This thesis is intended to delve into the one-and-a-half generation of Cuban-American's bicultural identity in Virgil Suarez's novel "Going Under." Through an interpretation from the perspective of diaspora consciousness, this paper will identify how the main character constructs his individual identity through a network of usually…

Puerto Rican author Luis Rafael Sanchez's "La guagua aerea" explores the duality, hybridity, and fluidity of US-Puerto Rican identity through the frequent travel of migrants between New York City (the traditional destination city for Puerto Rican migrants) and the island. In recent years, however, the "flying bus" has adopted a…

Teaching for cultural understanding has always posed many challenges regarding exactly what should be taught and how it should be presented. For instance: should students be taught a list of facts about another culture, which may lead to stereotyping? Should there be comparison between one's own and another culture, which may involve dealing with…

The twin emigration sagas of Ferreira de Castro (1898-1974), "Emigrantes" (1928) and "A Selva" (1930) embody what has been described as the primary driving forces of emigration: hunger and injustice. The main protagonists of "Emigrantes" and "A Selva," Manuel and Alberto, illustrate these forces. Manuel, a…

This anthology of creative works and essays paints a portrait of the rich and complex mixture of Latino cultures in the United States. The collection is broadly inclusive in terms of genre, discipline, and ethnicity and is intended for readers interested in any or all of the major aspects of Latino culture. The book is organized around six…

Explains how a teacher, a Belizean of African descent who immigrated to the United States, feels about having grown up reading only Western literature. Explains the costs of such limited reading in psychological and emotional terms. Gives a brief review of a few well-known Caribbean authors, including Julia Alvarez and Jamaica Kincaid. (TB)

New multicultural anthologies too often end up looking suspiciously like the color palate of a paint-by-numbers kit. Canonical tokenism is quickly seen as a ruse by minority students and teachers who are circumspect and adept at uncovering counterfeits. As an alternative to tokenism, one recommendation is to use Patricia Bizzell's "contact…