The Politics of Race in Panama : Afro-Hispanic and West Indian Literary Discourses of Contention

“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. Black Panamanians, Unlike Other Aftro-latin Communities, Have Traditionally Separated Themselves Based On Ancestral Heritage: On One Hand Are Those Whose Ancestors Were Slaves During The Colonial Period; On The Other Are Those Whose Families Arrived From The West Indies To Help Build The Panama Railroad And Canal. In This Book, Watson Assesses How Panamanian Literature Represents This Historical And Continuing Tension. Introduction: Race, Language And National Identity In Afro-panamanian Literary Discourse -- National Rhetoric And Suppression Of Black Consciousness In Poems By Federico Escobar And Gaspar Octavio Hernández -- Anti-west Indianism And Anti-imperialism In Joaquín Beleño's Canal Zone Trilogy -- Revising The Canon : Historical Revisionism In Cubena's Trilogy -- West Indian/caribbean Consciousness In Works By Melva Lowe De Goodin, Gerardo Maloney, Carlos Wilson, And Carlos E. Russell -- Beyond Blackness? : New Generation Afro-panamanian Writers Melanie Taylor And Carlos Oriel Wynter Melo -- Conclusion: Forging Afro-panamanian Identity?. Sonja Stephenson Watson. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 161-170) And Index. Sonja Watson examines the writing of black Panamanian authors to reveal how race is defined, contested, and inscribed in Panama. She tells the story of two competing cultures: Afro-Hispanics whose ancestors came as slaves during the colonial period and West Indians whose families arrived more recently from English-speaking Caribbean countries to build the Panama Railroad and 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. The literature discussed in this book displays the cultural, racial, and national tensions that prevent these two groups from forging a shared Afro-Panamanian identity. The Politics of Race in Panama shows why ethnically diverse Afro-descendant populations continue to struggle to create racial unity in nations across Latin America.