Moroccan Women and Immigration in Spanish Narrative and Film (1995-2008)
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University of Kentucky UKnowledge University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2010 MOROCCAN WOMEN AND IMMIGRATION IN SPANISH NARRATIVE AND FILM (1995-2008) Sandra Stickle Martín University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Martín, Sandra Stickle, "MOROCCAN WOMEN AND IMMIGRATION IN SPANISH NARRATIVE AND FILM (1995-2008)" (2010). University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations. 766. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/gradschool_diss/766 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION Sandra Stickle Martín The Graduate School University of Kentucky 2010 MOROCCAN WOMEN AND IMMIGRATION IN SPANISH NARRATIVE AND FILM (1995-2008) ___________________________________ ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION ____________________________________ A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky By Sandra Stickle Martín Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Ana Rueda, Professor of Hispanic Studies Lexington, Kentucky 2010 Copyright © Sandra Stickle Martín 2010 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION MOROCCAN WOMEN AND IMMIGRATION IN SPANISH NARRATIVE AND FILM (1995-2008) Spanish migration narratives and films present a series of conflicting forces: the assumptions of entitlement of both Western and Oriental patriarchal authority, the claims to autonomy and self determination by guardians of women’s rights, the confrontations between advocates of exclusion and hospitality in the host society, and the endeavor of immigrant communities to maintain traditions while they integrate into Spanish society. Taking into consideration current theories of space, mobility, feminism, and assimilation, I center my analysis on four significant moments of migration: the inundation of Western media in other countries that inspires individuals to find alternatives to poverty and oppression; the trauma of the physical and emotional separation from the land of origin; the trials of adjustments to an unknown and, at times, hostile culture; and the construction of a new community within a host society. The works give testimony to how contact with different cultures, religions, and languages has given way to a unique space between Western images and multicultural realities where power, identities, and destinies are negotiated. Exploring the patterns of displacement and gender roles, I point out how some authors align themselves with the power structures that stifle immigrants’ initiatives, while others choose to challenge the status quo. This space creates an opportunity for change propelled principally by the courage, agency, and mobility of female characters that weaken patriarchal domination in Muslim society and counter powerful Western ideologies. The resulting new culture imbued with personal values rekindles Hispanic-Moroccan historical links and opens the door to a revived multicultural, multilingual, multiethnic Spanish identity. I argue that the determination of the female characters is the key to the changes taking place in the twenty-first century Spanish society, which, according to Spanish migration narratives and films, could anticipate the dissolution of the Fortress Europe and the consolidation of integration. Establishing a dialogue between opposing forces, my analysis invites readers and viewers of the narrated process of immigration to consider their own personal positions on such a pressing issue. KEYWORDS: Immigration, Gender Relations, Multiculturalism, Feminism, Hispano- Moroccan culture Sandra Stickle Martin February 4, 2010 MOROCCAN WOMEN AND IMMIGRATION IN SPANISH NARRATIVE AND FILM (1995-2008) By Sandra Stickle Martín ________________________________ Director of Dissertation ________________________________ Director of Graduate Studies Sandra Stickle Martin _________________________________ RULES FOR THE USE OF DISSERTATIONS Unpublished dissertations submitted for the Doctor's degree and deposited in the University of Kentucky Library are as a rule open for inspection, but are to be used only with due regard to the rights of the authors. Bibliographical references may be noted, but quotations or summaries of parts may be published only with the permission of the author, and with the usual scholarly acknowledgments. Extensive copying or publication of the dissertation in whole or in part also requires the consent of the Dean of the Graduate School of the University of Kentucky. A library that borrows this dissertation for use by its patrons is expected to secure the signature of each user. Name Date _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ DISSERTATION Sandra Stickle Martín The Graduate School University of Kentucky 2010 MOROCCAN WOMEN AND IMMIGRATION IN SPANISH NARRATIVE AND FILM (1995-2008) ___________________________________ ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION ____________________________________ A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky By Sandra Stickle Martín Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Ana Rueda, Professor of Hispanic Studies Lexington, Kentucky 2010 Copyright © Sandra Stickle Martín 2010 To all the women who are changing the world through immigration ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The following dissertation, while an individual work, benefited from the insights and direction of several people. First, my Dissertation Chair, Dr. Ana Rueda, exemplifies the high quality scholarship to which I aspire. She provided timely and instructive comments and evaluation at every stage of the dissertation process, helping me to complete this project on schedule. Next, I wish to thank the Dissertation Committee, and outside reader, respectively: Dr. Susan Larson, Dr. Susan Carvalho, Dr. Monica Udvardy, and Dr. Armando Prats. I would also like to express my gratitude to Dr. Ángeles Encinar and Dr. Alicia Ramos for their collaboration and support. Each individual provided insights that guided and challenged my thinking, substantially improving the finished product. In addition to the technical and instrumental assistance above, I received equally important assistance from family and friends. My husband, Jose María Martín Cruz, provided on-going support throughout the dissertation process. My sister, Susan Stickle, instilled in me the confidence and determination that allowed me to obtain the Ph.D. My sons, Jose Maria, Arturo, Antonio, and Miguel Martín Stickle, and my grandson Jose Martín also contributed significantly to this dissertation with their patience, understanding, and continuous encouragement. Finally, I wish to thank the respondents of my study (who remain anonymous for confidentiality purposes). Their comments and insights created an informative and interesting project with opportunities for future work. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS I. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................. iii II. LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................. vi III. CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 1 IV. CHAPTER 2: DREAMS OF MIGRATION AND THE FEMALE GAZE .................................... 12 A. Encounters with Western Culture .................................................................................................... 16 B Theories of Images and Imagination ................................................................................................ 24 C. Analysis ........................................................................................................................................... 35 1.Short Stories ..................................................................................................................................... 35 Andrés Sorel: “Mujer sin cabeza”, “Alí y Loi, ángeles de Ceuta” 35 ........................................ 35 and “La granramera” from Las voces del Estrecho (2000) Nieves García Benito “Al-Yaza’ir” from Por la vía de Tarifa (2000) ....................................... 44 2.Novel ................................................................................................................................................ 45 Gerardo Muñoz Lorente Ramito de Hierbabuena (2001) .......................................................... 45 D. Concluding Remarks ........................................................................................................................