Transgenerational Motherhoods in Exile: The Story of Sara, Claudia, and Mara (1973–1992)

Abstract

This study examines motherhood in exile during the Chilean civil-military dictatorship, through the memories of women who gave birth and raised children under these circumstances. Focusing on the life story of Sara, who was exiled with her Communist Party–affiliated family in Peru, Romania, and Mozambique. This research explores the following questions: What tensions emerge in the experiences of mothers in exile? How are gender and generational expectations reflected in their narratives? Conducted as an exploratory study within the frameworks of social and contemporary history, the research relies primarily on interviews and contemporary press analyses, emphasizing the years of Sara in exile from 1973 to 1986, the intergenerational dynamics involving her daughter Claudia, her granddaughter Mara, and her eventual return to Chile in 1991.