\n The speaker brought the phenomenon of migration to life through the story of Andr\u00e9s del Rosario, a farmer from Icod de los Vinos who, upon turning eighteen, deserted from military service and ended up in Caracas. There, he worked as a convection heater in Delfino del Rosario, as in his new home he understood that his identity could be fluid and malleable. Using the family photographic archive of this man, who worked in transportation and restaurants and, according to some sources, was the first coal deliveryman in the Venezuelan capital, Dora D\u00e1vila explained the adaptation process experienced by people who arrive in new places, ultimately constructing a new identity. Migration, therefore, is also a process of starting over.<\/p>\n
![\"Carmen](\"https:\/\/www.ull.es\/portal\/noticias\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/Semin-Bucle-del-tiempo-06-300x200.jpg\")
<\/a>