PhD Joshua Steele published in the Journal of Historical Geography

Recent Ph.D. Joshua Steele (now at University of Tennessee, Knoxville) published part of their dissertation on the North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, entitled “From ‘garbage dump’ to ‘true European town’: Geographically imagining the North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla (1913-1917)” in the  Journal of Historical Geography 89 (2025) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhg.2025.07.005 

 

Abstract: Ceuta and Melilla, the two Spanish enclaves on the African continent that border Morocco, have been held by Spain since 1497 and 1668, respectively. This article conducts a discourse analysis on the portrayal of these enclaves in the early-twentieth century, through the lens of the scholarly magazine África Española, published from 1913 to 1917. Ceuta and Melilla occupy an interesting role in the magazine, discursively constructed, deconstructed, and reconstructed to fit varying narratives that ultimately repositioned them from their status as, ‘garbage dumps,’ ‘disconcerting hamlets,’ or ‘Spain’s burden,’ to potential exemplars of European and Spanish superiority. Various imaginary geographies were put forth by the writers, casting the cities as newly established beacons of progress that serve the purposes of the Spanish colonial project while elevating Spain’s credibility as a European power. In so doing, África Española provides valuable insights into how the historical identities of the cities changed at the beginning of the twentieth century. Through a critical examination of these evolved discursive identities, this article provides historical context aimed to supplement current research related to Ceuta and Melilla’s positioning within the migration-related challenges presently experienced within the European Union, complicating pervasive rhetoric about Spain’s long-standing control of these territories.