  We analyzed the largest Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) cluster sample (32) with
proper motions and radial velocity measurements, from which we obtained their
space velocity components. By adopting as a reference the recent best-fitted
rotating disc of SMC star clusters as a function of the position angle, we
computed their residual velocity vectors, and compared their magnitudes
($\Delta$V) with that of a cluster with residual velocity components equal to
the velocity dispersions along the three independent SMC rotating disc axes of
motion ($\Delta$V = 60 km/s). We found that clusters that belong to SMC tidally
induced structures have $\Delta$V > 50 km/s, which suggests that space
velocities of clusters in the process of escaping the rotating disc kinematics,
are measurably different. Studied clusters pertaining to a northern branch of
the Magellanic Bridge, the main Magellanic Bridge, the Counter-Bridge and the
West halo give support to these findings. NGC 121, the oldest known SMC
cluster, does not belong to any SMC tidal feature, and has $\Delta$V = 64 km/s,
slightly above the boundary between bound and kinematically perturbed clusters.

Astrophysics of Galaxies