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The Imagined Island: History, Identity, and Utopia in Hispaniola (Latin America in Translation/en Traducción/em Tradução)
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About The Imagined Island: History, Identity, And Utopia
Product Description In a landmark study of history, power, and identity in the Caribbean, Pedro L. San Miguel examines the historiography of Hispaniola, the West Indian island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. He argues that the national identities of (and often the tense relations between) citizens of these two nations are the result of imaginary contrasts between the two nations drawn by historians, intellectuals, and writers. Covering five centuries and key intellectual figures from each country, San Miguel bridges literature, history, and ethnography to locate the origins of racial, ethnic, and national identity on the island. He finds that Haiti was often portrayed by Dominicans as "the other--first as a utopian slave society, then as a barbaric state and enemy to the Dominican Republic. Although most of the Dominican population is mulatto and black, Dominican citizens tended to emphasize their Spanish (white) roots, essentially silencing the political voice of the Dominican majority, San Miguel argues. This pioneering work in Caribbean and Latin American historiography, originally published in Puerto Rico in 1997, is now available in English for the first time. Review "San Miguel's book has the potential to be adopted in a wide range of graduate and undergraduate courses. "La isla imaginada" would be of great interest to teachers of Caribbean, Latin American, and diaspora history and culture. It could also be used in methodology, historiography, literary, cultural, and postcolonial studies courses." -- Eileen J. Findlay, American University "A necessary and fairly refreshing companion to any study of the history of the Dominican Republic and to broader considerations of the writing of history itself." -- "Hispanic American Historical Review" Review San Miguel's book has the potential to be adopted in a wide range of graduate and undergraduate courses. La isla imaginada would be of great interest to teachers of Caribbean, Latin American, and 'diaspora' history and culture. It could also be used in methodology, historiography, literary, cultural, and postcolonial studies courses.--Eileen J. Findlay, American University From the Inside Flap Covering five centuries and analyzing key intellectual figures from each country, San Miguel bridges literature, history, & ethnography to identify views of national identity in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Haiti was often portrayed by Dominicans as "the other"--first as a utopian slave society, then as a barbaric state and enemy to D.R., whose citizens preferred to emphasize their Spanish/white roots even though most of the population is mulatto and black. From the Back Cover Covering five centuries and analyzing key intellectual figures from each country, San Miguel bridges literature, history, & ethnography to identify views of national identity in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Haiti was often portrayed by Dominicans as "the other"--first as a utopian slave society, then as a barbaric state and enemy to D.R., whose citizens preferred to emphasize their Spanish/white roots even though most of the population is mulatto and black. About the Author Pedro L. San Miguel is professor of history at the Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, and author of several Spanish-language books on Caribbean history.
