Key Concept: Mobility in Roma

Babs van Es, Tamarah Sies and Dylan Veerbeek

Introduction

Here we will be discussing the concept of mobility in a few manners. This key concept will first examine the concept of mobility in three different languages: Dutch, Italian and Papiamentu. Afterwards, these meanings and interpretations will be connected to the themes represented in Roma, the 2018 film as we feel that the definition could possibly vary from language to language and between cultural contexts from different geographical spaces.

The noun mobility, according to the Oxford dictionary (Oxford Dictionary), carries 11 different meanings, one of which describes mobility as ‘the ability or potential of individuals within a society to move between different social levels (more fully vertical mobility) or between different occupations, etc (more fully horizontal mobility); the ability or potential of a workforce to move from place to place’ (Oxford dictionary). However, the noun mobility can also be understood as ‘the ability to move or be moved; capacity for movement or change of place; movableness, portability.’

These two interpretations will be particularly relevant in the analysis of Alfonso Cuarón’s 2018 film Roma, as the film explores both the geographical and social dimensions of mobility.

Mobilità: mobility in Italian context

In Italian, the term mobilità derives from the Latin word mobilitas, which entered the Italian language between the 14th and 15th centuries. Mobilitas itself originates from the Latin verb movere, corresponding to the Italian verb muovere, a verb that refers to the capacity and possibility to move. Historically, the Latin term often carried a negative connotation, as it was associated with instability and inconsistency. In modern Italian however, mobilità has acquired a more neutral or even positive connotation connected to efficiency. Over time, the term has developed a range of different meanings, most commonly referring to: ‘the quality of being mobile; the ability, capacity, and ease of moving or shifting’ (Treccani.it), as stated in the first definition by the Treccani dictionary. The term mobilità therefore can also be associated with related terms such as movimento, meaning movement in the literal sense or spostamento which refers more specifically to the movement from one place to another.

In socioeconomic context, mobility may also refer to the movement of people between regions. The concept of mobility thus does not only relate to physical movement, but also and even more often in Italian contexts to the movement between geographical areas or social positions. This type of mobility can be driven by changes in wage structures as well as by other non-monetary factors, such as family, work-life balance or climate (Treccani.it). When this type of mobility occurs, verbs closely related to this concept can be used such as trasferirsi (to move from one place to another) and traslocare (to relocate or to move somewhere else) that both have to do with movement as well.

Mobiliteit: Mobility in Dutch context

In Dutch the word mobiliteit derives from the French word mobilité, which itself originates from the Latin word mobilitas, just like in Italian. The Dutch word mobiliteit has different interpretations, one of them involving the physical and geographical aspect where mobility is seen as movement. In this meaning it can be seen as the extent to which a person can change place or position. A second interpretation concerns social mobility. In this context, mobility is seen as a person changing in status or position in society and thus refers to changes in a person’s social or economic position within society. Similar to the English definition provided by the Oxford Dictionary, this type of mobility distinguishes horizontal- and vertical mobility, which has to do with someone’s social status, whether you are moving up or down the social ladder regarding someone’s job prospects. Upward mobility and downward mobility are also mentioned as part of mobility in society, where upward mobility means to become part of the upper class of society, and where downward mobility refers to becoming part of the lower class of society (vandale.nl).

Mobiliti and moveshon: Mobility in Papiamentu context

In Papiamentu, two variants of translations for the word mobility will be discussed. Firstly, there is the more literal translation which does not necessarily carry the adequate cultural context for a translation when referring to social mobility. This word would be mobiliti, which would refer to the physical form of movement from one place to another. It can be used in the context of social movement if one were to add the word sosial to the equation, meaning social or broadening the definition: it refers to things that have to do with community, people and relationships between them. The word mobiliti is most likely derived from either the Spanish word movilidad, which was most likely picked up by slaves and added to the creole language during the European colonial era, or to trace it back further from the Latin word mobilitas, meaning movability.

However, a more fitting translation when looking for a more culturally significant translation is moveshon which is culturally more associated with movement within status, related to jobs, income, background, (to some extent) skincolor and mainly the vertical movement in social position associated with those things. The word is most likely derived from the English term motion, again assuming this was added to the creole language during the same colonial era mentioned before. Within the cultural context of Curaçao, the concept of motion itself however is most likely rooted in the Proto-Indo-European word of meue meaning ‘to push away’, and therefore carries important social and historical implications connected to colonialism, inequality and class structures.

Comparison between the languages

What the Dutch, Italian and Papiamentu translations have in common is that in all the three languages the word mobility is associated with some form of movement. This common element then also reflects the shared Latin root mobilitas (leaving aside moveshon which derives from the English word motion), which refers to movement, change and flexibility. Despite this common origin, the association with the word in a cultural context does seem to differ ever so slightly between the languages. Mainly in the associated connotation attached to the words in each language.

Papiamentu’s moveshon and Italian’s mobilità seem to be stronger connected to the social hierarchy. While in Dutch this connotation also exists, it is also correlated to the logistic side of transportation and infrastructure, think of busses, trains, cars and public transportation systems. These cultural differences might demonstrate how language shapes the interpretation of mobility beyond its literal meaning.

Roma

The 2018 film Roma, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, takes place in Mexico during the 1970s. The film conveys the story of a middle-class family and one of their housemaids Cleo, a Mixtec domestic worker living with the family in the Roma neighbourhood of Mexico City. Through Cleo’s experiences, the film explores themes of class, love and resilience during a period marked with major social and political transformations.

As Cleo attempts to balance domestic responsibilities, caregiving, and her personal life, the film also succeeds in highlighting different forms of mobility. In particular, two dimensions of mobility stand out: social mobility, represented through the different social classes in Roma and geographical mobility, in relation to the infrastructure and improvements introduced by the state. Both forms of mobility are closely linked in one way or another to the broader process of internal migration within Mexico.

Social mobility in Roma
In Roma, social mobility is shown above all through the contrast between Cleo’s role as a live-in domestic worker and the wealthy, privileged middle-class family she serves. Although Cleo is deeply involved in the family’s emotional life, through things such as taking care of the children, class boundaries remain firmly in place, highlighting the limited opportunities for upward social mobility available to Indigenous and lower-class women in 1970s Mexico.

The film also contrasts wealth and instability. The family owns a car, employs servants, has access to education and healthcare, and lives in a modern urban neighbourhood, while Cleo’s boyfriend Fermín abandons her after hearing about her pregnancy and later becomes involved with a paramilitary group. During the Corpus Christi massacre scene, Cleo’s personal crisis becomes intertwined with broader political violence in Mexico, emphasizing how vulnerable lower-class individuals are to political and social instability.

Inner mobility (i.e. emotional transformation), however, is reflected in Cleo’s personal growth and emotional resilience. Although she does not move upwards socially, Cleo undergoes important internal growth. Throughout the film, she endures abandonment, political violence, and personal loss, yet gradually gains a stronger sense of self and emotional independence. Her journey is less about changing social status and more about developing inner strength and self-awareness. This inner mobility in the film is represented more subtle. At the beginning of the film, Cleo is quiet, obedient, and she often suppresses her feelings. By the end, especially after saving the children from drowning in the ocean, she openly expresses her emotions for the first time when she admits that she did not want her baby to be born in the first place. This moment reveals a deeper emotional honesty and self-awareness. What follows by the ocean seems symbolic: while Cleo physically enters into dangerous water to save the children, she simultaneously is confronting trauma, grief, and guilt. Through these experiences, the film suggests that although society limits her social mobility, Cleo can still achieve a form of inner mobility through emotional endurance and personal transformation.

Geographical mobility in Roma

Cleo is a live-in maid, now living with the family in Mexico City. As she is originally from Oaxaca in the south of Mexico, this shows a first example of geographical mobility. While Cleo lives with the family, she is seen visiting Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, the suburbs outside of Mexico City, again showing the geographical aspect of mobility. Cleo takes the bus to go visit Fermín outside of the city, when she arrives there is a difference in the development of infrastructure compared to how this is in the modernized centre of Mexico City. However, there are plans to improve the infrastructure and thus also the geographical mobility outside of the city. In Mexico City we already see a lot of movement, people are moving by car, by busses, other types of public transport or simply by walking.

One of the first scenes of the film shows the father of the family coming home, in a car that hardly fits into the driveway. He takes his time, parking the car in a very precise manner. Later when the mother drives this car she crashes into the walls of the driveway. At the end of the film the mother drives a different, smaller car. This different, smaller car that the mother of the family now has, shows a connection between wealth and the amount of geographical mobility the family can afford. During the film we see the family travel by car a few times. They visit the beach, Cleo was taken to a shop to buy a crib for her baby and later brought to the hospital to give birth, these examples all show instances of geographical mobility.

Internal migration in Roma

In addition to social mobility, another important form of mobility we feel is represented in Roma is that of internal migration. In its most literal sense, mobility refers to movement in general. The movement intended for this part, is the literal movement from one place to another. In the case of the film, this movement does not involve crossing international borders, but rather migration within the country itself. as mentioned earlier we see Cleo’s movement from Oaxaca to Mexico City, We can thus speak of internal migration that is defined as: (the) movement of people that do not cross international borders (Royal Geographical Society). This type of migration is mostly common in developing, low-income countries, where during the twentieth century large numbers of people moved from the more rural areas and smaller towns to expanding urban centres in search for employment opportunities and improved living conditions.

This process is reflected in Roma through the social and spatial contrast presented throughout the film. Cleo herself lives and works in the neighbourhood Roma of Mexico City, a relatively developed urban area where modern infrastructure, shops, schools, and cinemas symbolize urban growth and stability. In contrast to other spaces shown in the film, in particular the poorer outskirts and rural environments that Cleo visits when searching for Fermín appear less developed and offer fewer economic opportunities. Through these contrasts, the film highlights the unequal distribution of wealth and development during Mexico’s period of modernization.

Cleo herself has also migrated from her hometown of Oaxaca to Mexico City, where she has found a job as a domestic worker. Being originally born in Oaxaca, one of the poorest regions of Mexico, associated with poverty, insecurity, inequality, the indigenous, their languages and limited economic possibilities, this migration is not strange at all. In fact, it is precisely for these reasons and social inequalities that many people, like Cleo, feel compelled to leave their hometowns in search for a new place that offers ‘a better life’. Internal migration therefore contributes to the spatial development of Mexico.

The film ultimately suggests that geographical mobility and internal migration are closely connected to the possibility of social mobility. By moving towards urban areas, individuals may gain greater access to work, education, healthcare and economic stability, that potentially allow them to improve their social position. At the same time, Roma demonstrates that migration alone does not automatically upward mobility, as structural inequalities related to class, race and gender continue to shape Cleo’s life despite her movement to the more developed and promising city and therefore reinforces the existing class inequalities.

Conclusion

Roma demonstrates that mobility can be understood in multiple interconnected ways. Through the experiences of Cleo and the family she works for, the film explores both social mobility and geographical mobility within the context of 1970s Mexico. The comparison between the meanings of mobility in Dutch, Italian, and Papiamentu further reveal that the concept extends beyond simple physical movement and often carries deeper social and cultural implications. In Roma, these forms of mobility are represented through contrasts between wealth and poverty, urban and rural spaces, and emotional dependence and social inequality. Which might correlate more similarly to the intrigues found in the cultural aspects of Curaçao than in those of the Netherlands or even Italy for that matter in the same depicted time frame. Although Cleo becomes emotionally central to the family, she remains socially marginalized, illustrating how class, race, and gender continue to limit opportunities for upward mobility as defined earlier.

At the same time, the film suggests that mobility is not only external, but also internal and emotional within both the social as well as the geographical premises. Cleo’s migration from Oaxaca to Mexico City reflects the broader movement of people towards urban areas in search of stability and opportunity, while her personal experiences throughout the film reveal a quieter form of inner mobility. Despite the hardships she faces, including abandonment, political violence, and personal loss, Cleo gradually develops emotional resilience and self-awareness. Roma therefore presents mobility as a complex process that involves movement through physical spaces, social structures, and emotional states simultaneously. By combining these different dimensions, Cuarón’s film offers a nuanced portrayal of inequality, modernization, and human endurance in Mexican society.

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