The Politics of Race in Panama - Afro-Hispanic and West Indian Literary Discourses of Contention (Hardcover)

"Delves into the historical convergence of peoples and cultural traditions that both enrich and problematize notions of national belonging, identity, culture, and citizenship."--Antonio D. Tillis, editor of "Critical Perspectives on Afro-Latin American Literature" "With rich detail and theoretical complexity, Watson reinterprets Panamanian literature, dismantling longstanding nationalist interpretations and linking the country to the Black Atlantic and beyond. An engaging and important contribution to our understanding of Afro-Latin America."--Peter Szok, author of "Wolf Tracks: Popular Art and Re-Africanization in Twentieth-Century Panama" "Illuminates the deeper discourse of African-descendant identities that runs through Panama and other Central American countries."--Dawn Duke, author of "Literary Passion, Ideological Commitment: Toward a Legacy of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian Women Writers" This volume tells the story of two cultural groups: Afro-Hispanics, whose ancestors came to Panama as African slaves, and West Indians from the English-speaking countries of Jamaica and Barbados who arrived during the mid-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries to build the railroad and the Panama Canal.
While Afro-Hispanics assimilated after centuries of "mestizaje" (race mixing) and now identify with their Spanish heritage, West Indians hold to their British Caribbean roots and identify more closely with Africa and the Caribbean.
By examining the writing of black Panamanian authors, Sonja Watson highlights how race is defined, contested, and inscribed in Panama. She discusses the cultural, racial, and national tensions that prevent these two groups from forging a shared Afro-Panamanian identity, ultimately revealing why ethnically diverse Afro-descendant populations continue to struggle to create racial unity in nations across Latin America and the Caribbean.

General

Imprint:	University Press of Florida
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	March 2014
First published:	April 2014
Authors:	Sonja S Watson
Dimensions:	229 x 152 x 20mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover - Paper over boards
Pages:	192
ISBN-13:	978-0-8130-4986-1
Categories:	Books > Language & Literature > Literature: history & criticism > Literary studies > General Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Ethnic studies > Multicultural studies > General Promotions
LSN:	0-8130-4986-5
Barcode:	9780813049861

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!