09 JorgeBerástegui.pmd Thatcherism, racism,hybridity, socialclass,Postmodernism, parody. The aimofthisessayistoanalyze ABSTRACT mo, thatcherismo,racismo,hibridación,clasesocial,postmodernismo,parodia. PALABRAS a unmediosocialfrecuentemente hostil. prestando especialatenciónalosprocesosdehibridaciónyadaptaciónpersonajes Kureishi, reflejaalgunasdelasconsecuenciasque“ladiáspora” hatenidoenGran Bretaña, es analizardequémodolapelícula,quedirigeStephen Frears ycuyoguionistaesHanif paraelcinebritánico, importancia heelegidounaobradegran ticos conorígenesyobjetivosmuydiferentes.En esteartículo, Los estudiosquerealizalacríticapostcolonialincluyenunagrancantidaddetrabajosartís- RESUMEN KEY themselves toafrequentlyhostilesocialenvironment. special attentiontoculturalhybridityandthedifferent waysinwhichcharactersadapt Kureishi’s someofconsequencesthe“diaspora” filmportrays inGreat Britain, paying well-known British Ihaveselectedavery film, this article, Postcolonial worksbearingdifferent originsandgoals.In criticismincludesseveralartistic [Octavio] Getinoformilitantguerrilladocumentaries, and[Julio García]Espinosa Rocha calledfora“hungry” cinemaof“sad, uglyfilms,”[Fernando] Solanas and standing Western thespiritofapoliticizedausterism,[Glauber] discourse.“Within defending anewmodeloffilm-making,aesthetic proposalscapableofwith- hadcontributedtosustain.Hundredsgraphic art andintellectualsstarted ofartists ern dominationandabletobreak awayfrom thatcinemato- theimperialistview century, openedupanewtypeofradicalleft-wingcinemaeagertoconfront West-

WORDS

The anti-colonial struggle, intensifiedduringthesecondhalf ofthe20th The anti-colonialstruggle, CLAVE : HanifKureishi, Stephen Frears, : Hanif Kureishi, Stephen Frears, R EVISTA IN C THE ANALYSIS OFHYBRIDITY 139 ANARIA MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE

DE Jorge Berástegui Wood E Universidad deAlcalá STUDIOS My BeautifulLaundrette

how Director Stephen Frears’ andscriptwriterHanif I NGLESES My BeautifulLaundrette , 54;April 2007,pp. 139-147 My BeautifulLaundrette My BeautifulLaundrette (1984).Elobjetivodelensayo 08/10/2007, 11:39 * , cinema,Colonialism, , cine,colonialis- (1984).

THE ANALYSIS OF HYBRIDITY IN MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE 139 09 JorgeBerástegui.pmd

JORGE BERÁSTEGUI WOOD 140 Reilly (Gubern 500).Apart fromhistoricalfilmslike realista, perosinsuusualmoralismo,yla irreverencia yeldesenfadoposmodernos” Frears haofrecido entre unasíntesis,confrecuencia latradiciónsocial afortunada, has beenabletodevelophisown personality. artistic “LaproduccióndeStephen graphic wave —characterisedby astr directors likeLindsayAnderson. Though hewasinitiallylinkedtothiscinemato- of thelastdecades.He working started asanassistantforsomefamous“Free cinema” director andthescriptwriteroffilm:Stephen Frears andHanifKureishi. synthesisoftheaesthetic,socialandculturalconcernsboth is theperfect postmodern urbanperspectiveofitscreators. AndIsay“creators” becausethisfilm ofLondonduringthe1980s.Butoutskirts itismainlyafilmthatreflects the cinema. It theracialconflictsof isacosmopolitan filmintendingtoportray ofthe opposed toracismandcolonialism,ithasbeincludedasapart Western different fromtheso-called“third worldcinema.”Even thoughitiscompletely My process ofsocialintegration.It iswithintheseparametersthatwehavetoanalyse —mainly related toracialdiscrimination—thatprotagonistshavefaceinthe who arrivedandsettleddown inEurope. These filmsreflect thedifferent problems typeofcinemafocusedonshowingabout theemergenceofanew thelives ofthose the representation ofimmigrants’ lifeinbig Western cities. We couldpossiblytalk ised throughtherelationship betweenthemetropolisandcolony, butalsothrough Films shootingstoriesinwhichthecolonialdiscoursewasnotonlyvisual- started day,migrants every formercolonialsubjectslookingforanewlifeinthe West. receivinghundredsutopias— butthefactisthatcitieslikeLondonstarted ofim- tion andself-indulgentnativeelites;inotherwords, thecollapseofemancipating different reasons thatexplainthismigration—neocolonialism,frequent corrup- nies totheoldermetropolisofempire. Iamnotgoingtocommenthere onthe of decolonizationoftenledtoamassivemigrationpeoplefrom theformercolo- as asignificantcauseofthechangeculturalandpoliticalparadigms. The process proaches racismandpostcolonialproblems.It tomentionthe“diaspora” isimportant loss ofinfluenceMarxism havefinallyhadaninfluenceinthewaycinemaap- targets —intermsofsocial,politicalandeconomicwelfare—, togetherwiththe spectives inthelastdecades. The factthatdecolonizationhasnotreached itsmain & Stam 248). for an“imperfect” cinemaenergized bythe“low” formsofpopularculture(Shohat Educación yCiencia,ref. AP-2004-1034.

Beautiful Laundrette (1996), Frears’ filmographyismadeupofseveralworks inwhichtheleading Stephen Frears isoneofthemostproductive andwell-known filmdirectors My BeautifulLaundrette However, there hasbeenasignificantchangeinculturalandpoliticalper- * This work hasbeenpossiblethankstoaFPUgrantfrom theSpanish Ministerio de 140 . isanewtypeofcinematographicproduct, very ong socialandpolitical Dangerous Liaisons 08/10/2007, 11:39 commitment— (1988)or Frears Mary 09 JorgeBerástegui.pmd sometimes hostileworld.Asexamplesofthiswecanmention tofindtheirown identity in anincreasinglycharacters try plural,complexand changes: Orientalism workstive analysisbetweenthefirstimportant ofpostcolonialtheory, e.g.Said’s 1960s and1970sisparalleltopostcolonialtheory’s own development. Acontras- relationship between confrontation thatexistsin Western cities.In reference tothis,Icouldsaythatthe first —andthethird— worldrelationship butisalsoreproduced inthemultiethnic because itconfirmswhatIhavealready said:colonialismisnotonlylinkedtothe another. AsHomi Bhabha says, Laundrette finding hisown identity, withthehelpofhisfriend/lover Johnny. will beabletofaceracismandothertypesofdifficultiesthatprevent himfrom him thepossibilityoffeelingathome.Omar, whohasrented hisuncle’s laundrette, wherehewasbornbutwhichalsodenies culty oflivinginEngland,thecountry boy betweentheneedtobefaithfulhisfamilytraditionand thediffi- struggles origin whotriestoplungeintothecontexthelivesin. Trapped inthissituation,the thecharacteristicsofachangingworld. settingtoperform comes theperfect digms thatemergefrom thediasporaprocess. Within thiscontext,Londonbe- have toadaptasituationinwhichracismgoestogetherwithnewculturalpara- oftensecondandthirdwork; hischaractersare very generationimmigrantswho with theproblems ofidentityhisprotagonists,justasFrears hasdoneinhis Courage andHer Sons the film novels British literature. incontemporary He hasalsoworked asafilmdirector in he lateradaptedforatelevisionseries—and The Snapper cinema andtelevision.He istheauthorof in different numberofnovels fields,writinganimportant andvariousscriptsfor film. approach mademustacknowledge contributionofthelattertothis theimportant Moreover, itwasthebeginningofFrears’s andKureishi’s worktogether. Anycritical essay, My BeautifulLaundrette Hybridity isakeyconceptinthisessay—andpostcolonialtheory. Firstly, —or,disseminatory inmymixed metaphor, anegativetransparency. (112) and power isenactedonthesiteofdesire, makingitsobjectsatoncedisciplinary For oftheambivalentspacewhererite thecolonialhybridisarticulation of subversion that turnthegazeofdiscriminatedbackuponeyepower. sistic demandsofcolonialpower butre-implicates itsidentificationsinstrategies identityeffects.(...)Itrepetition ofdiscriminatory unsettlesthemimeticornarcis- Hybridity istherevaluation oftheassumptioncolonialidentitythrough My BeautifulLaundrette Hanif Kureishi whohasdevelopedhisproduction isanoutstandingartist London KillsMe isahybridfilm,where different discoursesinteractandreformulate one andmore recent publications likeBhabha’s, willreveal significant (1993), High Fidelity by Berltold Brecht. In mostofhisproduction,Kureishi deals My BeautifulLaundrette 141 (1991) andhehasadaptedtheatre playssuchas (1984), thefirstFrears’ greatcinematographichit. tells the story ofOmar, tellsthestory anEnglishboy ofPakistani (2000)andalsothefilmweare analysinginthis The Buddha ofSuburbia andtheanti-colonialcinemaof The Black Album 08/10/2007, 11:39 The Grifters (1990)—which (1995), relevant My Beautiful Mother’s (1990),

THE ANALYSIS OF HYBRIDITY IN MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE 141 09 JorgeBerástegui.pmd

JORGE BERÁSTEGUI WOOD 142 cism, 1981-1991 thatarepolicy insomeofthearticles includedinhisbook, Laundrette intherelationshipas astepforward betweenthecolonizerandcolonized. intoquestion.On theotherhand,wewillshow hybridity the protagonistsofthisstory hand, wewilltalkofhybridityasaformputtingtheattitudesanddiscourses phenomenon, twomainstagesinthisprocessshouldbeestablished:ontheone cultural dimensionsare highlyrelated.Due tothemultipleeffectscausedbythis the problemsofhybridity, foritisaconceptinwhichthesocial,politicaland culturalsubject.However,tices leadstotheemergencyofanew we willalsoanalyze howwe willobserve thecontactbetweendifferentdiscoursesandculturalprac- its victimsasaweaponagainstthosewhohavemadethem.In thefollowing pages strategies anddiscursivepracticesofcolonialismcanbereformulated andusedby greatness. narrative ofthenationwhichintendedtoreturnBritain theformerimperial penses ofthestatewhocausednationaldecadence. Thatcher’s policyledtoanew state, wasre-interpreted intermsofsocialparalysis:lazycitizenslivingattheex- the post-conflictsolidarity, inthecreation whichhadbeencrucial ofthewelfare British imperialrhetoric. There wasabreak oftheso-called“war consensus,”and years. Party oftheConservative in1979meantastepbacktowardsThe victory the for Thatcher’s moralvaluesandpersonalityconditionedthenationforover ten clear colonialnostalgia.References tothePrime Minister are constantinthefilm, the filmisMargaret Thatcher’s England,where theofficialpoliticalagendahada the role of the white middle-class within a society ruled bythe role lawandorder. ofthewhitemiddle-classwithinasociety ruled However, The narrativeofthenationanditswaybacktotraditionalvaluestriedreinforce mocks andmanipulatesthepoliticaleconomicdiscoursesofconservatives. denies inthefilmconceptofnationthat Thatcher tried toproject andalso is aclearexampleofhybridityasmeansquestioningdiscourses.Hybridity sively basedoncapitalistindividualism. socialandeconomicpolicywhichwasexclu- conservative combined withavery declared ‘we haveceasedtobeanationinretreat’” (Borgmann19).Allthiswas erately presented inChurchillian terms,asarevival ofthespirit1940(...)she 1 issuestobearinmindwhenweOne analyze oftheimportant Secondly, inthisessaybecauseitreflects hybridityisimportant thatthe their pointsofsimilarity... (Childs& Williams 122) ences andoppositionsbetweencolonizercolonized,Bhabha oftenexamines colonized, latentandmanifestOrientalism.(...) While Said discussesthediffer- as tooreliant onover-simplifying binariessuchasEastand West, colonizerand Bhabha’s approachtocolonialdiscourseisdissimilarSaid’s, whichBhabha sees The way Salman gooddescriptionofconservatives’ Rushdie gives avery racialandneo-imperial 1 Thus, “intheFalkland’s/Malvinas” warof1982,which Thatcher delib- isthehistoricalcontextinwhichittakesplace. shownThe country in . 142 My BeautifulLaundrette parodies someoftheaspects Thatcherism Imaginary Homelands: Essays andCriti- 08/10/2007, 11:39 My Beautiful 09 JorgeBerástegui.pmd cal situations: thatwasbecomingincreasinglyhybrid.Onsomeoccasions,thisledtoillogi- country a narrativeofthenation—withitsrigidsocialandeconomicimplications—to which ismorevulnerabletothesocialfragmentationproducedbycapitalism. to itsmembers. We here aclearcontrastwiththeAnglo-Saxon canobserve family, about theirbusinessproblems. There whichgivessupport isasolidsocialstructure film. Allofthemmeetperiodicallyindifferent celebrationswhere theyopenlyspeak Cooperation amongmembersofthesameethnicgroupisarelevant aspectinthe says toOmar:“Your unclehelpedmewhenIwasinneed.Now Iwanttohelpyou.” eral ideologywithastrong family/group consciousness.In asceneofthefilm,Salim some occasions,completelyillegal. take advantage ofthiscontexttoestablishasetlegallydoubtfulactivities,or, on excusethe perfect foranykindofbusiness.Omar’s uncleandhiscolleagueSalim statecontrol—astheneoliberaleconomicandpoliticalmodelsdefend—is erful ideologytohis own interests.capacity toadapttheconservative The lackofapow- can getanything: You onlyneedtoknow how tousethesystem,”heshows his ology fortheirown benefit. When Omar’s unclesays“In you thisbloodycountry Gatsby?” ofrole hedoesnothingbutreflectasort inversioninsocialstructure. violent acts. When Johnny asksOmar, doesyourunclethinkheis,theGreat “Who white charactersare shown wanderingaround theurbanlandscapeandinvolved in white people.In progress thatappearinthefilmare carriedoutbyPakistani businessmenandnotby a lotfromtheideaattachedto Thatcherism. Besides,theonlyinstancesofsocial what wefindin possibility ofnegotiatingaspotfortheimmigrantandits descendants. profitable business.It forspace,asifthewhitemanrejected lookslikeastruggle the thatJohnny toturnintoa ing themselvesinfrontofthelaundry and Omartry are portrayed asthreatening beingsconstantlybothering Pakistani characters,plac- outracistandxenophobic acts. lies upongangsoflazywhitepeoplewhocarry They out thefilm. The taskofreassuring thegreat “values” ofthetraditionalGreat Britain into aparodyofitself. mological incoherence andmultipleconceptualcrackswhichendupturningit One of the bizarreparadoxes of Thatcherism wasitscommitmenttoimpose Nevertheless, Pakistani characterscombinethecapacitytoprofitfromlib- In thisfilm,Pakistani charactersre-interpret Thatcherism’s economicide- The narrativeofthenationhastofaceitsown internal contradictions through- theambivalenceofcolonialdiscourse,itsepiste- This extractportrays (Childs & Williams 129) fied peopleinvokedbythenarrativedifferfromdiverseaddressed byit. difference shiftsfromthenation’s exterioritiestoitsinterioritiesbecausetheuni- conflict withthe(present) nation.Inpost-colonialspace,theculturalthreat of people whosefamilieswere atconflictwiththatempire —(past)nationwasat conflict withArgentina,shewasaddressing a“nation” containingseveralmillion When Margaret Thatcher invokedthespirittobolsterBritish nationinits My BeautifulLaundrette My BeautifulLaundrette 143 is a chaotic portrait ofsocietythatdiffers isachaoticportrait , Pakistanis whereas enjoy the theirluxury 08/10/2007, 11:39

THE ANALYSIS OF HYBRIDITY IN MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE 143 09 JorgeBerástegui.pmd

JORGE BERÁSTEGUI WOOD 144 tions ofPakistani people. There isaclearpatriarchalhierarchy, withOmar’s uncle terms itcanbesaidthatthefilmisquitefaithfulwhen representing tradi- certain with thedynamismshown by Pakistani characters. well asvictimsoftheirignorance,asurreal anddespaired existencewhichcontrasts son whyFrears andKureishi have represented skinheadsasthreateningbeings as cooperation amongthosewhosufferfromoppressive situations.It may betherea- litical agenda,stimulatingethnicconfrontation inorder tobreak possiblesocial of industrialreorganization. This isoneofthegreatest goalsoftherightwingpo- often nourishesfrompeoplewhoinhabitdeprived areasandwhohave beenvictims ofthepoorestnormally part groupsofsociety. In Great Britain, forinstance,racism characteristics ofracistdiscourse:thosewhoaremore fanaticinitsdefenceare polite terms.Ontheotherhand,thissituationshows oneofthe mostimpressive that liesbehindthecolonialdiscourse,even thoughitisusuallydisguisedinmore on thestreet through rows andinsults. Therefore, we rapidlyrealize theperversity colonial discoursewhichiscarefully hiddenbehindneutralmasksisthenprojected goes againstthecolonialdiscourseproduced atinstitutionallevels;theracistand define theiridentity. Aren’t England?”asifsuchidlethingscouldactawayto you goingtosupport Omar, peoplefromthegangaskhim:“Aren’t yougoingtosupport The Palace? and “confront” thethreatinspired by“the other.” When Johnny working starts for tom ofthesocialstructure. They needsymbolsandtokenstodefinetheiridentity of seeingthatimmigrantsimprove theirconditionswhiletheyremain atthebot- heads gangneedsstereotypes inorder toresist theemotionalshockthatcomesout The whitecharactersuseitastheirlastresort tofindinternalstability. The skin- trayed inthefilm.Stereotype doesnotworkasawayofdominating“the other.” otype toreaffirm hisidentityandfinallybeabletodominate“the other.” needs hismother’s footasasubstituteforthepenis,colonizerneedsstere- ity. Bhabha analyzesthischaracteristicinFreudian terms:inthesamewaychild course hastheneedtoproducestereotype,asHomi Bhabha says, tion inwhichpostcolonialproblemsmergewithsocialclassreality. Colonialdis- Hybridity alsoaffectsthefamilystructure ofimmigrantfamilies.In general This situationprovokes paradoxicalconsequences.Ontheonehand,it However, thingsworkdifferently inthehybridsocialstructure thatispor- The stereotype isusedinthecolonialdiscourseorder toassure itsstabil- the AfricanthatneedsnoProf., cannever really, indiscourse,beproved. (66) repeated... asiftheessentialduplicityofAsiaticorbestialsexuallicence what isalways“inplace,”already known, andsomethingthatmustbeanxiously discursive strategy, isaformofknowledge andidentificationthatvacillates between degeneracy anddaemonicrepetition. thestereotype, whichisitsmajor Likewise representation: itconnotesrigidityandanunchangingorder aswebdisorder, historical/racial difference inthediscourseofcolonialism,isaparadoxical modeof “fixity” ofotherness.Fixity, intheideologicalconstruction asthesignofcultural/ featureAn important ofcolonialdiscourseisitsdependenceontheconcept To represent whitecharactersasviolentsubjectsleadstoacomplexsitua- 144 08/10/2007, 11:39 09 JorgeBerástegui.pmd the dirt offilthysociety”the dirt (Oliva 147). metaphor: “the seenasameansofcleaningup intelligentmetaphor ofthelaundry adorespostructuralism toposit.Second, inthelaundry, hybrid whichistheperfect Hybridity alsoprojects insexualterms.It suggeststheendoffrontiers—something This idealisticaimmaterializes intwoways:first, inhisrelationship withJohnny. makes uphisown vitalproject, characterisedbylove andculturalre-negotiation. alistic pointofview. But astimegoeson,heabandonshisuncle’s materialismand sceptical andnegative visionofreality. He placeshimself nexttohisuncle’s materi- clear evolutionthroughout thefilm.At beginning,hedetachesfrom hisfather’s is alsodeterminedbytheimmigrantcommunity. But Omar’s characterundergoesa the onehand,heisrejected bythecolonial/racistdiscourse.Onotherhand,he From thebeginning,Omar findshimselfbetweentwodiscoursesaboutreality. On This isthecasethattakesplaceinrelationship betweenOmarandJohnny. tles fixed discoursesofreality andputscharactersintodifficultsituations. of wisdomorthevaluetradition,inorder tofeelsafe.Hybridity, again,disman- from Great Britain. Therefore, things,suchasthepower hecanonlygraspcertain tells usinthefilm,samekidshehashelpedare now demandinghiseviction increasingly problematic world. That iswhatexplainshisdisenchantment.Ashe that traditionaldialecticsbetweentherichandpoorhaslostitssenseinan has workedtohelpwhiteworking-class kidsasateacher. But hefinally discovers study. He isasocialistwhohasalwaysbelieved infightingagainstoppression.He culture ofanemancipatingprocess.He aspart insistsonencouraging hissonto the failure ofhumanisticutopia.He isadefenderofinternationalism.He sees home.” These sentenceshideacomplete disappointment.Omar’s fathersymbolizes hascheatedus. Wecountry shouldgobackthere, withourfamilies. That’s ourreal lems ofhybridity. He doesnotlikeEngland andlooksbacktohis tradition:“This He represents theemotionalproblemsthatresult fromthe“diaspora,” theprob- been sodomisedbyreligion.” However, Omar’s father’s different. attitudeisvery country. He saysthingslike“At least,wecangetmoneyhere” has or“Our country is themainpsychological reference. He rejects anynostalgicfeelingforhisnative symbolizes thecapacity toadaptthecontextinwhichhelives. For him,England the film.One represented ofthem isthepragmaticview by Omar’s uncle,who with the“diaspora.” There are twodifferentattitudestowards thisphenomenonin situation thatmoves from traditiontomodernity. whole community. That iswhy Tania leavesherhome,incapableofbearingthis tion. This duplicitydetachesthesubjectfromhisown reality andfinallyaffectsthe He wantstobeoneandtheotheratsametime,beinginsideoutsidetradi- outside thefamilytradition.Omar’s formofduplicity. uncleexperiences acertain Islamic butweshouldspeakofanillicitrelationship tradition— thattakesplace marital affairwitha Western woman.It isnotacaseofpolygamy—aswecanseein ture, atthesametime,hasitscracks.Omar’s uncle,forexample,hasanextra- Islamic traditions,offeringOmarhisdaughterasawife.Nevertheless, thisstruc- at theheadofit.He reproduces thecontractualformsofmarriagetypicalcertain Hybridity canalsobeunderstoodasawaytoovercome socialproblems. Hybridity isalsopresent intheapproachtocharacters’ relationship 145 08/10/2007, 11:39

THE ANALYSIS OF HYBRIDITY IN MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE 145 09 JorgeBerástegui.pmd

JORGE BERÁSTEGUI WOOD 146 nority discoursehastobediscovered by culturalformsintroduced bythe“diaspora:” newnessofmigrant ormi- “The epistemological structures basedontheexistenceof“the other” are finallymodified of culturaldifference asasolidconstituentofpostmodernsociety. In thisstage,the narrative. contextfortheemergence This discursivedecentringbecomestheperfect breaking thesignificantchain—colonialdiscourselosesitsstatusasameta- historical contingenciesofcolonialism.In thisschizophrenic context—intermsof postmodern space: illustrate thispointofview, letmerecall Fredric Jameson inhisreflection upon talism logics.AsSlavoj Z comes anethereal process whichturnsmulticulturalism intoanappendixofcapi- itbe- Any emancipatingdiscourseisessentiallysocialandeconomic.Otherwise, my pointofview, thecolonialproblemcannotbeseparatedfrom aclassdialectics. putsusbackintoaconceptualframethatPostmodernismview hasmodified.From problem ofethnicminoritiesinclassterms.Bhabha thinks thatthistheoretical Culture without payingattentiontosocialclassissues.In thelastchapterof how racialandclassdiscoursesaffecteachother. It isdifficulttotalkabouthybridity some oldrepressive discourses.But the filmproves emancipatingresource thathybriditycanbeanimportant from discourse strategiesofboth,thecolonizerandcolonized.On theotherhand, tion ofthehybridityprocess.On theonehand,itshows how hybriditydetermines a hybridfuture. ters washingeachother, totheannouncementof aformofbaptismwhichpertains relationship. thisimage:thetwocharac- The lastsceneofthefilmclearly portrays with thedialectsof“the other,” ametaphorfornovelty anddifferent formsof voices andculturalhybridity. represents: abreak This isexactlywhatthelaundry (Bhabha 227).It historicalmomentwhichopensthepathtomultiple isanew progressivist divisionbetweenpastandpresent, orthearchaicandmodern” Homi Bhabha criticizesFredric Jameson forhistendencytoanalyze the capitalismo global],desdeelcualsepuedenapreciar (ydespreciar) adecuadamente vacío” yprivilegiado[suposicióndeburguésoccidental,sujetofavorecido enel de supropiacultura);sinembargo,retieneposición“punto deuniversalidad positivo (elmulticulturalistanoesunracistadirecto; noleoponealOtro losvalores El multiculturalismoesunracismoquevacía supropia posicióndetodocontenido represents adecentredThe laundry spacewhichtriestogobeyondthe (qtd.Bhabha 216) (of theSelf). decentring ofglobalcapitalitself... thefragmentedandschizophrenicdecentring spacesofbourgeoisprivatelifeallthewaytounimaginable the stillsurviving multidimensional setofradicaldiscontinuousrealities, whoseframesrangefrom asindividualsubjectsinto a original dilemma,onethatinvolves ourinsertion I takesuchspatialpeculiaritiesassymptomsandexpressions ofanewhistorically Nevertheless, thismetaphorhasmanymoretheoretical implications. To To sumup, wecouldsaythat 146 ‹ iz ek says, # My BeautifulLaundrette in mediasres My BeautifulLaundrette : a newness thatisnotpartofthe : anewness 08/10/2007, 11:39 isalsoanexampleof isagoodrepresenta- The Locationof 09 JorgeBerástegui.pmd S C B G B R selves ifwe canreallytalkaboutamulticulturalsociety. tion. We onlyneedtohavealookatParis egy, theniceideaofanexoticbourgeoisie.But still,therewillbesocialconfronta- against theothers.In such context,culturalnegotiationissimplyadiscursivestrat- working-class structure which iscompletelyfragmented,eachelementfighting Z O HOHAT ORGMANN HABHA ‹ IZ USHDIE HILDS UBERN LIVA EK # , Slavoj. , Juan Ignacio. Identity andSocial “Literary CriticisminHanif Kureishi.” , Peter &R.J.PatrickW , Ella &RobertS , Homi. , Román. , Salman. guin, 1991. Würzburg: Wissenschafliccher,Würzburg: 1998. es laformadeafirmarsuperioridad.(235) elrespetolas otrascosasparticulares; multiculturalistaalaespecificidaddelOtro The laundry isametaphorforhope.ButThe laundry outsideit,there isstillamultiethnic Servicio dePublicacionesServicio delaUniversidad deAlcalá,1999.147-152. Race inContemporary Britain Routledge, 2001. Hall, 1997. , Ulrike. El espinoso sujeto The LocationofCulture Historia delcine Imaginary Homelands: Essays andCriticism, 1981-1991 From Empire toMulticultural Society:Cultural andInstitutional ChangesinBritain TAM 147 . . Barcelona: Paidós, 2001. Unthinking Eurocentrism: Multiculturalism andtheMedia ILLIAMS . Barcelona: Lumen, 2000. WORKS CITED . . London:Routledge, 1994. . Ed.Fernando Galván&Mercedes Bengoechea.Alcalá: An Introduction toPost-colonial Theory banlieux tounderstanditandaskour- 08/10/2007, 11:39 . London:Granta/Pen- . New York: Prentice On(and) Writing . London: .

THE ANALYSIS OF HYBRIDITY IN MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE 147