Territories in crisis / Challenges of the Humanities
The PhD program in the Department of Hispanic Languages and Literatures at Stony Brook University invites researchers to its 2025 Graduate Conference, which will address contemporary challenges and debates in the humanities surrounding the concept of territories in crisis.
The contemporary scenario, marked by war and climate collapse, has exposed how the persistence of certain modern categories, such as progress and national identity, not only serves to uphold cartographies inherited from centuries of colonialism and extractivism but also drives the imposition and expansion of borders on a planetary scale. In response, a range of critical methodologies have emerged from the humanities to construct new tools for analyzing a rapidly changing and seemingly unpredictable reality.
The exercise of mapping territories of crisis and tracing the lives of their inhabitants compels us to recognize the need for a new language with which to understand these dynamics. It also necessitates expanding and rethinking the spectrum of what is knowable—of what tradition has defined as thinkable—and delving into the substance and memory of human and non-human transits across geographies, geological, and inevitably, temporal scales at play in storytelling. The question of territories is, in turn, a question of communities: Who belongs to them? From where and how do they speak, if they speak? Who listens to these stories, preserves them, archives them, or weaves them together?
The challenges of our contemporary moment demand a reconfiguration of critical cartographies. We must consider to what extent the humanities can respond to present-day issues and envision possible futures by redrawing the conditions for knowledge production. Rethinking physical and symbolic territories involves reconsidering human and non-human life as shaped by pharmacological, necropolitical, and epistemological regimes, exploring new ways of mapping how bodies inhabit these spaces, and creating new forms of resistance and configurations of memory—especially through sexual and gender dissidence, anti-racist, and anti-colonial thought. We invite researchers and creators in literature, art, film, environmental humanities, history, art history, philosophy, digital humanities, and related disciplines to submit proposals examining one of the following thematic areas:
● Maps, cartographies, landscapes
● Object history and material culture
● Diaspora, migration, dispossession
● Critical explorations of travel in art and literature
● Territories of colonial resistance
● Expansions beyond the center/periphery conflict
● Territories from the perspective of Indigenous thought
● Inhuman geologies of extractivism
● Climate change as a planetary crisis
● “Sexilios” and collaborative networks of sexual dissidence
● Corporalities and performance
● Immaterial cartographies, digitality, and archives
● New methodologies and languages of research
● Disciplinary frontiers of the humanities
Proposals will be accepted in Spanish, Portuguese, and English.
Deadline: December 20, 2024
Email: conferenciagraduadaHLL@gmail.com
The Department of Hispanic Languages and Literature is holding its annual undergraduate informative session this Wed Oct 23rd, 2024 from 12.30 pm to 1.30 pm in the Humanities Building room 2001 (Poetry Center, second floor). All interested students are welcome to attend, bring their questions about our Major or Minor, and explore our courses in Spanish (SPN), Portuguese (POR) and HUS (our general education courses taught English that satisfy many SBC requirements). There will be plenty of time to present and discuss our curriculum, academic programs and events, alll while enjoying a free lunch!
The Open House will give you an overview of our Major, Double Major, Minor, Honors Program, our spring course offerings, as well as information about Teaching Program and the path to the BA/MAT. You can visit our website for more information.
Students that enter Stony Brook with prior knowledge of Spanish (but no standardized tests, such as AP) should take the Foreign Language Placement Exam (FLPE) or a Challenge Exam. In either case, start by contacting the Language Learning Resource Center (LLRC). For more information on challenge exams (offered for SPN 112, SPN211, SPN212 and SPN311) see here or contact the current Director of Undergraduate Studies, Prof. Víctor Roncero-López.
The Spanish Major (BA in Spanish) give students a solid education in the languages, literatures, cinema, arts and cultures of Latin America, Spain and the Latinx communities of the United States. The Major requires twelve Spanish courses in the 300/400 level. If the student decides to combine two majors (Double Major), the requirement of courses drops to ten. Many students are Double Majors in Spanish and Biology, for example, but combinations with English, History, Psychology or other languages are also popular.
Our Spanish Minor is one of the largest and more popular Minors in the College of Arts and Sciences. Our Minor program is very flexible and requires six Spanish courses in the 300/400 level. Any student can easily change from a Minor to a Double Major. It only requires four more courses in Spanish.
Tip for Double Majors: Don’t forget to consult both directors of undergraduate studies to be sure that you can fulfill all requirements for your Double Major in time for graduation.
Students that are interested in research or are considering applying to graduate or professional schools, should explore our Honors Program, which requires a senior thesis.
Many of our Spanish Majors (BA in Spanish) opt for the Secondary Teaching Preparation Program (Teaching Certificate) or decide to pursue a 5-year combined BA with a Master of Arts in Teaching (BA/MAT). For all questions related to pedagogy courses and field experience, please see here or contact Prof. Sarah Jourdain.
If you have any questions about your Spanish courses or our Programs, email Prof. Victor Roncero (victoriano.roncero-lopez@stonybrook.edu)
¡Nos vemos el día 23 de octubre a las 12.30 pm! [See poster here]
Description
The College of Arts and Sciences at Stony Brook University invites applications for two positions, each at the rank of Assistant Professor in the Department of Hispanic Languages and Literature, or the Department of Art, as part of the Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) Initiative. Each appointment will be wholly housed in one department, with courses and service expected to help grow the interdepartmental NAIS Initiative, which includes an undergraduate minor. This initiative engages with the global, transdisciplinary scope of Indigenous studies, while also developing a regional emphasis on Long Island, the mid-Atlantic, and Northeast, and a thematic emphasis on art and environmental sustainability and justice. We are especially looking for faculty who can develop and teach core courses for the NAIS minor, and who can connect Indigenous methodologies to artistic practices and cultural histories of Indigenous resistance, resilience, and decolonization. These positions will have an expectation of working with local/regional Indigenous communities through outreach efforts. Both positions will begin in the fall 2025 semester.
The Department of Hispanic Languages and Literature invites applications for an Assistant Professor, with an interest in Indigenous film, art, literature, and culture from across Latin America/Abiayala, and especially welcomes candidates with a geographic emphasis on Central America/Mesoamerica, Mexico, and/or the Amazon region. Regional expertise in Indigenous Studies in the context of the United States/Turtle Island is welcome, but not required for this position. Candidates should have a PhD (or foreign equivalent) in hand or anticipate PhD completion by the time of appointment. They should have a strong research record, excellent teaching credentials, and native or near native proficiency in English and Spanish. The successful candidate will be expected to teach two courses per semester, including graduate (PhD) seminars, combined MA and upper-level undergraduate courses, gateway courses toward the Major in Spanish and general education courses in English about Latin American/Abiayalan cultures.
The Department of Art seeks an Assistant Professor of Sculpture with an interest in Native American and/or Indigenous arts. The ideal candidate will be a creative visual artist adept in shaping various materials, including but not limited to clay, stone, metal, wood, and contemporary media such as 3D printing. The candidate’s work should engage with contemporary sculpture, installation, integrated practices, hybrid practices, public art, and encourage social practice and other time-based methods of making.The successful applicant will have a robust grounding in the fine arts, familiarity with historical and contemporary art practices, and proficiency in a wide range of sculptural techniques and tools. We especially welcome applicants who can use current departmental facilities in their research and teaching, including our bronze-casting foundry, woodshop, and metal shop with CNC machines. Candidates must possess a minimum of three years of teaching experience and hold either an MFA or an equivalent terminal degree. Alternatively, a track record of national and international exhibition experience is acceptable. Responsibilities include teaching undergraduate and graduate studio courses, developing an innovative curriculum, mentoring students, and contributing to the department’s research profile. Candidates should demonstrate the ability to inspire and guide students through the creative process, from conception to execution, and to integrate modern technologies and methodologies into their practice.
This position demands an interdisciplinary approach, engaging with wider social, ecological, and political concepts, reflecting the university’s commitment to interdisciplinary research. The department values creative and critical thinking that fosters collaboration across different disciplines, encouraging a more comprehensive exploration of art’s role in society and the environment.
The positions will remain open until filled, with priority consideration for applications submitted by October 19, 2024. Qualifications Required Qualifications:
PhD (or foreign equivalent) in NAIS or related field, or an MFA or equivalent, with extensive training/experience in NAIS, by September 2024. Disciplinary specialization appropriate to one of the departments listed in the ad. Evidence of the ability to conduct and publish scholarly research or artistic work related to NAIS pertaining to one or more of the disciplines listed in the ad. Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in education. Preferred Qualifcations:
Record of peer-reviewed publications or exhibitions. Post-secondary teaching experience related to NAIS. Evidence of outreach and engagement with off-campus communities. Experience with professional organizations in NAIS, such as NAISA or the American Indian Studies Association. Demonstrated interest in securing external research/exhibition funding in relevant areas. Mentoring experience (informal or formal) or training.
Visiting Assistant Professor. Stony Brook University: Provost Office: College of Arts & Sciences: Hispanic Languages and Literature
Location: Stony Brook University
Open Date: May 14, 2024 (Position is now closed: July, 2024)
Deadline: Jun 03, 2024 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time
Description:
Visiting Assistant Professor, HLL Department
Latin American Literary and Cultural Studies
Stony Brook University’s Department of Hispanic Languages and Literature invites applications for a one-year, full time, Visiting Assistant Professor position in Latin American literary and cultural studies, beginning Fall 2024. Period and field of specialization are open.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
Candidates should have a PhD (or foreign equivalent) in hand or anticipate PhD completion by the time of appointment. They should have a strong research record, excellent teaching credentials and native or near native proficiency in English and Spanish.
Preferred Qualifications: Proficiency in Portuguese is welcome.
The person hired will be expected to teach two courses per semester, including a graduate (PhD) seminar, combined MA and upper level undergraduate courses, gateway courses toward the major in Spanish and general education courses in English about Latin American cultures.
Quan Zhou’s visit to Stony Brook took place in the context of the Stony Brook Humanities Institute’s “Pressing Matters” lecture series. This initiative funds speakers on topics of strong social interest whose work is being studied in an undergraduate or graduate course or courses taught by the proposing faculty member. We discussed Ms. Zhou’s first graphic novel, Gazpacho agridulce, in both my classes during the 2024 spring semester, SPN 389 on 20th and 21st century Spanish culture and SPN 415/510 on Children’s and Adolescent Literature and Media. Zhou has played a highly visible role in focusing attention on the lives and experiences of children of immigrants in Spain. Her autobiographical graphic novel provides a playful but deeply insightful account of the culture clashes and generational conflicts that arise between the old world values of striving immigrant parents and their willfully modern daughters in a Spanish society struggling to come to terms with its own newly multicultural reality. Her public talk was designed as a conversation, with students taking an active role in preparing and asking questions, and resulted in a lively and revealing exchange between the artist-author and the 80 or so attendees. Prof. Kathleen Vernon
Una conversación en Stony Brook
Reportaje de Víctor Chacón y Andrea Barona
Autora de notables trabajos recientes en el género de la novela gráfica española, como Gazpacho agridulce (2015), AndaluChinas por el Mundo (2017) y Gente de Aquí (2020), Quan Zhou se presentó en la universidad de Stony Brook el quince de abril del 2024. Es hija de dos inmigrantes chinos y nació en Algeciras, Andalucía, al sur de España. Creció entre dos culturas y dos identidades con sus dos hermanas y su hermano. En sus novelas gráficas, la autora explora su vida culturalmente híbrida.
Quan Zhou es una artista y novelista que ha comunicado problemas sociales a través de sus trabajos. Durante nuestra conversación sobre su lectura de la novela gráfica Gazpacho agridulce, la autora pone de relieve las tensiones personales y sociales inherentes a los encuentros transculturales, en particular los relacionados con los chinos y los españoles. Mientras nos relataba historias personales de sí misma, criada por padres inmigrantes en el sur de España, nosotros observamos cómo Gazpacho agridulce arroja luz sobre los estereotipos, las crisis de la identidad y la integración cultural a los que se enfrentan los españoles de ascendencia asiática. La obra de Zhou reformula el género autobiográfico combinando el melodrama familiar, la tragicomedia, una historia de madurez y el día a día de la artista. Mientras con la autora profundizamos más en su novela gráfica Gazpacho agridulce, ella nos contó cómo sus relatos son “historias de barrio” de gente normal común y corriente, las historias que podrían fácilmente ser las de cualquier otra chica andaluza. Sin embargo, al añadir el hecho de su ascendencia china, de que sus padres sean migrantes, nos indicó el gran choque cultural en el que vivió al encontrarse con dos mundos opuestos, como son la sociedad china centrada en la familia, de una manera muy cerrada, en contraste con la cultura andaluza.
En esta conversación en Stony Brook con Quan Zhou tuvimos la oportunidad de hacer preguntas sobre sus trabajos y sobre su vida personal para conocerla mejor como artista. Ella nos contó un poco de la perspectiva negativa que tienen los españoles sobre las personas que hacen novelas gráficas en España y cómo ella ha luchado para salir adelante y contar sus historias a través de sus trabajos. Al escuchar un poco de su vida, muchas personas preguntaron sobre el impacto de sus trabajos. Aunque hubo muchas preguntas y comentarios, transcribimos aquí dos preguntas que hicieron nuestros compañeros de clase: “¿Cómo cree que ha contribuido esta obra a crear unidad dentro de España con respecto a los inmigrantes?” y “Su novela gráfica trata de la experiencia de ser china-andaluza en España, ¿haría usted una novela gráfica sobre otra comunidad de nacionalidad híbrida en España, quizás en colaboración con otra autora o autor de esa comunidad? ¿O haría usted una secuela de Gazpacho agridulce?” A través de preguntas como estas Zhou nos pudo aclarar sobre su perspectiva y su historia como una mujer con distintas identidades culturales.
En resumen, a lo largo de Gazpacho Agridulce y otros trabajos de la autora Quan Zhou pudimos tener una conversación donde ella nos hizo una exploración conmovedora y reflexiva de la experiencia migrante y la dualidad cultural. A través de una narrativa visual rica en matices, la autora ofrece una mirada íntima de los desafíos y las alegrías de adaptarse a una nueva sociedad siendo hija de padres migrantes, mientras se preserva la herencia cultural propia. Quan Zhou es una artista y autora muy apasionada que nos ha impactado con su visita a Stony Brook University. ¡Gracias, Quan Zhou!
Spanish text by HLL undergraduate students Víctor Chacón and Andrea Barona. Photos by Víctor Chacon.
Our former Spanish student, Ahmed Abdullah, recently sent us a wonderful email to thank our faculty and highlight the importance of the Spanish language in his daily clinic practice. We are happy to share his email here, with his consent:I’m emailing as a former student in the SPN minor, and a current 2nd year dental student at Stony Brook.Every single day that I have been in clinic, I have been asked to speak in Spanish with a patient. Whether calling for appointment changes, helping with taking a history, or determining a chief complaint, the skills of fluency and linguistic navigation I learned from your great professors have been massive.
A stray thought that I had yesterday was:”Wow, I use my Spanish classes on a day to day basis in clinic WAY more than I use my biology classes”.
Aside from simply making me a better Spanish speaker, my experiences in your classes have made me a more well-rounded and educated person. From the higher-level classes (particularly as a result of conversations with my classmates), I have become much more intimately aware of Hispanic culture, which strengthens me with understanding these patients massively. The point of this email ultimately is to let you all know what a positive difference you have made in my, and my current and future patients’ lives.
Thank you.
Ahmed Abdullah, D.D.S Candidate, Class of 2026, Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine
As part of the activities commemorating 50th anniversary of the U.S.-backed coup against the socialist government of Salvador Allende that marked the beginning of the Pinochet’s 17-year-long dictatorship in Chile, our doctoral student Samuel Espíndola and Prof. Javier Uriarte organized a visit to the exhibition Chile: Dignidad, 1973-2023, by the New York-based artist María Verónica San Martín (Santiago, 1981) at Fordham University’s Lipani Gallery. A group of PhD students from the Department of Hispanic Languages and Literature had the privilege of walking through the exhibition guided by the curator, Prof. Carl Fischer (Fordham University), and the artist herself.
Photo 1: Artist María Verónica San Martín in Lipani Gallery, Fordham University.
Fischer introduced the group to the logic behind organizing an art exhibition such as this one, where recent events seem to be filled with echoes of past violences, charging the words used to described them, sometimes in opposite directions. For example, during the 2019 social uprising (also known as Estallido or Revuelta) against the authoritarian government of Sebastián Piñera (2018-2022), “Dignidad” (dignity) was one of the emblematic words used in chants and famously in the unofficial renaming of the Baquedano Squarehere demonstrators used to gather. However, this word appears also in the name of Colonia Dignidad, “an insular, autarchic, fundamentalist, totalitarian compound in southern Chile”[1], an enclave populated by Germans since 1961 whose leader was the former Nazi Paul Schäfer and where systematic sexual abuse was committed. During the dictatorship, the Colonia was engaged in intimate collaboration with the military regime. In 1991, once the dictatorship ended, the name was changed to Villa Baviera; its residents were free to go but the place remained a controversial site due to numerous national and international judicial cases.
San Martín discussed in detail her creative process (including some learning and discoveries made during her formative years that led her to the U.S.), the assembling of pieces in the exhibition, spanning years of work and different materials, from book art, drawings, engravings, sculpture, to performance. Since direct interaction with the materials is an essential part of her work, the artist manipulated them, allowing us to see different ways to fold and unfold the books. Thus, the group could learn about the documentary and artistic research behind the exhibition and, ultimately, how it is shaped by San Martín’s own experience as a Chilean artist working in the aftermath of the dictatorship (not being a firsthand witness) and living in the USA during the flagrant Human Rights violations that occurred between 2019 and 2020, which inevitably brings reminiscence of the country’s turbulent past.
The visit ended with San Martín’s demonstration of how one the sculptures was used in an art and sound installation with a performance, also titled “Dignidad,” based on secret telephone documents about Colonia Dignidad found in 2012 by the ex-settler and activist Winfried Hempel and now kept in the National Archives of Chile. The piece is a modular metal structure that can be assembled as a box, a cross, a tunnel, a square, and has been presented in several venues by the artist and different performers in Chile, Netherlands, Canada, the US, and Germany.
Photo 2: Prof. Fischer (right, with hat) and HLL Stony Brook University graduate students and Prof. Uriarte (front).
Hispanic Languages and Literature is extremely glad to welcome Lina Quiroz, our new Staff Assistant. Lina will be helping our undergraduate students and faculty to navigate our Spanish courses and requirements. She will also be assisting in all matters related to the new program in Native American Indigenous Studies (NAIS), housed in our department.
You can come Mondays to Fridays to our main office in Humanities 1055 and talk to Lina in person, in English or Spanish. Here is a brief interview we did with her last week to know a bit more about her career and interests:
¡Bienvenida, Lina! You have a long experience working in the education industry, can you tell us more about your background before joining Stony Brook?
During my college years, I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Romance Languages. Seeking a more practical path, I transitioned into the field of immigration law, taking on the role of an immigration paralegal in New York City. As life evolved with the arrival of my first child, my professional focus shifted towards opportunities closer to home in Queens, leading me to secure a position at St. John’s University as a Senior Secretary of the Associate Dean of Global Initiatives. Within a year, I progressed to the role of Coordinator of Global Initiatives at The Peter J. College of Business, where I played a crucial role in managing the global programs within the college. This experience laid the foundation for my subsequent promotion to Assistant Director of Global Programs. In this role, I spearheaded the management of the Global Destination Course Program, involving embedded courses with travel components, and contributed to the success of GLOBE (Global Loan Opportunities for Budding Entrepreneurs), a student managed academic program that provides small loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries.
My journey has always been fueled by a passion for international studies and cross-cultural experiences. Now, finding myself in a role at Stony Brook within the Department of Hispanic Languages and Literature, I feel a profound sense of coming full circle in my professional endeavors.
Did you have any previous contact with Stony Brook?
After earning my degree from Hunter College (CUNY) in New York City, I became familiar with the SUNY schools, among which Stony Brook stood out as a prominent research university. Its reputation for significant advancements in the sciences and health industry piqued my interest. While recently delving into my research on Long Island universities, I discovered that Stony Brook not only excelled in the sciences but also boasted outstanding programs in the Arts, Sciences, Engineering, and Business. Discovering that Stony Brook University holds the prestigious position as the top-ranked SUNY institution in the state also made a lasting impression on me.
What were your first impressions of our campus and department?
When arriving to campus, I didn’t realize the physical size of the University is so enormous. I have heard of Stony Brook being its own little city, and now I understand why. The numerous buildings and housing structures along with the prestigious hospital are impressive. There is a real university spirit, and you sense that as you drive through the manicured pathways of the university. I find the Hispanic Languages and Literature department to be a warm and welcoming department. Everyone I meet is genuinely nice and there is an energy of eagerness to learn. There is also a notable passion in the faculty and staff that reminds me of my undergraduate days as a language major.
What do you love to do in summer or when you are not busy working?
I proudly wear the hats of a soccer, lacrosse, and dance mom, constantly shuttling between games, practices and recitals with my family. We love to travel and experience new cultures. When international journeys aren’t feasible, we like to explore areas in our own region. Having grown up in Queens and currently residing in Nassau County, the eastern part of Long Island remains uncharted territory for me. This summer, my plan is to explore what the East End has to offer while creating lasting memories with my family.
I also pride myself in creating a meal that brings friends and family together. Cooking is my heartfelt expression, a way to show love. I enjoy making Latin and Mediterranean dishes, but I like to explore various ethnic flavors. In the summers, you will always find us in the backyard spending time with friends and family alongside an open flamed grill as the music plays in the background. As a native Colombian, my culinary skills focus on Latin-American cuisine, including my favored arepas and sancocho. The comforting Latin dishes I make while listening to salsa music and sipping on strong coffee fills our home with the lively essence of our culture.
This past Wednesday December 6th (2023) in our doctoral seminar, third year PhD students Valentina Pucci, José Gabriel Alegría and Samuel Espíndola presented their dissertation projects they had worked in the Dissertation Prospectus seminar, directed by Prof. Kathleen Vernon. The topics of research ranged from early modern religious iconography in colonial Andes and Europe, homosexual liberation movements in Argentina in the 1960s and the representation of residues and wasted space in contemporary poetry and visual arts of the Southern Cone and Brazil. See the slides below for the title of each project.
The three presentations were followed by questions and comments by different faculty. Samuel, José Gabriel and Valentina were able to expand on their research and received valuable feedback. In many ways, the three presentation were great examples of departmental fields or lines of inquiry and research. Professor Javier Uriarte, director of graduate studies, commented on the importance of this open conversation in the process of defining and writing the dissertation:
“This event represents a breakthrough moment for our PhD students. This is the result of a semester-long profound engagement with their project. 3rd-year students take the dissertation prospectus workshop in their 5th semester. Throughout the semester they discuss their ideas with colleagues and professors, and thus engage in a thorough editing and rethinking of the proposal. At the end of the semester they are ready to present these ideas to the entire department in a conference-style event. They are expected to offer an articulated version of the project and discuss its central arguments, structure and methodology with students and professors. After the feedback they receive they are expected to continue working with their advisors and submit the final version to their committee at the end of the 6th semester.”
After the three presentations, Prof. Paul Firbas introduced invited guest Dr. Francisco Mamani Fuentes (Thoma Foundation), who presented a talk on colonial architecture. Dr. Mamani, a recent dual graduate in esthetics, history and art theory from the École Normale Supérieure (France) and history from the University of Granada (Spain), shared his archival research on colonial building in the Andes, focusing on the human agency behind the “carpinteria de lo blanco” (construction carpentry) in multiethnic cities like Quito, Lima or Cuzco. He also shared his experiences as a recent PhD graduate, and described the challenges of post-doc and fellowship applications.
Finally, after the presentations, we had the great joy of listening to our first year PhD student and renowned artist Alessio Arena, who performed with his guitar a few of his more popular songs, like his “El hombre que quiso ser canción”, a homage to poet García Lorca that he recorded in 2019 featuring Miguel Poveda (official video here). ¡Mil gracias, grazie mille, querido Alessio, y felicitaciones a todos!
Reportaje de Víctor Chacón Cabrera y Andrea Barona, estudiantes de SPN 390: Communication, Media and Journalism in Spanish (Prof. Firbas)
Aurora Arias presentó públicamente su novela Vida verdadera en el Caribe por primera vez en la Universidad de Stony Brook en una actividad organizada por la Dra. Zaida Corniel, profesora en esta casa de estudios.
Este mes de octubre de 2023, la escritora dominicana Aurora Arias visitó nuestro Departamento de lenguas y literaturas hispánicas en Stony Brook University para presentar por primera vez su novela Vida Verdadera en el Caribe (Caligrama, 2023). La novelista nos habló sobre su vida y nos explicó por qué ella se identifica como una autora feminista y activista. Lo que la llevó a dedicarse al activismo social es que en su país no existían lugares para ayudar a mujeres con problemas como el alcohol y las drogas y entonces ella decidió aportar con la literatura. Su nueva novela es como una continuación de sus otras obras literarias, muchas de las cuales han sido traducidas al inglés, francés y alemán.
Aurora Arias nos contó historias personales que la influenciaron al escribir su novela, como cuando conoció a mujeres que necesitaban ayuda y ella las plasmó en sus novelas, demostrando así la importancia que tiene su obra en la cultura dominicana. Además, la escritora nos narró la importancia que ha tenido la música en su familia y cómo ella fue iniciada en el canto por su abuela. Arias nos precisó que los espacios de su universo narrativo se mantienen siempre llenos de música y luego confesó, por primera vez en público, que de niña la llevaban a una estación de televisión a cantar y que allí le pusieron el sobrenombre de “La Estrellita”.
En su novela Vida Verdadera en el Caribe, Arias se enfoca en temas que impactan la sociedad dominicana y nos presenta la verdadera realidad del país. Su novela presenta problemas fundamentales en la vida de la isla, como el turismo sexual, la migración y la explotación de las mujeres. La República Dominicana es generalmente representada como un paraíso, pero ¿para quién es un paraíso? Arias explicó el papel que jugó la política gubernamental en la industria del turismo al promover oficialmente el slogan “sonría al turista”, proyectando así una imagen paradisíaca para los visitantes.
La novela muestra la importancia en el imaginario nacional de los turistas “gringos”, mayoritariamente europeos y norteamericanos, y el sueño común de que estos turistas van a sacar de la pobreza a las mujeres de la República Dominicana. Del mismo modo, esta idea ha aumentado el interés en el turismo sexual en la isla. Las mujeres tienen la esperanza de que estos hombres les puedan dar oportunidades para obtener una vida mejor y ayudar a sus familiares. Tanto en la realidad como en la novela, podemos ver que las mujeres dependen de estos hombres extranjeros para tener un mejor futuro. Realmente, lo que llama la atención es la normalización en la isla de este tipo de pensamiento y la valoración del turista, que es considerado como “un salvador”. Sin embargo, la profesora Corniel explicó que en esa dura economía del turismo “las mujeres se convierten en proveedoras de sus familias”. Esto transforma el papel tradicional asignado al género femenino y tiene, por tanto, un gran impacto en la estructura social dominicana.
Después de la actividad, la escritora nos concedió una breve entrevista. La conversación con Aurora Arias nos llevó a hablar de diferentes temas, como la migración e identidad.
P: ¿Qué nos puede decir sobre las razones de la gran emigración dominicana a Estados Unidos, especialmente a Nueva York?¿Viajan buscando el “sueño americano”?
ARIAS: Siempre me he preguntado hasta qué punto lo del sueño americano es o no un mito creado por los mismos estadounidenses. Supongo que para muchas personas luchar por conseguir ese sueño ha sido importante, lo han logrado o creen que se ha hecho realidad, sin importar el precio a pagar, y para otras no. Supongo también que el valor se lo da cada cual. Para mí particularmente no tiene un valor significativo.
Pregunta: ¿Usted cómo ve la identidad dominicana desde Estados Unidos? ¿Cree que pertenecer a la comunidad dominicana desde otro país es una experiencia distinta?
ARIAS: Emigré a Estados Unidos en una edad adulta en la que ya había vivido, me había formado académicamente y había publicado mis primeros libros en mi país. Por eso, años después de emigrar sigo sintiendo que pertenezco a la comunidad dominicana, sin importar a dónde vaya ni dónde esté. Lo que ha cambiado y se ha ampliado es mi visión de mí misma dentro del espacio social en el que ahora vivo, en el sentido de que más allá de ser dominicana o caribeña, ahora me identifico más como latina, algo que antes no me pasaba con la misma intensidad.
Pregunta: ¿Cómo ve usted la situación de los migrantes en su país, al ver que la sociedad dominicana ve a los “gringos” como gente mejor que a sus propios compatriotas dominicanos, y cómo influye esto en su libro?
ARIAS: Desde hace varias décadas y gobiernos se sembró en la sociedad dominicana la idea de que los gringos (y eso incluye a cualquier persona blanca, norteamericana o europea), poseen un poder y una superioridad especial, ya sea por su color de piel o por su condición económica. Como nuestra economía depende en un 15% de la industria del turismo, hay un constante tránsito de viajeros provenientes de Europa, Canadá y Estados Unidos, principalmente. A los dominicanos se nos ha inculcado que debemos ser “hospitalarios por naturaleza” con los turistas, mientras los turistas, viajeros y expatriados buscan obtener una porción del Paraíso, lo que a veces implica la explotación de los propios lugareños, el incremento del turismo sexual, la prostitución de menores, el tráfico de personas, etc. Muchos de estos europeos o norteamericanos se quedan a vivir en el país sin ocuparse de legalizar su estatus migratorio, pero no son perseguidos ni deportados como sucede con los haitianos. Todo esto y mucho más me influyó para escribir la novela.
Pregunta: ¿Cómo se sintió al hablar sobre su novela, Vida verdadera en el Caribe, por primera vez en público en la universidad de Stony Brook?
ARIAS: ¡Muy bien! Después de pasar años encerrada escribiendo una novela de 386 páginas, estar en un espacio acogedor y lleno de personas inteligentes, de diferentes edades, algunos estudiantes, otros profesores, interesadas en lo que escribo, es como el paraíso, no sólo para mí, sino para cualquier escritor o escritora. Siento que fue una excelente manera de “estrenar” la Vida verdadera en el Caribe.
En conclusión, Aurora Arias nos muestra con su libro cómo es la verdadera vida en el Caribe, dándole voz en esta novela y su obra anterior a diferentes tipos de personas con diferentes problemas sociales. En esta novela la escritora dominicana nos da una narrativa que se alimenta de temas como la migración, la miseria y el caos en un Santo Domingo agotado que lucha en contra de la pobreza, la desigualdad, y que también atraviesa por el peso de la discriminación que existe hacia personas procedentes de Haití, país con el que comparte la isla. Arias, empezó a publicar en la década de 1980, después de la segunda presidencia de Joaquín Balaguer. Los personajes de su mundo de ficción, como James Gatto y Gladys Agramonte, reflejan situaciones que revelan las preocupaciones sociales de la autora y nos hacen reflexionar sobre la realidad dominicana. Es un mundo lleno de conflictos, pero también lleno de vitalidad y sentido del humor. En fin, vemos como la República Dominicana puede llegar a ser un paraíso para los extranjeros blancos y adinerados, mientras que al mismo tiempo está muy lejos de serlo para los locales.
Aurora Arias nació en Santo Domingo en la República Dominicana, el 22 de abril de 1962. Es escritora, periodista, feminista y astróloga; además ha estudiado arte y psicología.
