Fighting Fascist Spain pieces together the story of Spanish immigrants in the United States in their fight against fascism, as reflected in the periodical España Libre and the grassroots activism of the organization that sustained that publication, the Sociedades Hispanas Confederadas, or the Confederadas. Although Espana Libre was run by Spanish immigrants and exiles and published in Brooklyn and New York City, the organization had a clear transnational consciousness: old migrants and new exiles coalesced in overlapping communities across the United States that were linked to similar antifasc ... More

Fighting Fascist Spain pieces together the story of Spanish immigrants in the United States in their fight against fascism, as reflected in the periodical España Libre and the grassroots activism of the organization that sustained that publication, the Sociedades Hispanas Confederadas, or the Confederadas. Although Espana Libre was run by Spanish immigrants and exiles and published in Brooklyn and New York City, the organization had a clear transnational consciousness: old migrants and new exiles coalesced in overlapping communities across the United States that were linked to similar antifascist networks in other countries. Fighting Fascist Spain identifies the web of anarchist, anarcho-syndicalist, and socialist connections that facilitated the political engagement of local activists and organizations and enlarged the global reach of the Confederadas during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco (1939–1975) and until democratic elections were held again in Spain (1977). Using extensive and previously ignored literary, visual, and archival sources, the manuscript explores anarchist literature and antifascist humor. The broad objective of Fighting Fascist Spain is not merely to recover evidence of migrant activism and literature but to articulate how workers’ culture and politics shaped their antifascism.