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Abstract

By applying the concepts and methodologies of diaspora studies and memory studies, this paper problematises the idea of homeland as remembered and communicated by the late generations of the Western Sephardic Diaspora. We will approach it through a case study: the family memories of the North American Sephardic elite. This paper analyses three texts that report the departure from Portugal of the forefathers of three families that settled in the British North American colonies during the 18th century: the Mendes Seixas, the Nunes Ribeiro, and the Lopez. Comparing these narratives with factual evidence collected from documentary research makes it possible to identify the facts that were remembered, forgotten, or refashioned, evaluating them in line with the mental and social frameworks in which these memories were produced and communicated.