Flores, Juan y George Yudice. Living Borders Buscando America Languages of Latino Self-formation. by Literatura de Fronteras

Living Borders/Buscando America: Languages of Latino Self-Formation Author(s): Juan Flores and George Yudice Reviewed work(s): Source: Social Text, No. 24 (1990), pp. 57-84 Published by: Duke University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/827827 . Accessed: 06/02/2013 14:37 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

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America: LivingBorders/Buscando LanguagesofLatinoSelf-formation JUANFLORES ANDGEORGE YUDICE 1 Latinosas a SocialMovement in school.In fact, didn'tgetspeciallanguageinstruction "Mygrandparents work had to fora living." finished never school because they they high ofbilingual Latinoshearthisandsimilarstatements everytimethequestion difference an important education comesup. Suchstatements highlight of interlingual of anotherlanguageand thedevelopment themaintenance this"new"immigrant forms-between groupandthe"older,""ethnic"imThefactis thatLatinos,thatveryheterogeneous medleyofraces, migrants. fromboththe"older"andthe"new" aredifferent classesandnationalities' evena relatively To beginwith,Latinosdo notcomprise ethnics.2 homogeU.S. citizens(predominantly Latinosincludenative-born neous"ethnicity." Chicanos -

Mexican-Americans -

and Nuyoricans -

"mainland"

of all racialand national PuertoRicans)and LatinAmerican immigrants a rangeof different white- including combinations: Europeannationalities - Native-American, black,Arabic,andAsian.It is thusa mistaketo "racialminority,"3 the although historically lumpthemall underthecategory andPuertoRicans ofMexican-Americans oflargenumbers U.S. experiences bothof thesegroups described are adequately Moreover, by thisconcept.4 -

unlikeany of the European immigrant groups -

constitute,withNa-

tive-Americans, "conquered minorities."' If notoutright conqueredpeoples,otherLatinAmericanimmigrants, inhabitants of the"backyard"over whichtheUnitedStates heretofore havemigrated claimstherightofmanifest hereforbothpolitical destiny, intheirhomeandeconomicreasons,inpartbecauseofU.S. intervention wholivedin New Yorkforoverone lands.FromthetimeofJoseMartf, thirdof his life duringthe 1880s and 1890s, slowlyestablishingthe fortheCubanindependence foundations to the1980ssanctumovement, inmovement for Central American U.S. actions refugees, ary (military cursionsas well as economicsanctions)in LatinAmericahave always LatinAmericanmigrations. The policiesofU.S. financeinstigenerated tutions(supported U.S. the and,at times,byitsmilitary), by government debttoLatinAmericaandwith havebrought enormous moreover, foreign it intolerable thathaveinducedmanyto seeka living austerity programs in theUnitedStates.6 57

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America Living BorderslBuscando

The resultis a U.S. Latinopopulationprojectedto be over30 million in 1990,a minority in thehistory oftheUnited population unprecedented States.Sheernumbers are in themselves influential butthewayin which thenumbers increaseis moreimportant: as a resultof continuous immigrationoverthelast 30 years,as well as thehistoricalback-and-forth ofMexican-Americans andPuertoRicansandmorerecently of migration othernationalgroups,Latinoshaveheldon to Spanishovermoregenerationsthatanyothergroupin history. 90% ofU.S. Latinos/ LatinAmericans speak Spanish.7In contrast, speakersof Italiandwindledby 94% fromthesecondto thethirdgeneration.8 The civil rightsmovement spurrednew formsof consciousnessand action Chicanos andNuyoricans. political among TheyandotherLatinos have beenable to use thelanguageissue as a meansto mediatediverse and social empowerment: typesof politicalenfranchisement votingreand so on. form, education, bilingual employment opportunities, In fact,the conditionsforidentity-formation, in all its dimensions and have been (social,political, especiallyaesthetic), largelyprovided by thestruggleoverhow to interpret languageneedsand theadjudication and legislation,on thatbasis,of civil rightsdirectedprimarily (butnot to Latinos. exclusively) In recognition of theseconditions, whichwerenotin place whenthe two majortrendsin ethnicity theory(the "meltingpot" of the early twentieth andthe"newethnicity" of the'50s and '60s) emerged, century we feelthatthereis greaterexplanatory powerin a "new social movement"approachto Latinoidentity. we refer By "newsocial movements" to thosestrugglesaroundquestionsof race, gender,environment, religion,and so on, whichcannotbe fullyencompassedundertherubricof class struggleand whichplay out theirdemandson theterrains of the body,sexuality,language,etc., thatis, thoseareas whichare socially constituted as comprising the"private"sphere.Thisis notto saythatthe to by referred inequalities(and causes rootedin relationsofproduction) class analysishavedisappeared. On thecontrary, fromtheperspective we intoall adoptsuchinequalities(andtheircauses)can be seentomultiply spheresoflife.Capitalistsocietydoes notcauseracismanymorethatnit does linguistic itdoes,however, makeall thesedifferences stratification; forthebenefitof hegemonicgroups.A social movement functional apas analyzehow proachdoes not so muchdisregardclass exploitation etc.aremobilizedthrough "both racism,sexism,linguistic stratification, discursivepositionsand controlof the meansof production and coercion."' Underthesecircumstances, politicalagencyis, accordingto StanleyAronowitz, constitutedin thegap betweenthepromisesof moderndemocratic society and its subversionby the various rightwingstates. Politics renewsitselfprimarilyin extra-parliamentary formswhich,given the still potenteffectivity of the modernstate form,if not its particular

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JuanFloresandGeorgeYudice

manifestations ofgovernance, drawssocial movements intoitsorbit. Somecall thiscooptation, butitis moreaccuratetounderstand it as a oflatecapitalprocessrelatedtotheeconomicandcultural hegemony ism,whichdrawstheexcludednotonlybyitsdreamwork,butbythe thatstilloccupiesitsownsubjects.10 politicalimaginary

is thatthey Whatis particularly different aboutthenewsocialmovements enterthepoliticalarenaby"address[ing] such poweritselfas anantagonist," thattheymustdeploytheirpracticesin theculturalas well as economic theconditions Latinos,then,we mustunderstand spheres.To understand which underwhichtheyenterthepoliticalarena.Amongtheseconditions, werenotinplacewhenthe"ethnic"(European) their immigrants negotia-ted in theU.S., arethewelfare to enfranchisement state(whichinpartbrought theforetheterrains of struggle arecurrently and whichneoconservatives ofrepresentation to dismantle) and thepermeation by theconattempting andthemedia. sumermarket In whatfollows,we explorehow Latino identityis mediatedand constructed overlanguageundersuch"postmodern" thestruggle through conditions. 2 TheStruggle OverLanguage Firstofall,thename,"America." from Edmundo O'Gorman's Extrapolating onthe"invention meditation ofAmerica,""11 wemight has saythat"America" beenconceivedoverandoveragainthroughout Thename"remains history. in thesame,"butithashadsuccessivereconceptualizations (it is rewritten theBorgesian sensethatPierreMenardrewrote Don Quixote)andwitheach onetheterrain ofLatinostotheUnited massmigration changes.Thecurrent Statesengenders sucha processofreconceptualization, tomindF. bringing J.Turner's notion ofAmerica as a moving frontier andgivingitanother twist Ifthe"discovery" so as toinvent a newtrope:Americaas a "livingborder." of"America"transformed on whoseothersidelay theoceanintoa frontier a "new" world,and if thatnew worldwas subsequently definedby the westward movement and capitalization of themargin, "the under-writing ormodernity a "'safetyvalve'for recordofsocialevolution",12 andproviding thediscontent ofa newindustrial ofEurolargelycomprised proletariat"'3 thenthelatestreconceptualization ofAmerica, peanimmigrants, byLatinos, is a culturalmap whichis all border,like theinter-lingual speech(or Spanglish)ofChicanosandNuyoricans. I [...] optfor"borderness" andassumemyrole:Mygeneration, the chilangos[slangtermfora Mexico Citynative],who came to "el ofMexnorte"fleeingtheimminent ecologicalandsocialcatastrophe ico City,graduallyintegrated itselfintootherness, in searchof that otherMexico graftedonto the entrailsof the et cetera...became Chicano-ized. Wede-Mexicanized ourselvestoMexi-understand ouron others And one selves,somewithout to, wanting purpose. day,the borderbecameourhouse,laboratory, andministry ofculture.14

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America Living Borders/lBuscando

Latino artistsand writersthrowback the anxietyof Contemporary ambivalencecastuponthemas an irresolvable ofnamingand perplexity of talks "this troubled continent called placing.G6mez-Pefla accidentally America"and "this troubledcountrymistakenly called America."s15 "AmeRican,"announcesTatoLavierain thetitlepoemof histhirdbook of Nuyoricanpoetry,"definingmyselfmyown way manywaysAm e Rfcan,withthebigR andtheaccenton thef."'6The hallowedmisnomer unleashestheartofbrazenneologism.Thearrogance ofpoliticalgeograin backfires theboundlessdefianceof culturalremapping. The imphy and re-signification. posed borderemergesas thelocus of re-definition The coverillustration of AmeRcan boastsa day-gloStatueof Liberty themajestictorchofcomidacriolla, holdingalofta hugepildnofliberty, and mole."English ajo y plbtano.Latinotastebudswaterwithmofongo onlyJambs!,""S61oingl6s,no way! Latinoaffirmation is firstofall a fending offofschizophrenia, ofthat pathologicaldualitybornof contendingculturalworldsand, perhaps moresignificantly, oftheconflicting towardbothexclusionand pressures forcedincorporation. AnotherNuyoricanpoet, SandraMaria Esteves, thematizes thisexistential splitin muchof herwork:"I am twoparts/a and personboricua/spic past presentalive and oppressed."' Esteves enactsthebewilderment, betweenunrealoptions dartingback and forth and stammering AmericanaBornin the tongues,"BeingPuertorriquefla Bronx,notreallyjfbaraNot reallyhablandobien But yet,not gringa Peroniportorra, tooPeronique whatamI?"'8 She either, perosi portorra cannot"really"be both,she realizes,butshe sensesa uniquebeautyin herstraddling intheassertion, whichis thetitle position,andis confident ofherpoem,thatshe is "NotNeither." to themonocultural dictatesoftheofficialpublicsphere,the Contrary borderclaimsthatit is "notnowhere." ThisfirstgestusofLatinocultural thus involves an a negationof hegepractice emphaticself-legitimation, monicdenialarticulated as therejectionofanonymity. Thoughno approin is name available the standardlanguagerepertoires, whether priate is decidedlynotan option.Whatever Englishor Spanish,namelessness the shortcomings and misconceptions of bureaucratic albilingualism, is neither thepracticed outcomeofLatino inguality realitynora potential life.Theinterlingual, bordervoicecharacteristically summons expressive the tonalityof therelegated"private"sphereto counterthe muzzling pressureofofficialpubliclegitimation. The tropeofa bordercultureis notthussimplyanotherexpressionof postmodernaesthetic indeterminacy, along the lines of Derrida's decontextualized frameorparergon, "theincomprehensibility of theborder at the border,'9or a Baudrillardian simulacrum (neithercopy nor The tropeemerges,rather, fromthewaysin whichLatinos original).20 to an ethosunder deploytheirlanguagein everydaylife.It corresponds

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JuanFloresandGeorgeYudice

ofLatinoidentity. And thanrepresentation itispracticerather formation; thatLatinoswage theirculturalpoliticsas a "social it is on thisterrain tobe separatefrom do notpretend As such,Latinoaesthetics movement." an of an ethos whichseeksto but rather integralpart practices everyday Andit is be politicizedas a meansto validationand self-determination. at and intothe of ethos into the culture this the large precisely projection culture with loss of arena which the dominant threatens "Anglo" political voicesof borders.As theshrillest controlofitsphysicalandmetaphorical movement have putit,suchLatinolanguageand cultheEnglish-Only Latinodisregard nationalunityandsecurity.21 for turalpracticesthreaten oftheUnitedStatesintoa "ourborders"mayresultin thetransformation nation."22 "mongrel Thereare misguidedpersons,specificallyHispanicimmigrants, who would who have chosento come hereto enjoyour freedoms, and as another co-legalwith language,Spanish, co-equal legislate English...If Hispanicsgettheirway,perhapssomedaySpanishcould we oughtto remindthem,andbetterstill replaceEnglishentirely.... nation. educatethemtothefactthattheUnitedStatesis nota mongrel

"an automaticsignaling Languagehas been accuratelycharacterized in race forpossibleprivilegeor second to targets only identifying system, the discourse the discrimination."23 against languageof Latinos Unpack and you'vegota panoplyofracistand classistrepudiations: willremain ofthat which Thesechildren [ofillegal aliens] part population andthreatens a bilingual neverlearnsEnglish, to makeAmerica country,

ofdollars. theAmerican billions costing taxpayer unskilled when willnothelppoor, find Tokencitizenship Hispanics they ina permanent isolated barrier. themselves The underclass, bya language hereinthefirst todespair as they them hopesthat brought placewillturn handouts.... become dependent government upon haspresented theindigenous ofMexico with anopen Congress population invitation towalkacross ourSouthern Border....24

Language,then,is thenecessaryterrainon whichLatinosnegotiate to reshapetheinstitutions value and attempt whichit is distribthrough uted.This is notto say thatLatinoidentity is reducedto its linguistic dimensions. of theUnited Rather,in thecurrent sociopoliticalstructure States,such mattersrootedin the"privatesphere,"like language(for Latinosandotherminorities), sexuality, body,and familydefinition (for womenandgaysandlesbians),etc.,becomethesemioticmaterialaround whichidentity is deployedin the"publicsphere."The purposealways or to negotiate seemstobe to maintain of those empowerment hegemony groupswhichhavebeendiscriminated againston suchbases. The attackon theperceivedlinguistic practicesofLatinosis a vehicle forattackson immigration, bilingualeducation,inclusionof Latinosin theservicesofthewelfarestate,andaboveall, a repudiation oftheeffect

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America Living BorderslBuscando

such thatLatinosare havingin reshapingU.S. culture.Furthermore, theinfluence thatthedominant attackshighlight groupsintheU.S. expect harbors thefearthatU.S. Latinostohaveon foreign policy.Theirrhetoric in LatinAmericancountriesis boomeranging and eroding imperialism U.S. hegemony. of The languagequestionthenis a smokescreenforthescapegoating Latinoson accountof recenteconomic,social and politicalsetbacksfor looksto theclaimsofLatinosand theUnitedStates."Angloinsecurity" fortheerosionof theUnitedStates'posiotherminority constituencies in theeconomy,and thebleak tionin worldleadership,the downturn forthenextgeneration."In fact,nowthat prospectsforsocial mobility seemsno longerable to projecta global dominant U.S. nationalrhetoric communist bogey,onaccountofpoliticalchangesintheSovietUnionand consolidateits weapons EasternEurope,thisrhetoricwill increasingly enemywithin.The War on againstLatinosas the drug-disseminating becomea Waron LatinosandLatinAmericans, Drugswill increasingly Furtheras therecentbrutalU.S. invasionof Panamahas demonstrated. in LatinAmericawill increaseas "thePentagon more,U.S. intervention searchesfornewwaysto helpjustifyitsspending plans."26 PublicSphere(VersusHegemonic 3 Towarda Multicultural Pluralism) U.S. reactionto thespeciallanguageneedsthat The effectof dominant Latinosprojectand therightsthattheyclaimon thatbasis has been to themovestowardunityon thepartofdiverseLatinocommunistrengthen as race,class,andnational factors dividedbysuchidentity ties.Otherwise in post-civil-rights reasons and social there are economic, political origin, andtrans-national defined national a broadly U.S. whyLatinoscanconstitute "America"inmulticultural and whichaspirestoreconceptualize federation ofcultural Itis fiction terms thatrefusetherelativist multicentric pluralism. ofidentity tolookatLatinonegotiation forthisreasonthatwehaveproposed a than rather froma social movement (liberal-sociological) perspective ethnicity paradigm. in the ofethnicity theorists It is a commonplace amongcontemporary half of the first or "melting U.S. thattheassimilationalist pot"paradigm of the century"failedto explainwhatit mostneededand wantedto The "newethnicity" ofracialstratification...."27 explain-thepersistence of assimilationtheory the failure to which remedy emerged paradigm, and,as we statedabove,to counterthegainsmadeby blacksand other in thewakeof civilrightsactivism,makesthebasic "racialminorities" claim that ethnicitybecomes the category around which interestsare negotiatedwhen class loses its mooringsin postindustrialsociety. The "new ethnicity"can be understoodto formpart of what Habermas has posited as a "neoconservativepostmodernism,"thatis, the rejectionof "culturalmodernism,"because it has erodedtraditionalmoralvalues, and

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JuanFloresandGeorgeYudice

the continuedespousalof infrastructural or capitalismcum modernity technicalprogress andrationaladministration.8 Thefalsepremiseofthis of course,is thattheeconomycan be independent of culture; argument, thistheorythusservesthe purposeof providinga cultural(or ethnic) politicsin postindustrial societywithno needto resortto economically based categoriessuchas class: "In trying to accountfortheupsurgeof one can see this as ethnicity today, ethnicity theemergent expressionof GY & JF],longsuppressed primordial feelings[or"reenchantment," but nowreawakened, oras a 'strategic site'chosenbydisadvantaged persons as a newmodeofseekingpoliticalredressin thesociety.""29 Thefalsityof themodel,of course,is thatblacksand other"racialminorities" can be The resultis reinforcement of equated withwhite"ethnic"groups.30 terms.31 existingclass inequalitiesexpressedin ethnic/racial "Racial" movements couldbe understood to be thefirstof the"new social movements" or"newantagonisms" thatcall intoquestionforms of subordination andconsumer commodification of"pri(bureaucratization vate"life) in thepostWorldWarII U.S. Theydo not,however, retreat from"culturalmodernism"32 moralvalues (the erosionof traditional extend butrather undergirded byclass,race,andgenderdiscriminations) it to thepointof questioning "infrastructural modernism." Amongthe theadjudicationand legislationof challengesis thepushto legitimate rightson thebasis of groupneedratherthatthepossessiveindividualist termsthattraditionally definerightsdiscourse.33 "New ethnicity" theory is onlyone of a panoplyof strategies have by whichneoconservatives soughtto contesttheextensionof rightson thebasis of groupcriteria action,headstart and (affirmative anti-discrimination programs, statutes, so on). The resulthas been theacknowledgedloss of foundations for rightsand theshiftto a paradigmof interpretability. Grouprightsmust take place, then,in a surrogateterrain,like languageor the family. Accordingto Minow, Onepredictable kindofstruggle intheUnited Statesarisesamong of religiousand ethnicgroups.Here,thedominant legal framework forit does not easily accommodate rightsrhetoricis problematic, forexample,typically individual groups.Religiousfreedom, protects freedom fromstateauthority or fromoppressionby privategroups. Ethnicgroupslackeventhatentry pointintoconstitutional protection, exceptinsofaras individuals maymakechoicesto speakor assemble in relationto a chosengroupidentity.34

Iftheframework ofrights is animpoverished oneforthestruggles ofthenew socialmovements, thenwhathasbeenthemeanstogreater politicalparticihasbeentoengageinthestruggle pation?Onealternative ofneedsinterpretations.Accordingto Nancy Fraser,"political issues concerningthe of people'sneeds[aretranslated] intolegal,administrative, interpretation and/or to theidentificatory therapeutic differentially according matters,"3s features andso on) ofthegroup. (race,class,gender, religion,

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America Living BorderslBuscando

Frasergoes on to arguethatin each branch(juridical,administrative, of the late capitalistwelfarestate,thereare genderand therapeutic) suchthatcertaingendersandracesareposiraciallydefinedsubsystems forbenefits as regardspossessionofrights oreligibility tioneddifferently and services.36 The struggle aroundneeds,then,is moretypicalof those groupsthatare socially"marked."37 is at workin thestruggleoverLatino language Such "markedness" of theneedforspecial needs;it was onlyby arguingforthelegitimacy languageeducationthattheBilingualEducationActof 1968 was legisAnditis aroundthis"need"thatdominant latedas a civilright.38 groups forbilingual havelaunchedtheircounter-attack. Someof thearguments educationposita needfora positiveself-image premisedon thevalidation of the motherlanguageand the cultureof the minority student. that dominant insist However,based on instrumental groups rationality, theneedofimmigrant societyand groupsis toassimilateintomainstream thatneedbe providedis special thustheonlyspecialeducationalbenefit instruction. English andbiculturalism were bilingualism DuringtheCarteradministration, weakenedbya newbilingualeducationlaw (1978) whichlimitedaccess and requiredteachersto knowEnglishas wellas to bilingualprograms for tobe "a strategy A 1979 study"exposed"bilingualprograms Spanish. of the and economic the social, Hispanic aspirations political, realizing peoples."39Carterhimselfsaid: "I wantlanguagetaught-not'ethnic' etc.",,4 culture, forand againstbilingualeducationaside,ourpointis that Arguments thiscase aroundtheneed for thestruggleoverneedsinterpretions-in conjuncture speciallanguageeducation-iswhatin thepresenthistorical and ofvaluepolitically, in theU.S. mediatesaccumulation economically, gains(theyhaveprofessocially.Latinos,afterall, havemadesignificant sionalized)in theeducationalsystembecausetheycan moreeasilyqual(Spanishlanguageliteracy)of bilingual ify for thejob requirements on education.Language,as we shalldemonstrate below,is also theterrain self-formative ofexistence"oraffirmative whichLatino"aesthetics practicesoperate. Accordingto Habermas,oppositional,resistingdiscoursesemerge ofan whenthevalidityoflegal normsis questionedfromtheperspective mechthe to be refuses that "steering by depoliticized everyday practice andconsumerism."4 anisms"of law,bureaucracy, Throughsuchresistant to reshapingthe public everydaypractices,Latinos have contributed moreexacttosaythey would be it Or of American society. perhaps sphere "socialsphere"which ofa contestatory totheemergence havecontributed becauseneeds"havebrokenoutofthe blursthepublic/private dichotomy officialeconomicspheresthatearliercontainedthemas domesticand/or is to 'privatematters'."4Anotherway of conceivingthiscontestation

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JuanFloresandGeorgeYudice

of conflicting and alliedpublicspheres. imaginesocial space as networks ofone,is "public"orpolitical from as "private" thepurview Whatis defined ofanother. fromthepurview of identity as a contribuThe relevanceof castingLatinonegotiation can be outby tionto thecreationof an alternative publicsphere brought it and Alexander within Oskar Kluge's expandedunderNegt situating do not limit it to of the 1) theinstitutional settings standing concept.They of public opinion(media,parliaments, etc.) but extendit to 2) "the ideationalsubstancethatis processedand producedwithinthesesites," or "drivetowardselfand 3) "a generalhorizonof social experience,"43 and self-reconstruction" formation (in the collectivesense of "self") whichis limitedorcrippledbythefirstsense." Analternative modelcan on "behavioralideology"and theconbe culledfromBakhtin'swritings ofspeechgenres.Ideologstitution ofidentity thereaccentuation through ical or discursiveproductionis institutionally boundbut is generally force)open to modulation (exceptin cases of outright whereby persons "authorthemselves"or make discourse"one's own" in the mediaof Ourutterances arenecessarily enunciated speechandbehavioralgenres.45 and organizedwithinsuchgenres,whichbearinstitutional marks.Selfformation is simultaneously personaland social (or privateand public) becausetheutterances andactsthrough whichwe experience orgainour in relationto howgenreshaveinstitutionare reaccentuated self-images factorssuchas race, ally been madesensitiveor responsiveto identity gender,class,religion,and so on. In postmodernity, factorsor subjectpositionsmay "private"identity becomeunmoored frominstitutionally boundgenericstructures, turning forthesubstanceof thepublic "intimacy[...] thepracticaltouchstone sphere."46 Experience,situatedthus,is whatfuelstheutopianand conpotentialofself-formation: testatory Whatis evenmoresignificant is thatsubjectiveor psychological are now seen and phenomena increasingly as havingepistemological evenpracticalfunctions. Fantasyis no longerfelttobe a privateand reactionagainstpublicsituations, butrathera wayof compensatory ofthinking andmapping ofintervening them, readingthosesituations, in them,albeitin a verydifferent formfromtheabstract reflections of traditional orpolitics.47 philosophy Alternative situatedknowledges,are,for publicspheres,withtheirdifferent, and constituted the conflictual back and forthcrossoverof Kluge, Negt by and over the boundaries of the hegemonic everydayexperience fantasy public sphere.48 On theotherhand,the hegemonicpublic sphereitself"triesto develop techniquesto reincorporatefantasyin domesticatedform."This is precisely the functionof "new ethnicity"theory:to coopt the alternative public sphereof a multiculturalsociety in such a way thatethnicdiffer-

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Borders/Buscando America Living

enceis reducedtoitssuperficial signs,orfromNegtandKluge'sperspecofthe"unconscious ofalienation"50 tive,a sublimation practicalcriticism OfCrossover RichardRodriguez's 4. BowingtoProspero: Reprivatization Experiences tochannelthe"crossover" toward Thereis nobetter exampleoftheattempt thanRichardRodriguez's "middleclasspastoral": Hunan ersatzpluralism TheEducationofRichardRodriguez.51 It is thestoryofa gerofMemory: nowinfluential (as oppressed identity "public"manwhotradedhisformer his authorities class Chicano),his former (his parents), symbolic working tothegringomiddleclassunder former language(Spanish)byassimilating menandintellectual ofnewsymbolic authorities thetutelage (histeachers tors,especiallyRichardHoggart).His life readslike an advertisement education; languageoftheethnic, Spanishis the"private" againstbilingual Englishthe"public"languageofempowerment: likememissa great that students ofbilingual education today imply Supporters dealbynotbeingtaught intheir Whattheyseemnotto family's language. tobe I considered isthat, as a socially child, Spanish recognize disadvantaged a private WhatI neededto learnin schoolwas thatI hadthe language. oflosgringos. The theobligation--to speakthepubliclanguage right--and inthe classmates couldhavebecome isthat oddtruth bilingual, myfirst-grade beentaught moreeasilythanI. Hadthey senseofthat conventional word, (as second a are often children like language early) taught upper-middle-class another itsimply as that: couldhaveregarded orFrench, public they Spanish so quickly been could have not such In case bilingualism language. my WhatI didnotbelievewas thatI couldspeaka singlepublic achieved. language.... What abouttheir wereunsentimental responsibility. Fortunately, myteachers tospeaka publiclanguage....52 I needed wasthat understood they

the"priThis passageconcealsa romanticized projectionconcerning could that for of clearly recognizes Spanish Rodriguez vacy" Spanish, also be a "public"language.He makesthisrecognition onlyto discardit statuscouldnotlet himaspireto an on thebasis thathis disadvantaged It in alternative publicity Spanish. is his own rejectedsentimentalism towardSpanish,then,whichlies at therootof thebad faithwhichhe andotherswhoseektokeep,cultivateor tobilingualeducators attributes alternative inventLatinocultureand languageas a competing, public netaroundthat and tighter discourse.Instead,Rodriguezdrawsa tighter whichhe (and thedominantculture)has definedas privateuntilit is interlocoutofexistenceandhe emergesas hisownabstracted strangled another's.Silent!The utor:"I hearan echoingvoice-my ownresembling reader'svoice silentlytrailseverywordI putdown.I rereadmywords, andagainitis thereader'svoiceI hearinmymind,sounding myprose."53 but thesymbolicOther(thelaw of theAnglo Who is thisinterlocutor afterhis linguisticand fatheror teacher)withwhomhe has identified cultural"castration":

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JuanFloresandGeorgeYudice

I writetodayfora readerwho existsin mymindonlyphantasmagorically. Someonewitha faceerased;someoneofno particular raceor sex or age or A graypresence.Unknown, weather. unfamiliar. AllthatI knowis thathehas had a long educationand thathis society,like mine,is oftenpublic (un

gringo).54

Regardingthe "castration"metaphor(whichmarksthe momentof entryintothe"public"realmof thesymbolic),it shouldbe remembered thatRodriguezhas symbolically renouncedhisChicanonessby attemptingto shaveoffthedarknessof hisskin: razor outofthemedicine I tookmyfather's with cabinet. Slowly, straight itas closeas I I putthebladeagainst deliberatness, myflesh,pressed steady

could without andmoveditup anddownacrossmyskinto see ifI cutting, couldgetout,somehowlessen,thedark.55

hispublicidentity hasmade Attheendofthissamechapter ("Complexion"), his skincolormeaningless. It is thevaluethathe has gainedas a public hiscomplexion's individual (ungringo)whichcontextualizes meaning: ifI havejustbeentoSwitzerland. Theregistration clerkinLondonwonders

theCaribbean. Andthe manwhocarries inNewYork guesses My myluggage a mark becomes ofmyleisure. Yetnoonewould complexion regard my

theservice thesamewayifI entered suchhotels entrance. complexion through

Thatis onlytosaythat assumes itssignificance from the mycomplexion context ofmylife.My skin,initself, meansnothing.56

After thisthought, returns toconsider lospobresmexicanos with Rodriguez whomhehasworked Theirskincolorsignifies disadvanthesummer. during silencetohim:"Theirsilenceis moretelling. tage,itspeakstheir"private" alien." Theylacka publicidentity. Theyremain profoundly whowouldlike This is surelya comforting forconservatives thought to see all entitlements forLatinos removed.They need not fearthe of boundariesbetweenpublicand private.Rodriguezcharges blurring thatit is theadvocatesofbilingualeducationandminority compensation whohavesold theiridentity tobureaucratic policymakers: The policyof affirmative action,however,was neverable to distinguish someonelike me ( a graduatestudentof English,ambitiousfora college educatedMexican-American wholivedin a teachingcareer)froma slightly barrioand workedas a meniallaborer,neverexpectinga future improved. actionmademethebeneficiary ofhiscondition. Suchwas Worse,affirmative thefoolishlogicofthisprogram ofsocialreform.

Yet itis hewhohascashedin on hislegitimation ofmiddle-class privilege. The ironyis thatdespitehisdisavowalofChicanoor minority he is status, read,thatis, his book is assignedin numerous collegeEnglishcourses preciselybecause he reassures"anguishedAnglos" thatthe"latinizationof Americawill,in time,lead to Hispanicintegration."58 He has spokenagainst actionfromReagan's WhiteHouse and bilingualeducationand affirmative has donequitewell on thecollege lecturecircuitas Prospero'stamedservant

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Borders/B uscando America Living

turnofeventsfora bookthatbeginsthus:"I havetakenCaliban's (a nifty advice.I havestolentheirbooks.I willhavetherunofthisisle.").59 It is no merecoincidencethatRodriguezis one of onlytwoLatino writers(the otheris Luis Valdez) cited by WernerSollors in Beyond forhe fitsthe Consentand Descent in AmericanCulture,60 Ethnicity. refurbished rhetoric endemicto the"ethnicity viz. thenegotiparadigm": andcultural "Thelanguageofconsentand ationofassimilation pluralism. descenthas been flexiblyadaptedto createa sense of Americanness inhabitants ofthiscountry."6' BothSollorsand amongtheheterogeneous thisdynamicofconsentanddescentfrom Rodriguezcoincidein deriving thePuritans tothemostrecentimmigrants. SollorsquotesTimothy Smith to theeffectthattheprocessofimmigration reset(uprooting, migration, forthePuritans constituted a transcendent tlement, community-building) This process, experiencethatlaid thebasis of Americanethnicization. immiaccordingto Smithand Sollors, even includesAfro-American And theliterature thatit, theethnicization grants!62 process,provides, for"socializationintothe functions as a "handbook"or a "grammar" codesofAmericanness."63 A Worldof Rodriguez,in a recentThe New YorkTimessupplement, to consumerism first to the school and then appeals grammar Difference, thatconstitutes forthe"handbook"thatcan harmonize thediversity the UnitedStates: school.Andfromtheschoolmarm's Languageis thelessonof thegrammar camethepossiblity of a sharedhistory achievement anda sharedfuture.... At thebankorbehindthecounteratMcDonald's,or in theswitchroomof the telephone company, peoplefromdifferent partsoftownanddifferent partsof thecountry, anddifferent countries oftheworldlearnthattheyhaveonething a punchclock.A supervisor. or another incommon.Initially, A paycheck.A sharedirony.A takeout lunch.Somenachos,somebagels,a gzza. Andhere's arechanged. a fortune cookieforyou:Two in theirmeeting

OfLatinoMarketAndMedia 5 Crossing OverTheContradictions forceof abouttheintegrative correct, however, Rodriguezis notentirely "Americans." DiverseLatinocomassimilated forproducing consumerism ofthe100+ andmediacourting unitedbymarket munities arealso partially billionsof dollarsthatthe30+ millionsof Latinosoffer.One advertising is veryyoungandvery, reads:"[O]urmarket agency'spitchto businesses oftheAnglomarket."65 You don'thavetheclutter verysensitive. Language, again, is the terrainon whichthe heterogeneousconstitutencies of Latinosare ralliednot only as consumersbut also as culturalsubjects.Thisis certainly a majorfactorwhichwas notin place whentheoriesof ethnicity weredevisedto accountfortheincorporation of the"older"immigrants intoU.S. society.Languageis themajorculturalglue providedby SpanishTelevision.Two of themajornetworks,

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JuanFloresandGeorgeYudice

and unifying thetransnational charUnivisionandTelemundo, highlight acterof theirprogramming. Indeed,Telemundo'ssloganis: "Telemundo: uniendoa los hispanos." mediahavenotjoinedthe andthecommercial ofmarketing Strategists nor seem to sharetheanxietiesover do movement, they EnglishOnly or contamination whichpropelit. Rather,thecorculturalbalkanization realityas sphere"has availeditselfofthemulticultural porate"publicity andtastecultures. markets a wayoftargeting consumer Thoughfortheir reachout to the"Hispanic"market own interested motives,advertisers to fortheculture,withspecial attention withcampaignscustom-made and side and to the life, up-beat, success-story holidays,family religious to salute of Latinoexperience.Citibank,forexample,makesan effort who those businessmen, "got help along Hispanic especially prominent runs thewayfromCitibank.One ownsa chainoftravelagencies;another six McDonald's franchises."They claim withpride that,worldwide, Citibank"employsmoreHispanicsanddoes morebusinesswithHispanics thananyotherbank."66Pan Amhas evenadapteditsjingles - "itis "so we a verymusicalmarket"- toappealto its"Hispanic"customers, and woodwind retainedthethemebutaddeda Latinfeelwithpercussion instruments."67

inthisethnically The Spanishlanguage,ofcourse,figures prominently in Whilemanycampaignsarerendered tailoredpublicity. simultaneously is notenough.Hereagain recognizethattranslation Spanish,advertisers tookpains,and the"Latinfeel"playsa keyrole.PepsiCola, forinstance, advice fromtheir"Hispanic"marketing agency,to adapt theirslogan "CatchthatPepsispirit": If we had putthatstraightaway intoSpanish,viewerswouldhave considered itvoodoo,something abouta spiritflyingthrough theair. So we changedit toread,'Viveel sentirde Pepsi.'Thatmeans,Live thatPepsifeeling.That'swhattheEnglishsloganintendstosay,but ofthemarket toputit across.68 youhavetoknowtheidiosyncrasies

in Spanishthespiritof the Citibankgoes evenfurther; beyondcapturing tothebilingual Englishcopy,theyresort puntocatchthesympathetic giggle of potential customers andmakethemfeelincluded."We'regoingtoplay on thelanguagehere,"theirspokesman atCastorSpanishInternational says, see-tee-bank "tellingthemthat'We alwayssaysi at Citibank'(pronounced in Spanish)."69 thispracticeoflinguistic andculturaladaptation on thepart Ironically, of commercialpublicityis moresuggestivethanthetraditional public sphereof Latinoexpression,especiallythosedimensionsof it thatgo beyondmereresponsesto hegemonic negation.As publicityagentssug"When The idea of isn't enough,try'trans-creation'." translation gest, term fortheadvertisers a gimmicky aimedat maximiz"trans-creation," in differentiated consumer ingspecificity targeting publics,is appealing

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America LivingBorders/Buscando

andaptas a characterization ofbordercultureexpression andself-definition.As one "Hispanic"mediaexecutiveputsit,the"properexecution" calls fora senseof"thefamiliar reflectSpanishpatoisofthecommunity, wordsandmeanings, butalso differences ofrhythm ingnotonlydifferent ofspeechandinflection." Latinoartistsandpoetsalso needto"trans-create" in thissense,at leastat a tacticallevel,as does thewiderChicano in its everydayspeechand expressivepracand Nuyoricancommunity tices.In orderto vocalizetheborder, itis notenough;we must traversing be positionedthere,withreadyandsimultaneous access to bothsides. the between these two otherwisedivergent Perhaps commonality worldsis the issue of needs. The advertiserbenton "reaching"and and theLatinoculturalagentwhowould "selling"theHispanicmarket, voice and envisionthepeople's life-world, bothinhabita publicsphere conceivedofas thearenaforthearticulation andsatisfaction ofcollective needs.Beyondthecontention overrightsand policies,theforceof conin itsbroadestsense,holdsswayin thecultureof understood sumption, auexperience.Here theprivatesphere,ratherthanbeingcategorically informs thepublicand evenfuelsthedriveforsocial legititonomized, mation."Trans-creation," whetherfromcommercialor expressiveand serves to counteractthe reductionof social motives, representational to the dominion of laws andconsensualethicalnorms. experience Such "crossovers"are a realitytoday,rootedin thebilingualism and biculturalism ofLatinos.Manycriticshavecorrectly pointedto theerosionandmisrepresentation culturalforms bythemassmediaoftraditional and experience.Butthemarketand themediaare nottheonlyforcesin withotherfactorssuchas statebureaucratic societyandtheirinteraction and social can have consequencesthatgo law, institutions, apparatuses, the of "colonization" the Latinolifeworld. For exambeyond simplistic in the the contradiction created dominant classes treatple, bydivergent mentofLatinolanguagepractices(oppositionin the"social" sphereand enthusiastic acceptanceand applicationin thecommercialsphere)has openedup a space in whichLatinosnegotiatenew culturalformsthat impactuponthecultureat large. as itis,evenCoors'turntoSpanishlanguageadvertising Compromised to undothenegativeeffects ofitshiringpolicieswithregardtoLatinos,70 theextentto whichconsumerism demonstrates blurstheculturalboundaries whichso threaten dominantnon-Latinogroups.Those dominant groupswhichfearthe"threat"of Latinizationof U.S. culture,if also ownersof businessesor directors of social andpoliticalinstitutions that fromLatinopatronage, couldprofit oftenfindthemselves havingtocater to theneedsinterpretations of Latinos.The hysterical objectionsmade againstthe public reach of Latino ethos throughmarketand media, tothe objectionssimilarto thoseagainstbilingualeducation, onlytestify ofLatinoinfluence: pervasiveness

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JuanFloresandGeorgeYudice

Freedomof speech is not unlimited.As JusticeBrandeishas pointedout,no oneis freetoshout"fire"ina crowdedtheater. Speech and information are oftencurtailedin matters relatingto national forexample.Cutting offAmerican citizensfromsourcesof security, information in thelanguageof theircountry, fostering languagesegthe regationvia theairwaves,thesearemajorproblemsthatwarrant we the of radio steps propose[i.e.,limiting growth Spanish-language stations].

notonly Latinoexperiencein theU.S. has beena continual crossover, acrossgeopoliticalbordersbutacrossall kindsof culturaland political forexample,is necessarily boundaries. Politicalorganization, coalitional; in ordertohavean impactLatinoshaveformed alliancestoelectofficials who will represent thesixtiesand seventies, theirinterests. Throughout Latinosformedor reformed dozensof nationallobbyingorganizations. in theirlobbyingefforts are counterarguments againstdisUppermost criminatory practicesin immigration, hiringand educationalpolicies, in LatinAmerica,especiallyCenintervention oppositionto government of languageissues.It shouldbe tralAmerica,and,ofcourse,promotion addedthatLatinosof all backrounds (withonlythepartialexceptionof in thesoliare assiduoussupporters and participants Cuban-Americans) These forums are movements. beand veryimportant darity sanctuary as women's cause theyexerta progressive influence, especially regards issueslikeabortion, on groupsthathavea conservative culturalheritage. in theseactivinvolved the and crossover cultural Furthermore, political to the of alternative itiescontributes creation publicspheresintheUnited States. Crossoverdoes notmeanthatLatinosseekwillynillyto "makeit" in the politicaland commercialspheresof the generalculture.Theyare thatcrossoverin vehicleswhichLatinosuse tocreatenewculturalforms bothdirections. ThemusicofWillieColon,Rub6nBlades,andotherU.S. basedLatinoandLatinAmerican fusionof musiciansis a newpan-Latino forms(Cubanguaguancos,PuertoRicanplenas,DominLatin-American ican merengues,Mexican rancheras, Argentine tangos, Colombian

andU.S. pop,jazz, rock,evendo-wop,around cumbias,barriodrumming) a salsa base of Caribbeanrhythms, Cubanson. Salsa cuts particulalry acrossall socialclassesandLatinogroupswhoresideinNewYork,home in thebarrios,itmadeitswayto groundofthisfusionmusic.Originating "downtown" clubsandacrossbordersto thediverseaudienceoftheLatin Americansubcontinent. The crossovershave resultedin a convergence otherthanitsmalleability whichdoesnotrepresent phenomenon anything and openness to incorporation.72 Salsa, perhapsbetterthananyotherculturalform,expressestheLatino ethosof multiculturalism and crossingborders.WillyColon, forexample, became a salsero preciselyto forgea new "American"identity:

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America BorderslBuscando Living

Now look at my case; I'm Puerto Rican and I consider myself PuertoRican. But whenI go to theisland I'm somethingelse to them. And in New York,whenI had to get documents,I was always asked: "Whereare you from?""I'm American."Yeah, butfromwhere?"They led me to believe thatI wasn't fromAmerica,even thoughI have an American birth certificate and citizenship... I live between both worlds but I also had to find my roots and that's why I got into salsa.71

themfromtheheterogeFindingone's "roots"insalsameansmorecreating thebarriothangoingback to someplace that neoussoundsthattraverse and themeansto Salsa is thesalsero'shomeland guarantees authenticity. self-validation.74 salsa has not and certainminorbreakthroughs, Despiteitspopularity and enin U.S. culture. artists "made it" mainstream Latino (yet?) form own an have had their alternative to labels, recording trepeneurs industry. Only in recentyears,especiallywiththe impetusof Ruben Blades' thematization of"crossingover"inthefilm"CrossoverDreams," notonlytakenonsalserosonnational hasthedominant industry recording is labels(Blades' Aguade Luna,basedon thestoriesofGarciaMArquez, thealternathemnationally. on Elektra)butalso marketed Furthermore, tivepublicspheresof contemporary rock,suchas "Rock AgainstRacof such"mainstream" ism,"havebeen openedup by thecollaborations musiciansas the Rolling Stones,David Byrneand Paul Simonwith salseros,ChicanorockerslikeLos Lobos,and LatinAmericanstarslike MiltonNascimentoand Caetano Veloso.7 Hip Hop has also brought Americans.76 Latinos,andAfro-Latin Afro-Americans, together A Multicultural America 6 Trans-creating whichhe effective Rub6nBlades has insistedthata culturally crossover, into or "abandonment is not about call to sneaking "convergence," prefers Let's meethalf I propose,rather, someoneelse's territory. convergence. Attheendoftheinterview waytogether.""77 way,andthenwecanwalkeither headdsthathedoes"notneeda visa"forthemusicalfusionwhichheseeks. inthecreation of butrather He doesnotwant"tobe inAmerica" participate a new America.The lyricsof the titlepiece of his BuscandoAmerica 1984)makethispoint: (Elektra/Asylum, EstoybuscandoAmerica, Estoy lamandoAmerica, luchandoporla raza identidad. y nuestra buscando Am6rica, Estoy Estaes micasa, EstoyIlamandoAmerica y vamosa encontrarte

I'm searching forAmerica, I'm callingforAmerica, forourpeople Struggling andouridentity. forAmerica, I'm searching Thisis myhome, I'm callingforAmerica andwe'regoingtofindyou

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JuanFloresandGeorgeYudice entreestaoscuridad. EstoybuscandoAm&ica, EstoyIlamandoAmerica, Te handesaparecido Los que nieganla verdad. EstoybuscandoAmerica, EstoyIlamandoAmerica, y a nosotrosnos toca, en libertad. hoyponerte

73 in all thisdarkness. I'm searching forAmerica, I'm callingforAmerica, Thosewhodenythetruth havedisappeared you. I'm searching forAmerica, I'm callingforAmerica, It's up tous today togiveyouyourfreedom.

Latinos,then,do notaspireto enteran alreadygivenAmericabutto in theconstruction of a newhegemony dependent upontheir participate culturalpracticesand discourses.As arguedabove, the struggleover languagesignalsthisdesireand theoppositionto itbydominant groups. in achievinga This view of language,and its strategicoperationality senseofself-worth, is theorganizing focusofGloriaAnzalddia's Borderis twinskinto lands/LaFrontera.TheNew Mestiza.78 "Ethnicidentity linguistic identity-Iammylanguage.UntilI takeprideinmylanguage, I cannottakepridein myself.""Like Rond6n'sarguments aboutsalsa,80 homelandin which the languageof the new mestizais the migratory downtheunitary creativemotion[...] keepsbreaking "continual aspectof thatherprojectionof a each newparadigm."81 acknowledges Anzaldtia fromtheperspective "newmestizaconsciousness" mayseemcultureless of "male-derived and Anglos;"forher,on the beliefsof Indo-Hispanics sheis contrary, participatingin the creationof yet anotherculture,a new storyto explain theworld and our participationin it, a new value systemwith images and symbolsthatconnectus to each otherand to theplanet.82

Another wayofconstructing Anzaldiia'smestizapoeticsis as follows: all culturalgroupsneeda senseof worthin orderto survive.Self-deterwhichin thiscase focuseson linguisticself-determination, is mination, the categoryaroundwhichsuch a need shouldbe adjudicatedand/or however, legislatedas a civilright.In orderforthisrightto be effective, itwouldhavetoalterthenature[or,tobe moreexact,thesocialrelations] of civilsociety. Such a claim,constructed in thisway,onlymakessense in a social structure thathas shiftedthegroundsforenfranchisement fromone of thatunderpin suchdiscourse.What rightsdiscourseto theinterpretations is thejustification, Ourclaimis that however,forneedsinterpretation? the stuff the "ethical substance,"in Foucault's groupethos, (or very of is what terminology)83self-formation, groundstheintercontingently of a as so need that it can be pretation legitimate adjudicatedorlegislated as a right.Anotherclaimis thatgroupethosis constituted by everyday aestheticpracticessuch as the creativelinguisticpracticesof Latinos whichin thecurrent do notamountto subalternity, historical conjuncture

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America LivingBorders/Buscando

but ratherto a way of pryingopen the largerculture,by makingits andmetaphorical bordersindeterminate, physical,institutional precisely whatwe haveseenthatthedominant culturefears. Latinoself-formation as trans-creation to "trans-create" theterm commercialist beyondits strictly coinage- is morethana cultureof resistance,or it is "resistance"in morethanthe sense of standingup the prevailing againstconcertedhegemonicdomination.It confronts an ethosof its own,notnecessarilyan outright ethosby congregating adversarial butcertainly ethos.TheLatinobordertrans-crean alternative ates theimpinging dominant thespace fortheir culturesby constituting - freebecauseit is dependent noron the on neither, freeintermingling and confronreactionofonetotheother,foritsownlegitimacy. Dialogue tationwiththe monocultural otherpersists,but on the basis of what of prac"thetotality Foucaulthas called "theidea of governmentality," the define,organize,instrumentalize tices,by whichone can constitute, in in which their can have to individuals each strategies liberty regard other."84 It is in thesetermsthatthe positingof a relativelyself-referential essentialist or cultural ethosforoppressedgroupscan evadetheattendant practical,notan alterexceptionalist pitfalls.For thisethosis eminently formofresistance, nota deliberate nativetoresistance butan alternative and potentially more realitiesbuta different ignoranceof multicultural value of this"relathem.The strategic democratic wayof apprehending since it definesthe tionshipof self to self" is of utmostimportance, theexistingrelationsofpoweras domipositionfromwhichtonegotiate communination.For ratherthanaimingat somemaximally transparent cationamonghierarchically subjectpositions,in Habermas' divergent is the adequate self-formation sense, the goal of this cultural-ethical of the subjectpositionitself.As Foucault and definition constitution explainsin hiscritiqueofHabermas: I don't believe therecan be a societywithoutrelationsof power,if you understand themas meansbywhichindividuals trytoconduct,todetermine to dissolvethemin the thebehaviorof others.The problemis notof trying but to a of communication, giveone'sselftherules perfectly transparent utopia and also theethics,theethos,the of law, thetechniquesof management, practiceofself,whichwouldallowthesegamesofpowertobe playedwitha minimum ofdomination.

hereto referto individuals,but is "Practiceof self" is understood therelationsofpowerare tocollectiveself-conducts; readilytransferable oftherules,ortheplayingout there-writing calledstrategic "games,"but withthedynamicsof of othergameswithotherrules,clearlyinterfaces Andtheutopianhorizon,whichFoucault politicaland culturalstruggle. of discardsin its Habermasianversion,is stillpresentin thisstrategy domination, especiallywhentheview is towardtheprocess minimizing

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JuanFloresandGeorgeYudice

of collective self-formation among oppressedand "other"groups. voice oftheborderperspective, that reliable addressesthis G6mez-Pefla, dimensionin termswhichalso suggestthecontentand tactics futuristic ofthenewethos,thealternative, multicultural "practiceof self": In itsobsessive TheU.S. suffers froma severecase of amnesia. questto orerasethepast.Fortunately, the 'construct thefuture,' it tendstoforget whodon'tfeelpart ofthis national have so-called disenfrachised project groups beenmeticulously theirhistories. Latinos,blacks,Asians, documenting haveused intellectuals artists women, gays,experimental andnon-aligned from a multicentric torecord theother inventive perspective. history languages andalternative Ourartfunctions bothas collective chronicle,' says memory a canbecome ifnurtured, AmaliaMesa-Bains. Inthissense,multicultural art, is the thedesired historical self.Thegreat tooltorecapture paradox powerful caneverbe confuture thishistorical factthatwithout self,nomeaningful structed.86

is primordially genealogical,intentas it invariEthnicity-as-practice of the past. It relies,as and is on a re-constituting recapturing ably artsof memory," the MichaelM.J.Fischertermsit,on the"post-modern collectivepowerof recallwhichis onlya powerif it functions actively searchis forFischer"a testimonial andconstitutively. Thisretrospective, ofa vision,bothethicalandfuture-oriented. anddiscovery (re)invention ina connection tothepast, Whereasthesearchforcoherenceis grounded of cohercriterion fromthatpast,an important themeaningabstracted chronicle" is The"alternative ence,is an ethicworkableforthefuture.""' functionalin present it is eminently morethanmerelyrecuperative: self-hood. ofpotentialhistorical self-formative practiceandanticipatory SandraMariaEsteves,in a poemcitedearlier("I am twoparts/a person "I bemoanstheforcible, physicalloss ofherantecedence: boricua/spic"), I canonlyimagineand ofmyisla heritage... mayneverovercomethetheft and remembrance enliven remember how it was." But thatimagination whichin turn"realizes"thatlostrealityin a waythat herdream-work, Herpoemends,"Butthat self-realization. leads toeventualandprofound realitynowa dreamteachesmeto see, andwillbringmebackto me."88 In thepost-modern "arts"ofborderexpression themnemonic context, are conductedin "inventivelanguages,"a key phraseof G6mez-Petla expressivetacticof thisprocess.Language signallingthecharacteristic Whether itself,ofcourse,is themostobvioussiteofLatinoinventiveness. the wildestextravaganceof the bilingualpoet or the mostmundane comment of everydaylife,Latinousage tendsnecessarilytowardinterThe interfacing of multiple codesservestode-canonlingualinnovation. thusallowing ize all ofthem,at leastin theirpresumed discreteauthority, and punning.Even forthe ample space forspontaneousexperimentation mostmonolingualof Latinos, the"other"language looms constantlyas a speech potentialresource,and the option to vary according to different contextsis used farmoreoftenthannot. "Trans-creation,"understoodin

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America LivingBorders/Buscando

thissenseof intercultural and transferability, is thehallmark variability ofborderlanguagepractice. Theirreverence neednotbe delibimplicitintrans-creative expression in defiant it reflects a rather motive; erately largelyunspokendisregard forconventionally boundedusage insofaras such circumscription obstructstheneed foroptimalspecificity of communicative and cultural context.The guidingimpulse,articulated or not,is one ofplay,freedom, andevenempowerment in thesensethataccess to individualandcollectivereferentiality cannotultimately be blocked.Interlingual puns,multidirectional and and theseeminglylimitlessstockof mixing switching, and adaptations attestto a delightnotonlyin excludingand borrowings and exclusionary, butin theveryact of inclusion eludingthedominant withina newlyconstituted expressiveterrain.Ratherthanrejectinga languagebecauseofitsassociationwitha repressive other,oradoptingit wholesalein orderto facilitatepassage, Latino expressiontypically "uses" officialdiscoursebyadaptingit andthereby showingup itspracticalmalleability. includestheverb"gufear,"fromwhichhas deNuyoricanvernacular rivedthenoun"el gufeo."ThecolloquialAmerican word"goof"is clearly visibleand audible,and certainly the"Spanglish"usage has its closest But as a equivalentin thephrase"goofingon" someoneor something. culturalpractice,"el gufeo" clearly harkensto "el vacil6n," that PuertoRicantradition offunning andfunning longstanding on,fun-makand fun. ing making Popularcultureand everydaylife amongPuerto Ricansaboundin thespiritof "el vacil6n,"thatenjoyment in ribbingat someone'sor one's ownexpense,forwhicha widerthoughoverlapping termis "el relajo."We mightevenspeak,in fact,ofa PuertoRicanethos of"el relajo"which,in itsinterplay with"el respeto,"servesto markoff consensualguidelinesforinterpersonal behavior."Settinglimitsof "reand them, spectability" testing "relaxing"them,definesthedynamicof PuertoRicancultureat thelevelofbehavioralexpression. Theroleof"el of often in course classes the subaltern theirinteracrelajo," practiced by tionwiththeirmasters, is notderivative oforconditioned by"el respeto"; thedelineationof individualand groupdignitydrawsits power rather, fromtheabilityto "relax(on)" theprevalent codesof"respect." Termsand preacticeslike "el vacil6n"and "el relajo"are thePuerto RicanversionoftheCuban"choteo,"perhapsthemostwidelyunderstood andhavingitsparticular variantsin usageamongtheLatinonationalities the diversenationalcultures.In all cases, "el choteo"involvesirony, parodyand manyof thoseelementswhichHenryLouis Gates,Jr.has identified as constitutive of"signifyin(g)" intheAfrican-American tradition:repetition, and semanticreversalsand,mostgenerally, double-talk forthesakeofre-figuring.90 Colonialandelitecultures gesturalimitation in Latin Americahave been constantpreyto "el choteo,"whichalso

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JuanFloresandGeorgeYudice

whichoperateswithinand amongthegroupto bolsteror deflatespirits, The"signifying everseemsappropriate. mightinsteadbe a dog monkey" or a muleor a pig,or even"unbobo,"a townfoolor simpleton. Butlike "el choteo"doeshaveitsagent,someunsuspected, improb"signifyin(g)" and(re-)invenable masterofthetropewhoembodiestheartsofmemory tion. "El gufeo" takes the process even one step further:Latino in themulticultural of U.S. contextaddsto thefascination "signifyin(g)" becauseof itsinteror African-American its home-country counterparts Double-talkin thiscase is sustainednotmerelyby theinterlinguality. butby thecrossingof play of "standard"and vernacularsignifications in factharborsa plurality Bordervernacular entirelanguagerepertoires. of vernaculars and possible comprisedof theirmultipleinterminglings is not an of extended The result range choicesand permutations. simply of of the kind "splitting tongues"exemplified by border juxtapositions, her end of You From?: Gina Vald6s at the "Where poem poet soydeaqui ysoydealla build I didn't border this halts me that fron theword tera splits onmytongue.91 The real "signifyin(g)" potentialof thisdiscourseresidesin theactual of andsyntactic semantic andstrucfields,whenmeanings interpenetration and theirreferential turesbecomedestabilized The discarded. uniformity of like Alurista and Tato in Laviera abounds poetry bilingualpractitioners thiskindofdoubling, another the words the examplebeing playoa striking of bothVictor (smile) whichoccursin thewritings "sunrise"-"sonrisa" CruzandLouis ReyesRivera.Hernandez Hernandez Cruzendshis oftencitedpoem"You gottahaveyourtipson fire"withthelines, You neverwillbe inthewrongplace Fortheuniversewillfeelyourheat Andarrangeitsdanceon yourhead Therewillbe a Sun/Risa on yourlips But You gottahaveyourtipson fire Carnal.92

In "Problems in Translation" ReyesRiveratakesup thesameinterlingual his"discovery" of a connotative in hiseffort richness to punto dramatize adopta new-found Spanishvocabulary:

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America LivingBorders/Buscando

78 Esa sonrisa is notjusta smile buta brilliance youlend fromthelifeinyoureyes thewidthofyourmouth as theyboth giverisetothemeaningofsunfilled spread across your high boned gentle face.93

Poeticandcolloquiallanguageuse is ofcourseonlythemostobvious inLatinoculturalexpression. case ofre-figuration andreadilyillustrated ofmusiwhenaccountis takenofthetraditions Examplesare multiplied in salsa, Latinjazz, Tex-Mexand Latinrock,or the cal "signifyin(g)" ofCaribbeanorMexicanvisualworldswithNorth characteristic interplay AmericansettingsamongNuyoricanand Chicanoartists.One thinksof on thatclassicalworkofPuertoRican JorgeSoto and his"signifyin(g)" "El Velorio" Oller's Francisco (1893). Soto reenactsand transpainting, thescenewiththe wake of the the originalby populating figures jibaro A New York tenement life. of suggestive example particularly trappings fromrecentyearsis providedby the"casitas,"thesmallwoodenhouses in thevacantlotsof theSouthBronx,El Barrio whichhaveproliferated and otherPuertoRicanneighborhoods. Thoughmodelledafterworkingclass dwellingson theIslandoftheearlierdecades,beforetheindustrialwithconcreteboxes, the ization process overranthe neighborhoods to withobjectspertinent decoratedand furnished "casitas"are typically New Yorksetting: theimmediate billboards,shoppingcarts,plasticmilk cartonsand thelike.The effectis a remarkable pastichein whichotherworldscohabitandcollapseintoone wisedisparatevisualandsculptural historical anotherin accordancewiththeintergenerational experienceof cultural most thePuertoRican migrant impressive Perhaps community. as the of urban as the occurs languages, spatial contrasting "signifyin(g)" of in form the reminiscences rural with its "casita" open strong tropical porches,truckgardensand domesticanimalsjars withand yetstrangely sceneof strewnlotsand guttedbuildings. thesurrounding complements ofa tradiparodyeachotherin the"invention" Nostalgiaandimmediacy and cogentways,thetextureof "multitionwhichcaptures,in striking in contemporary culturalism" "America."94 inorderforthe"multicultural paradigm" For,as G6mez-Pefia suggests, versionof cultural to amountto morethanstill anotherwarmed-over pluralism,theentirecultureand nationalprojectneed to be conceived

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JuanFloresandGeorgeYudice

froma "multicentric It is at theborder,wherediversity is perspective." as a factofculturallifemaybe mostreadily concentrated, thatdiversity and profoundly perceivedand expressed.It is there,as GloriaAnzalddia describesitinherworkBorderlands/La thatthemestiza"learns Frontera, tojugglecultures.She has a pluralpersonality, sheoperatesina pluralisticmode....Notonlydoes shesustaincontradictions, sheturnstheambivalenceintosomething else."95RenatoRosaldoseesinAnzaldiia'sChicana lesbianvisiona celebration of "thepotentialof bordersin openingnew formsofhumanunderstanding": "She arguesthatbecauseChicanoshave 'we' nowstandina positionto longpracticedtheartofculturalblending, becomeleadersin developingnewformsof polyglotculturalcreativity. In herview,therearguardwillbecomethevanguard."96 in thissense,multiculturalism Understood shift signalsa paradigmatic in ethnicity a radicallychangedopticconcerning centerandmartheory, The presumed"subcultural" tributaries feel ginsof culturalpossibility. emboldenedto lay claimto the"mainstream," thattiredmetaphor now TatoLavieraonceagainis playing assuminga totallynewinterpretation. a pioneering role in thisact of resignifying: in his new book,entitled Mainstream thatit is theveryconcurrence Ethics,Lavierademonstrates ofmultiple and diversevoices,tonesandlinguistic resourcesthatimpels theflowof thewholecultureof "America."The challengeis obviously aestheticand politicalin intent, butit is also, as thetitleindicates,an ethicalone. "It is notour role,"thebook's introduction aneminently nounces,"to followthe dictatesof a shadowynorm,an illusivemain to ourcollectiveand individualpersonalistream,butto remainfaithful ties.Ourethicis and shallalwaysbe current.""97 theSpanAppropriately, ishsubtitle ofthevolume,"dticacorriente," is morethana translation; it is a "trans-creation" in thefullsense,since"current" or"common," with its rootednessin the culturalethosof everydaylife,standsin blatant contrast to thefabricated, of"mainstream" in its apologeticimplications conventional usage. The ChicanopoetJuanFelipeHerrerahas an intriguing gufeofantasy. "Whatifsuddenlythecontinent turned he muses. upside-down?" WhatiftheU.S.wasMexico? Whatif200,000Anglosaxicans weretocrosstheborder eachmonth toworkas gardeners, waiters, 3rdchairmusicians, movieextras, bouncers, chauffers, babysitters, cartoons, syndicated feather-weight & anonymous boxers, fruit-pickers poets? Whatifthey werecalledwaspanos, orwasbacks? waspitos, wasperos Whatifwewerethetopdogs? Whatifliterature waslife,eh?

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Borders/Buscando America Living

neededto The borderhousesthepoweroftheoutrageous, theimagination tables.Theviewfromtheborderenablesus andcultural turnthehistorical oftheborder offorcedseparaarbitrariness theultimate itself, toapprehend forcestheissuewhichtopsthe Latinoexpression tionsandinferiorizations. andnomenclature. theissueofgeography culture, agendaofAmerican Let's get it straight:America is a continentnot a country.Latin Americaencompassesmorethanhalfof America.Quechuas,Mixtecos and Iroquois are American(not U.S. citizens). Chicano, Nuyorrican, Cajun, Afro-Caribbeanand Quebeqois culturesare Americanas well. Mexicans and Canadians are also NorthAmericans.Newly arrived Vietnameseand Laotians will soon become Americans.U.S. AngloEuropean cultureis but a mere componentof a much largercultural complex in constantmetamorphosis.

Forthesearchfor"America," theinclusive,multicultural societyofthe less an has do ethosof rewithnothing than imaginative continent, to in of service and notonly Latinosbutall claimmapping re-naming the ants. Notes like'Hispanic,' that 1.Weagreewith 'Latino,' 'Ethnic,' G6mez-Pefla Guillermo 'minority,' "[t]erms areinaccurate andloadedwith and'Third others, World,' 'alternative,' among ideological 'marginal,' wehavenochoicebuttoutilize them Intheabsence ofa more terminology, enlightened implications.... totheNational ArtsCommunity," AnOpenLetter care.""TheMulticultural withextreme Paradigm: (Fall1989):20. HighPerformance unlike itisnotanidentity labelimposed "Latino" toemphasize 2. Wehavedecided for, "Hispanic," whoseekto target statistics of theCensusBureauandthemarket by thepoliticized particular of"Latino,' Asfortheshortcomings wehope andeconomic forpolitical constituencies manipulation. theterm "older refers totheway Ina nutshell, totheir contributes that thisarticle immigrants" critique. ParktoMilton conor"melting in whichassimilationalist Robert (from Gordon) pot"sociologists to a andearlytwentieth oflatenineteenth structed theexperiences immigrants according century themintothe andassimilation thateventually of contact, accommodation, amalgamated dynamic to theperiodof (white)ethnic refers Theterm"newethnics" dominant culture. revival, largely andwhite inwhich "racial minorities ethics andtheir withcivilrights aftermath, struggles coinciding toschools, localgovernment, andcontrol over ona series ofissuesrelating became polarized housing, ina longer asthedying flash ofwhite hasalsobeenunderstood Thisrevival federal ethnicity programs." andClass TheEthnic Cf.Stephen ofacculturation. historical Race,Ethnicity, Steinberg, Myth. process BeaconPress,1982),pp.48-51. inAmerica (Boston: CT:Greenwood ACriticalAppraisal Theories H.Thompson, SeealsoRichard (Westport, ofEthnicity. is largely a response ofethnicity the"rediscovery observers] [byitsAmerican Press,1989),forwhom ofthat definition andlegitimation movement ofthe1960s,thestate's totheblackprotest subsequent intheUnited andtheresulting increase a class)movement, as anethnic movement (butnotprimarily and"white defined movements Statesofother Asian-Americans, ethnics," byHispanics, ethnically to it,havequite andthestate'sreceptivity the'success'of blackorganization who,observing tack."(p.93) a similar followed unmysteriously thehistorical usedtodistinguish is a term and/or (enslavement 3. "Racialminority" experiences of certain andespecially socialenfranchisement) from exclusion institutional economic, political, from those of and Asian-Americans,Native-Americans) Latinos, (viz.African-Americans, groups the theories madepossible described thedynamics forwhom byethnicity groups immigrant European RacialFormation inthe Cf.Michael totheformer. denied OmiandHoward enfranchisements Wmant, & KeganPaul,1986). Fromthe1960stothe1980s(NewYork: States. United Routledge Ricansis an experience andPuerto Mexican-Americans 4. Thehistorical discrimination against Suchdiscrimias anoverarching todisappear bepermitted cannot which Latinos group. byprojecting whichoften makemiddle-class factors ofracial,class,and"othemess" a complex involves nation thefact Ontheother themselves. andseektodissaciate anxious Latinogroups sectors ofother hand, of to a pan-Latino contributes at all Latinogroups hasbeendirected thatdiscrimination rejection aimedatanyparticular discrimination group. 5. Cf.Steinberg, pp.24,40etpassim.

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JuanFloresandGeorgeYudice

in theUnited Statescanbe moreaccurately in theLatinAmerican 6. Theincrease population thanwiththenumbers influx rather ofanyoneparticular theoverall with European group. compared withthehighfertility rateofU.S. Latinos, inconjunction continues IfLatinAmerican immigration, thenumber ofLatinos then willrival orsupersede islikely), intothenextcentury (which proportionately ofthe19th sincetheturn From1820to1930,theestimated thatoftheEuropean century. immigrants nationalities" is as follows: of variousEuropean "netimmigration Germans, Italians, 5,900,000; 2,800,000;Jews,2,500,000; 4,600,000;Irish,4,500,000;Poles,3,000,000;Canadians, English, and Cf. Scots 41. Scots-Irish, 1,000,000. Steinberg, ibid.,p. Swedes,1,200,000; 2,500,000;, TVAudience," TheNewYork 7. Cf.Michael TheHispanic (Dec.13,1989):D Lev,"Tracking Times a Nielsen Television are funded 17.Lev'sfigures taken from Hispanic bytwoofthelargest survey Inc. TV networks, Univisi6n andTelemundo Group, Spanish intheUnited forother States. 8.Suchdecreases arecomparable Cf. European populations immigrant intheUnited States(TheHague:Mouton, etal.,Language Joshua Fishman, 1966),pp.42-44. Loyalty andPolitics," SocialText, 18 (Winter 108.Re"Postmodemism 9. Stanley Aronowitz, 1987/88): ThePoliticsofPostmodernism Abandon? in Andrew Ross,ed.,Universal (Minneapolis: printed ofMinnesota Press,1988),pp.46-62. University 10.Ibid. AnInquiry intothehistorical nature 11.Edmundo TheInvention O'Gorman, oftheNew ofAmerica. andthemeaning Indiana World Press,1961). ofitshistory (Bloomington: University inAmerican TheFrontier 12.Frederick Jackson "TheSignificance oftheFrontier Turner, History," inAmerican (NewYork:Holt,1920),p. 11. History TheFatalEnvironment. intheAgeofIndustrialization, 13.Richard TheMyth oftheFrontier Slotkdn, 1800-1890 (NewYork:Atheneum, 1985),p.40. InthecaseofAfrican-Americans, ofcourse, state which itwasnotsucha "safety valve"buttheracist their discontent. contained inMulti-Cultural the 14.Guillermo G6mez-Pefla, "Documented/Undocumented," Literacy. Opening andScottWalker American Mind,eds.RickSimonson Press,1988),p. (SaintPaul,MN:Graywolf 127.challenges. 15."TheMulticultural p.20. Paradigm," ArtePdblico, 16.TatoLaviera, AmeR(can 1984),p.95. (Houston: Buena(Greenfield Yerba 17.Sandra NY:Greenfield MariaEsteves, Center, Review, 1980). 18.Sandra Caribbean Rains(NewYork:African MariaEsteves, Theater, 1984). Tropical Poetry "TheParergon," 9 (Summer 19.Jacques October, Derrida, 1979):20. De la Siduction 20.Cf.JeanBaudrillard, ofthesimulacrum, Latin (Paris:Galil6e,1979).Apropos interms ofcultural ofthe"neither-nor" havedealtwith sincetheconquest. Americans identity problems and"notneither" between Thedifference isthat theformer is usually "neither-nor" (or"notnowhere") vis-1-vis cultural valuation while position expressed byeliteswhofeelinanambivalent metropolitan inthestruggles ofsubordinated a cultural thelatter is situated "nonexistence" which groups against toexploit. elitesaretoooften willing inEl artede la palabra(Barcelona: discourse theningunetsta Lihnhasparodied Pomaire, Enrique ofwhatweunderstand thatis, imitations, 1979)."Wearenothing: copies, phantoms: repeaters badly, fossils ofa prehistory theanimated atall:dealorgangrinders: thatwehavelivedneither here hardly forwe areaboriginal northere, from birth inour anywhere, foreigners, transplanted consequently, Thisis a parody countries oforigin" oftheanxious discourse ofthose respective (p.82;ouremphasis). Schwarz Roberto haswritten eliteswhoseektodefine thenation. anin-depth ofthiskindof critique Nationalism "national "Brazilian Culture: NewLeft 167(Jan./Feb. Review, byElimination," problem." 1988):77-90. a Hispanic America: A Nation "OnCreating Within a Nation?" 21.Cf.R. Butler, inAntonio quoted J.Califa, theOfficial Harvard CivilRights"Declaring English Language: Prejudice SpokenHere," LawReview, CivilLiberties 24 (1989):321. 22.Terry Presentation atFlorida International inCalifa, Robbins, University (Oct.8, 1987),quoted headofU.S.English Robbins is a former inFlorida. operations p.321.Terry 23.Deutsch, ofLinguistic inLesEtatsMultilingues "ThePolitical Conflicts," Significance (1975), inAntonio J. quoted andControl 24.AnEnglish Reform First ofImmigration Actof1986,Pub.LawNo.99-603, analysis News(100Stat.)3359,quoted 1986U.S.Cong.Code& Admin. inCalifa, p. 313.Califa, "Declaring theOfficial CivilRights-Civil Liberties Law Prejudice English Language: SpokenHere,"Harvard 24(1989):328. Review, andDangers," 25.Cf.Joshua International Journal Fishman, Only':ItsGhosts, Myths "'English of inCalifa, theSociology 125,132(1988),quoted p.329. ofLanguage, that thethreat ofwarwith theSoviet Union isdiminishing. andprivate 26."Government experts agree that a portion ofthePentagon inthe1990'smust services Asa result, thenation's argue budget military tobring tobearinthethird American tocombating andbeing bedevoted military prepared power drugs toJustify TheNewYork world." "InSearchofMissions Times 9, (Jan. Outlays," Engelberg, Stephem 1990):A14. 27.Thompson, p.90.

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America LivingBorders/Buscando

world."StephemEngelberg, "In SearchofMissionsto Justify (Jan.9, Outlays,"TheNew YorkTlimes 1990):A14. 27. Thompson, p. 90. 28. Cf. Jiirgen Project,"in TheAnti-Aesthetic. Essayson Habermas,"Modemity-AnIncomplete WA: Bay Press,1983),p. 14. Postmodern ed. Hal Foster(PortTownsend, Culture, and Social Change,"in NathanGlazerand Daniel P. Moynihan, 29. Daniel Bell, "Ethnicity eds., HarvardUniversity Press,1975),p. 169,as quotedin Ethnicity: Theoryand Experience(Cambridge: 99. Thompson, op. cit.,p. 30. According toMichaelOmiandHowardWinant, theformation oftheconceptofethnicity in the UnitedStatesis rootedina different historical thanoursand,thus,occludesthisdifference conjuncture "Butbothassimilationifinvokedtoaccountforthenegotiation ofvaluebynon-European immigrants: whatKallencalled'the istandcultural hadlargelyemphasized whiteimmigrants, European, pluralism and 'ethnicgroup'in theU.S., then,lay Atlantic The originsoftheconceptsof 'ethnicity' migration.' outsidetheexperience ofthoseidentified (notonlytodaybutalreadyin Park'sandKallen'stime),as NativeAmericans andAsianAmericans racialminorities: LatinAmericans, Afro-Americans, (blacks, ofthetermsof of experience embodiedin theapplication browns,redsandyellows).The continuity notestablished; to bothgroups--toEuropeanimmigrants andracialminorities--was ethnicity theory indeedit tendedto reston whatwe havelabelledtheimmigrant analogy."Racial Formationin the UnitedStates,pp. 16-17. ofnationalities' is workable 31. As StephenSteinberg only argues,"Kallen'smodelofa 'democracy in a societywherethereis a basic parityamongconstituent ethnicgroups.Onlythenwouldethnic be innocent ofclassbiasand andonlythenwouldpluralism boundaries be securefromencroachment, is toHoraceKallen, withdemocratic consistent pp.260-61.Thereference principles."TheEthicMyth, "DemocracyVersustheMeltingPot,"inCultureandDemocracyintheUnitedStates(NewYork:Boni andLiveright, Discrimina1924).ThiscritiqueextendstolaterstudieslikeNathanGlazer,Affirmative tion(New York:Basic Books,1975). newstruggles haveexpressedresistance 32. "[N]umerous 33. Laclau andMouffe, Rightsand p. 184.See also MarthaMinow,"We,theFamily:Constitutional and AmericanLife,ed. David Thelen(Ithaca: Comell AmericanFamilies,"in The Constitution andthisfromtheveryheart Press,1988),p. 319. Againstthenewformsof subordination, University ofthe thepollutionanddestruction ofthenew society.Thusit is thatthewasteofnaturalresources, Other have givenbirthto theecologymovement. the consequencesof productivism environment, to thecapitalist whichManuelCastellsterms'urban',expressdiverseformsof resistance struggles, the whichhas accompaniedeconomicgrowth, occupationof social space. The generalurbanization tothedecayinginnercities,and ortheirrelegation transfer ofthepopularclassestotheurbanperiphery the whichaffect thegenerallackofcollectivegoodsandserviceshavecauseda seriesofnewproblems of social relations[not of thewholeof social lifeoutsidework.Hencethemultiplicity organization andstruggles to"class"]fromwhichantagonisms habitat, subordinatable mayoriginate: consumption, andtheclaimingofnew terrains forthestruggle canall constitute variousservices, againstinequalities Towardsa Radical Laclau and ChantalMouffe,Hegemonyand SocialistStrategy. rights."Emrnesto DemocraticPolitics(London:Verso,1985),p. 161. werenotin place beforeWorld andterrains of struggle Giventhatthesenewformsof subordination arenolongerthosewhichmadeprior ofpossibility forgroupself-understanding WarII, theconditions theories ofethnicity sociallyandpolitically operational. 34. "We,theFamily," p. 322. 35. NancyFraser,"Women,Welfare,and Politics,"in UnrulyPractices.Power,Discourseand ofMinnesotaPress,1989),p. 154. Social Theory(Minneapolis: GenderinContemporary University mustprovetheir'cases' meetadminis36. Forexample,"[I]nthe'masculine'subsystem...claimants must on theotherhand,claimants inthe'feminine' ofentitlement; definedcriteria subsystem, tratively ofneed."Ibid. definedcriteria to administratively proveconformity withitsabsence.Whenthis unitis in contrast thepresenceofa particular 37. "[I]n a givencontext formis moregeneralin senseorhas a wider holdsit is usuallythecase thattheunmarked situation to Theoretical thanthemarkedform."JohnLyons,Introduction distribution (Cambridge: Linguistics thatmarkedness Press,1969),p. 79. TheexamplechosenbyLyonsdemonstrates University Cambridge One can say"Is thedog a he ora she?" normsof"generality." is directly relatedto sociallyinstituted female.Markedness whosegenderisnecessarily toa "bitch," butonewouldnotaskthesameifreferring on doesnotquestionthegrounds thetheory, normsofgenerality; relieson alreadyinstituted however, "WASP"saretakentobe theunmarked As regards is instituted. form, whichsucha generality ethnicity, Andyet,nearly90% ofU.S. citizensarenotWASPs. as "unmarked." whileothergroupsareunderstood intheU.S. PublicSchools,"financed Students 38. In an April1988study-"New Voices:Immigrant theimmigrant it was arguedthat"schoolsweredoinga poorjob ofmeeting bytheFordFoundation, needs"(ouremphasis).Cf. AssociatedPress,"StudyFindsObstaclesExistForImmigrant students' TheNewYorkTimes(May 10,1988).Boththisandanother studyadvocatedincreasing Schoolchildren," andthusease theincreasing needsof students thenumberof Hispanicteachersto meetthecultural Alarmed "Educators Cf.PeterApplebome, education rateandotherapparent dysfunctionalities. dropout RateofDropoutsAmongHispanicYouth,"TheNewYorkTimes(March15, 1987):22. byGrowing

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JuanFloresandGeorgeYudice

39. QuotedinThomasWeyr,HispanicUSA. BreakingtheMeltingPot (New York:Harper& Row, 1988),pp. 62-63. 40. Ibid. TheTheory Action.Vol.H. Lifeworld andSystem: A Critique 41. Jiirgen Habermas, ofCommunicative Reason,trans.ThomasMcCarthy (Boston:BeaconPress,1987),p. 365. ofFunctionalist 42. Fraser, p. 156. trans.Peter 43. OskarNegtandAlexanderKluge,"ThePublicSphereandExperience:Selections," note. Labanyi,October,46 (Fall 1988),p. 60, translator's 44. FredricJameson, "On NegtandKluge," October,46 (Fall 1988): 159. trans.LadislavMatejkaandI.R. 45. Cf.V.N.Voloshinov, MarxismandthePhilosophy ofLAnguage, "The Problemof Speech Titunik(New York:SeminarPress,1973),pp. 91-97 and M.M. Bakhtin, ofTexas Genres,"inSpeechGenresand OtherLateEssays,trans.VernW.McGee (Austin:University Press,1986),pp. 61-102. undEigensinn(Frankfurt: 46. OskarNegtandAlexander Zweitausendeins, 1981), Kluge,Geschichte p. 944, quotedin Jameson, p. 172. 47. Jameson, 171. p. 48. Ibid.,p. 78. 49. Ibid.,p. 79. 50. Ibid.,p. 76. 51. (Boston:DavidR. Godine,1982).52.Ibid.,p. 19. 53. Ibid.,p. 187. 54. Ibid.,p. 182.55. Ibid.,p. 124. 56. Ibid.,p. 137.57. Ibid.,p. 151. ofAmerica," 58. ThomasB. Morgan,'The Latinization Esquire(May 1983): 56. 59. Ibid.,p. 3. 60. (New York:OxfordUniversity Press,1986),pp. 46, 153,and241. 61. Ibid.,p. 259. 62. Ibid.,pp.54-55.63. Ibid.,p.7. 64. (April18, 1989),p. 16. on "The "Whentranslation isn'tenough,try'trans-creation'," 65. PatrickBarry, Specialsupplement Advertising Age (Feb. 14,1983):M-21. HispanicMarket," 66. Ibid.,p. M 26. 67. Ibid. 68. SusanDentzer, "LearningtheHispanicHustle,"Newsweek(May 17, 1982): 84. 69. Barry, p. M 26. cancosta firmheavilyinlostsales,as theAdolphCoorsCo. discovered 70. "[A] showofdisregard thatledtoa boycott severalyearsago.ChargedbyHispanicgroupswithdiscriminatory hiring practices to Hispanic thebrewerhas foughtto rebuilditsimage,in partby makingdonations of itsproducts, causes."Dentzer, p. 86. oftheFederal of U.S. English,to theSecretary 71. LetterfromGerdaBikales,executivedirector Communications Commission("FCC") (Sept. 26, 1985), quotedin Califa,pp. 319-20. Cf. also News(Dec. 23, 1985). AssociatedPress,"GroupWantstoStopAdsin Spanish,"San JoseMercury del barrio la convergencia 72. "[E]l barrioes el hiloconductor"; "[la salsa] representa plenamente "La salsa no es urbanode hoy[porqueasume]la totalidadde ritmos que acudena esa convergencia"; La salsaes unaformaabierta unritmo definido. unritmo, y tampocoes un simpleestiloparaenfrentar del Caribeurbano en la circunstancia la totalidadde tendencias que se reuinen capaz de representar Cf. C6sarMiguel NuevaYork]de hoy;el barriosiguesiendola 6nicamarcadefinitiva." [incluyendo Rond6n,El librode la salsa. Cr6nicade la misica del caribeurbano(Caracas:EditorialArte,1980), in pp. 32-64 et passim."We objectto PhilipMorrisor any othercompanieswho are advertising ofU.S. English, languagesotherthanEnglish,"said StanleyDiamond,headoftheCalifornia chapter an advocacygroup."Whattheyaredoingtendstoseparateoutcitizensandourpeoplebylanguage."... This fall Diamond'...chapter launcheda couponmail-inprotestagainsta Spanish-language Yellow withtheSpanishYellow thetelephone wouldfeelthatthecorporations, company Pages...."Wecertainly we can toputthisadvertising in Englishonly...andin Pages shouldchange....We willdo everything Robbins...has no otherlanguage,"saidDiamond.In Florida,U.S. Englishspokeswoman written Terry menus."Whydoes as a privatecitizentoMcDonald'sandBurgerKingprotesting Spanishinfast-food a Whopper?"sheasked."It isn'tthattheyaren'tableto, poorJuanor Mariahavea problemordering theydon'twantto." cosasparaquela vidanoduela,"El Diariode Caracas 73. Humberto Mirquez,"WillieColoninventa (Feb. 23, 1982): 14-15. 74. Ibid. 75. Cf.JonPareles,"DancingAlongwithDavid Byme,"TheNewYorkTimes(Nov. 1, 1989): C 1. withothergroupsto createa aboutLos Lobos' newtorking GeorgeLipsitzmakesa similarargument musicis newmassaudience,a newpublicsphere:"For [drummer] Perez,theworldofrock-and-roll itis an arenawherediverse theminvisible;rather notaplacethatobliterates local cultures byrendering differences. The prefigurative important groupsfindcommongroundwhile stillacknowledging fashionedby Los Lobos has indeedwontheallegianceof musiciansfromother counter-hegemony andwestemstarWaylonJennings cultures. Theirsongshavebeenrecorded marginalized by country as wellas bypolkaartist FrankieYankovic.TheCajunaccordian playerandsingerJo-ElSonnierviews Los Lobos as artistswhose culturalstruggles parallelhis own." "CruisingAroundtheHistorical Bloc-Postmodemism andPopularMusicinEastLos Angeles,"CulturalCritique, 5 (Winter 1986-87), p. 175. 76. Cf.JuanFlores,"Rappin',Writin', andBreakin':Blackand PuertoRicanCulturein New York, Dissent,(fall1987):580-84.

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America LivingBorders/Buscando

77.Chicago (Jan. 26,1987). Sunday Times 78. (SanFrancisco: Lute,1987). Spinsters/Aunte 79.Ibid.,p. 59. 80.Seenote71. 81.Ibid.,p. 80.82.Ibid.,p. 81. 83.The"ethical substance" is oneofthefourdimensions thatcomprise "ethics." It delimits what moralactionwillapplyto:forexample, thepleasures theGreeks, thefleshamong theearly among inWestern ethos Christians, and,weargue, sexuality modernity, ---ethnic, feminist, lesbian, group gay, etc.- inmulti-cultural societies. Cf.MichelFoucault, TheUseofPleasure (NewYork: 1986), Vintage, pp.26-28. 84.Michel "TheEthic ofCarefortheSelfasa Practice ofFreedom," inTheFinalFoucault, Foucault, eds.James Bemauer andDavidRasmussen MITPress,1988),p. 19. (Cambridge: 85.Ibid.,p. 18. 86.G6mez-Pefia, "TheMulticultural Paradigm," p. 22. 87.MichaelJ.Fischer, andthePost-Modem inJames Clifford and ArtsofMemory," "Ethnicity E. Marcus, eds.Writing ThePoetics andPolitics Culture: George ofEthnography (Berkeley: University ofCalifornia Press, 1986),p. 196. 88.Esteves, Yerba Buena,p.?. 89.Cf.Antonio Relations inPuerto Lauria, 'Relajo'andInterpersonal Rico,"Anthropo"'Respeto,' 37,2 (1964):53-67. logicalQuarterly, 90. Henry LouisGates, TheSignifying A Theory Jr., Monkey: Criticism ofAfro-American Literary (NewYork:Oxford Press, 1988). University 91.GinaVald6s, "Where YouFrom?" TheBroken Line/La LineaQuebrada, 1,1 (May1986). 92.Victor Hemindez Cruz,Snaps. 93.LouisReyesRivera, ThisOneForYou(NewYork:Shamal, 1983). 94.Fordiscussions ofcasitasseetheplanned volume Council ontheArts, bytheBronx sponsored LuisAponte, "Casitas as PlaceandMetaphor" andJoseph "We'renotjusthereto especially Sciorra, Wehaveculture': ACaseStudy ofa SouthBronx Rinc6n Criollo." Cf.thediscussion of plant. Casita, Sciorra's work inDinita "Secret LivesofNewYork: theCity's Unexamined Smith, Worlds," Exploring NewYork (Dec.11,1989):34-41. 95.Anzalddia, p.79. 96.Renato Truth inCulture: TheRemaking Rosaldo, ofSocialAnalysis (Boston: Beacon,1989),p. 216. 97.TatoLaviera, Mainstream Ethics ArtePiiblico, (Houston: 1988). 98.Juan "Border Drunkie at'Cabaret TheBroken Line/La Linea FelipeHerrera, Babylon-Aztlgn'," Quebrada. 99.G6mez-Pefia, "TheMulticultural Paradigm," p.20.

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