05.pmd the which precludes thefirmconstitutionoffielditself. Finally, Ibrieflyturntotheconceptof Clarke, shows how thefieldhasbeenshiftingtoreachpresent stageoftextualdiversity, to the worksofitsmostrepresentative figure,Austina culturalmanifestationbyresorting Afro--Canadianwriting.Secondly,contemporary adiachronicsketchthroughsuch similarity. Firstly, thedefinitionofterm ofdifference andthepursuitof inhabit acontinuousoscillationbetweenthepreservation Afrosporic paradigma de primordial paralaenunciaciónde se dirigelaatenciónsobre elconceptodel diversidad textual,locualobstaculizalafirmeconstitucióndeesemismocampo. Finalmente, ,muestracomoelcampohaestadocambiandohastallegaralmomentoactualde desufiguramásrepresentativa,través dedichamanifestacióncultural,ypormediolasobras literatura afro-caribeño-canadiensecontemporánea.En segundolugar, untrazo diacrónicoa litud. Primero, ladefinicióndeltérmino deladiferenciahabitar unaoscilaciónperpetuaentre ylabúsquedadesimi- lapreservación K 1988 CanadianMulticultural Act. in atransculturalframethatcounteractstheparadigmof the indeterminacyofcultural/national Canadian Writing». «Hyphens, Boundariesand Third Spaces: Identity andCultural Politics inAfro-Caribbean- A P jeto terminación culturaldelintersticionacional/culturalparareconceptualizar laposicióndelsu- intentademostrarquelosescritores afro-caribeño-canadiensesEste artículo empleanlainde- R literature. transcultural. ALABRAS EY BSTRACT ESUMEN third space

afrospórico WORDS

subjectinCanada,sincethedominantambivalenceofthisspaceallows themto CLAVE : Afro-Caribbean-Canadianwriting,third space,in-between,transcultural HYPHENS, BOUNDARIESAND THIRD SPACES: of intervention, which is a necessary conditionfortheenunciationof whichisanecessary ofintervention, diversidad IN AFRO-CARIBBEAN-CANADIAN WRITING enCanadá,yaquelaambivalenciapredominante enesteespaciolespermite : literaturaafro-caribeño-canadiense,tercerespacio,intersticio, IDENTITY ANDCULTURALIDENTITY POLITICS This paperintendstoshow thatAfro-Caribbean-Canadian writersuse Escuela Superior de Turismo Iriarte (UNED/ULL) quesacóalaluzLeyMulticultural canadiensede1988. 57 Pedro Miguel CarmonaRodríguez R EVISTA

DE F ILOLOGÍA diferencia transcultura in-between , 24;abril2006,pp. 57-68 transculture tercer espacio enunmarco transculturalquechocaconel toreconceptualise thepositionof dibujalaescenaenqueenraizar provides thesceneinwhichtoroot de intervención, queescondición deintervención, diversity broughttolightbythe 13/06/2006, 12:46 difference

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PEDRO MIGUEL CARMONA RODRÍGUEZ 58 plicity resultsfromthetransculturalvoyage borders blurinfavourofhybridexperiencesandmultipleidentities. This multi- (Bhabha, 1994:37),whereprocess prevails againstproductandwherethedefinite close themultiplenations.It isthatspacewhosenatureavoidsrepresentation borders ofthepost-Enlightenmentcentred nation-stateappearinsufficienttoen- subject intotheinhabitantof an endlessnegotiationbetweenspaces,cultures andtimesturningitsparadigmatic border ofthenational. The diasporahascomplicated thisprocessanddetermined ofpower thathelpconstitutethe goal ofeffectingarelocationthestructures of anoppositionagainsttheabsorbingimpulsedominantculturewith identity politicshasconfirmedthevalidityofhyphenatedforms. They arepart prominenceof ofthecontemporary and/or sexualidentityoftheindividualaspart the pursuitofsimilarity. The increasing interestinhighlightingthenational,racial ofdifference and to inhabit(in)acontinuousoscillationbetweenthepreservation wide processesofdiasporaandmigration(Philip, 1992:45),sinceitallows him/her termdesignatingthesubject ofAfricanorigininvolvedintheworld- a portmanteau ambivalence isessentialinthereconceptualisationofposition siders thehyphenasamarkofbothseparationandunion(1993:154-55). This political potentialoftheirpositionintheCanadiancontext,Barbara Godard con- of view ofthemetropolis(P of view acculturation anddeculturation,whichreductively, depictedthecultural transference fromthepoint O studies. incorporated itintoliterary tion ofculturalspecificity. Thus, theCanadiannationalcontextturnedinto the Canadianpoliciesofmulticulturalism. transcultural framethatcounteractstheparadigmofculturaldiversityproposedby conditionfortheenunciationofculturaldifferenceina asnecessary intervention Afro-Caribbean-Canadian women’s writing.Finally, Ifocusonthethird spaceof tion, Idrawattentiontothedifficultyofdelimitingfieldandsub-fieldslike dian writing.Secondly, throughabriefdescriptionofitsoriginsandpresentsitua- of theterm lack ofexchange promotedbythepolicyofmulticulturalism.Firstly, thedefinition situation oftransculturalcontactthatunderminestheharmoniousthoughaseptic a questionofquantity. torevealandrepresentThey purport culturalspecificityina sive politicalcorrection. The hyphens here signalanaccumulationthatisnotmerely triply hyphenatedform multilayered toshow thatthemeaningof formation.In whatfollows, Itry the interestinmulticulturalsocieties,hasunveiledaconceptionofidentityas describe Afro-Cuban culture, itwaswellinto the 1970swhenUruguayanR criticAngel Writing abouttherelevance ofhyphenatedidentitiesandthecultural The birth ofmulticulturalpolicies inCanadahaspropelledthepreserva- The birth The presentemphasisonculturaldiversity, thelastconsequenceofwhichis 1 Whereas theterm transculture 58 provides thesceneinwhichIlocateAfro-Caribbean-Cana- RATT Afro-Caribbean-Canadian transcultural , 1992:228). RTIZ in-between wascoinedbytheCuban sociologistFernandoO ’s transculturalwasdevisedtoreplace’s thedynamicsof 1 . (Bhabha, 1994:1),thatsitewhere the goesbeyondthepresentperva- 13/06/2006, 12:46 Afrosporic RTIZ AMA to , 05.pmd permanent contactbutwithoutmixing. The more dynamic mosaic helps Afro-Caribbean-Canadianauthorsinvalidateclaims ofculturalsupremacy it alsorelegates thenon-WASP tothemargin. The displacementtothemargin therefore retains thegroup’s culturalspecificityagainstthe WASP Canadian,while acts astheborder-zone, thesiteofhybridandcreative potential. The hyphen contact isproductive,neverobliterating.In thisschematicexplanation, thehyphen cultural influencesastheresult ofthecontactwithcoterminouselement. This mind acontinuumwherethereexiststhepossibilityof ahorizontalmovement of there isacontinuousdestabilisationoftheculturalcentre. ment ofonerealityfortheother. Instead ofasubstitutionmarginforcentre, Carmona, 2005). This permanentdualityisnotresolvedwiththemerereplace- Caribbean oranyothersiteofemigration),asBhabha wouldputit(1994:1;see therefore, as themarkerofanoscillationbetweenhere (Canada)andthere(The label Afro-Caribbean)andpresent (Canadian),thenandnow. The hyphenstands, history,particular theoutletisanegotiationofpast(doublyunfoldedhere inthe contextualise adiscussionofthehyphenatedcompound posal offluididentitiesgainsmore strength.It isinsuchapanoramathatIwantto transit complicatetheconceptofanimmutablenationalidentitywhereaspro- tural influences.In theCanadianscene,present paradigmsofemigrationand process ofcontinuous(trans-)formationcausedbythepermanentmovement ofcul- translation). Lamore’s definitiondrawsattentiontothetransculturalasgoverned bya stant, permanent»and«amutualacquisitionofculturalelements»(1992:45.My Jean Lamoreseesthetransculturalasaflow ofculturalelementsthatis«secular, con- ture], andwhattheyuseitfor»(1992:6). Pratt extentswhattheyabsorbintotheir[cul- continues,«dodeterminetovarying transmitted tothembyadominantormetropolitanculture». Those marginalgroups, to describehow subordinated ormarginalgroupsselectandinventfrommaterials transculture. Pratt affirmsthat«[e]thnographershaveused[theterm]transcultural continuous (trans-)formationthatcharacterisestheculturalmanifestationsof takes characteristicsfrombothofthemandisinperpetualformation.It isthis The resulting language isahybridbetweenthetwolanguagesincoexistence,which native speakersoftwodifferentlanguagesinasituationcoalescence(1992:6). linguistics inwhichacontact-languageisanimprovised codedevelopedbythe by-product ofwhatshetermsthe without thistransculturalmodel. in-between inwhichAfro-Caribbean-Canadianwritingisrootedcouldnotexist witnessestheintermixingofculturalinfluences. the kaleidoscopicspectrum The model (seeKeefer, 1991).Likeinakaleidoscope,whereshapesandcoloursmerge, others, isoccupyingmoreandspacebesidethealreadytraditionalmosaic tion thatadmitsnotonlythecontactbutalsoinfluenceofsomepieceson advocatingthecoexistenceofdifferentsocialgroupsinacondition The graphicimageofhyphenatedgroupsrepresentedonalinebringsto To inscribeadoubleortripleinheritanceinthetransculturalindividual’s muchin-termslikecontact-zoneoranyofitsvariants, Without usingvery Mary LouisePrattMary considersthetransculturalexchange ofinfluencesasa 59 contact-zone . Pratt’s termisindebtedtostudiesin Afro-Caribbean-Canadian 13/06/2006, 12:46 kaleidoscope , aforma- .

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PEDRO MIGUEL CARMONA RODRÍGUEZ 60 advantage andadisadvantage.In Philip’s opinion,the like Great Britain. In Canada,therewas justavoid,zero degreethatisbothan 18), hasnothingtodowiththeexistenceofanalready potenttraditioninplaces poet, novelist, playwrightandsocialactivistNourbese Philiphasexplained(1991: Afro-Caribbean-Canadian writing. these formerimmigrantsthatsomecriticslikeKauphaveseenthebeginningof work asfarmersordomesticservants Worker Domestic SchemethatledthousandsofCaribbeanpeopletoCanada the emancipationofUSAslaves,itisworksystemsknown asFarm Worker and try. AlthoughthepresenceofblacksinCanada datesbacktothedaysprevious great amountofimmigrantsfromtheCaribbeanandSouth Asiaarriveatthecoun- zones. Later, inthe1960s,whenCanadianlawsofemigrationgetmore relaxed, the programmes ofdevelopmentforgedwithinthecolonialrelationsbetweentwo employees, andlessfrequently, tostudyatCanadianinstitutionsthatwereholding Caribbean arriveattheindustrialcitiesofCanada,toworkmainlyasunskilled European andAmericaninfluences»(1996:172-173;seeBrown, 1989). the First World, todefinenationalstandards against sinceCanada«stillstruggles bean toCanadadiminishestheculturalshockproducedforpassingfrom Third to the United States andCanada. AsMonika Kauphasstated,moving fromtheCarib- reception places,amongthese is thenwhenothersitesoncecolonisedcomeasnew immigrant appearsmore evident,the West places.It emigratingtonew Indian starts laws ofthesofarpreferred European hostilitytothe destiniesturnstricterandcertain However, reversal inthetravelparadigmoccurred1960s.Asentry anew tropolis, inthiswayreversing thedirectionoftravelfromEurope tothecolonies. toemigratetheonceme- how theoncecolonisedcitizensofEmpirestarted ened undertheneo-colonialismofUnited States inthiscentury, whichwitnessed Some oftheseconnectionshavebeenrenewed andstrength- bean area ofintervention. connections were forgedbetweenthesettlercolonyofCanadaandBritish Carib- oftheBritishEmpire,whenmanyeconomic look attherelatively recent history Afro-Caribbean-Canadian writing. site ofcreativityandproductivity, oftheorigin Iturntotraceabriefoverview reconfiguration ofmigrantidentities.Bearinginmindthisideathemarginas the simple of his/her identitythatisunacknowledgeddiasporic individualtoreclaim by apart guishable voicewithintheCanadianspectrum. The hyphenatedformallows the (Bhabha, 1990:4). This acceptedmarginalityisusedtodrawattentionadistin- poral suspensionsthatrestricted theentranceofimmigrants of West IndianC origin(see 1997: 84). In Canadathesituationofblackwritinginthoseyears,as Trinidadian It isinthelate1950swhenfirstmassivegroupsofimmigrantsfrom To to oftheAfro-Caribbean-Canadiansitisnecessary describethehistory 2 Those workschemeswere intermittentlyappearingbetween1911and1966withtem- Canadian 60 . It advocateshybridityasessentialinthecontinuous 2 . It ispreciselyinthearrivalandsettlementof newness 13/06/2006, 12:46 ofCanadaoffersthe HAMCY , 05.pmd Worker Scheme. Thus, chronologically, thenovel plicated bythestrictures ofcolourandthelures ofthe(im)possiblesocialmobility. allows him/herrelative accesstothenationaldiscourse. This access,however, iscom- immigrant anambivalentpositionsincethelackofafirmnationalconsciousness under question. The fragilityoftheCanadiansensenation allocates theblack are beyonddiscussioninplaceswhere theestablishmentofnationalishardly national conscience,andtheconsequentpossibilityofnegotiatinghierarchiesthat of Empire andNative» (1995:24).Assuch,Canadaofferstheimmigrantafeeble They are liminalsitesatthepointofnegotiationbetweencontendingauthorities Tompkins, Lawsonwritesthatsettlercultures are«sitesofrehearsal or(re)negotiation. is whatAlanLawsoncallsa«siteofslippage»(1995:22).Drawing onJoanne admit notonlyre-negotiationbutalsosubversion inCanada.Canada,assettlercolony, the patternsofdominationandsubmissionstillperceivable inanex-slavecolony, relation withthesurrounding space.For theAfro-Caribbean,migrancymeansthat for granted. The voidinthiscasebringsaboutareconceptualisation ofplace,anew negotiating someofthehierarchiesthatcolonialtraditioninCaribbeantakes own tradition. spaceoffersfortheCaribbeanindividualpossibilityof The new Margaret Laurence orMargaret Atwood claimtobewritinginavoid,creating their European dominancetomakeroom foritselfandwriterslikeMichael Ondaatje, sixties (1996:173).At withthe that moment,theearlynationalliterature struggles Indian-Canadian writingtothesituationofmainstream Canadianliterature inthe ity andlocatedhiminthepositionofcommunity’s mouthpiece dian writer, but,hissuccess,however, hascondemnedmanyotherwriterstoinvisibil- Canada in1955,hasbeenregarded foryearsthemostoutstandingCaribbean-Cana- Canada hasbeenshiftingfromtheexiledtoimmigrant.Clarke,whoarrivedat production, Iattempttoexemplifyliterary how thepositionofAfro-Caribbeanin The OriginOf Waves or lesserextent,continuesreappearing allthewayalonghislatestCanadian-setworks, the mostrepresentative Afro-Caribbean-Canadianauthor, andmodified,toagreater this tendencythe«one-onlysyndrome»(1992:162). vidual hasendedupbeingunabletovalueandtellhis/herown experience. ofthecolonialtrauma,factthatblackindi- talks canbeconsideredaspart of apositionpersonalandculturalsubordination. The lackaboutwhichPhilip andreachingthefrequent internalisation with thedisremembered storiesofslavery terms the the creationofanewtradition.However, thisvoidoutsideisparalleltowhatshe beginning.LikeCanadianauthorsofthesixties,sherefers to possibility ofanew or Africanoriginturnsinvisibleothermembersofthesamegroup.N Marlene Clarke’s famous Trilogy isgroundedintheyearsofDomestic This pairdeterminestheearlynarratives by Austin Clarke,usuallyconsidered In asomehow similarvein,Monika Kaupcompares theearlyperiodof West 3 void inside In theUnited States andCanada,therecognitionofone ortwowritersofAsian,Native (1997)and or, alacktowriteandread thewholeblackexperience,starting 61 The Question (1999).OndealingbrieflywithClarke’s Meeting Point 13/06/2006, 12:46 (1967)dealswiththe OURBE 3 . S E P HILIP terms

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PEDRO MIGUEL CARMONA RODRÍGUEZ 62 winning novel returning hisworktoBarbados. This hasrecently beenconfirmedbyhis Giller Prize- in andnationalCanadianspectrum instability ofhispositioninthesocial,literary the multicultural statusinCanada»(1999:68-69),Clarkehasonceagainasserted memoirs. If, as Walcott holds,«[...]foodisoneofthecentral markersofoutsider Rituals ofSlave Food Passage BackHome ally, inanattempttolink himselftohishomelandofBarbados, hehaswritten Police, Violence andBlack Youth autobiography, vastintermsoffiction,butheisalsotheauthorhis(fictional) overwhelmingly the formerattitudeofindictmentwhitemajority. Clarke’s productionis literary paying attentiontosimilarity(1996:163). modifies This newanalyticmoodpartially the changeisanattempttounveilwhatliesatroot ofculturaldifferencewhile ence oftheimmigrant,notthatexpatriate(1996:171-193).For Victor Ramraj, undergone byClarke’s latestworkshastodowiththewishaccountforexperi- already belongingtoagenerationborninCanada.In Monika Kaup’s opinion,theshift (1993) are governed byachangesinceforthefirsttimeClarkechoosesindividuals has achievedamorestablesocialposition. continue inthesamelineofargument,althoughCaribbeangroupprotagonists tion thatfollows thepathofRichard Wright’s collections like exemplified byBoysie Cumberbatch, acharacterrecurrent inthetrilogy. story- Short the attemptsofassimilationandevidenteconomicthriftsomecharacters, novel. The following two, following novel. The their experienceaspioneersinwhiteCanadaare thecentre ofthenarrative inthisfirst Canadian families. Their relation withtheinitiallyhostileenvironmentofcityand arrival in Toronto ofsometheimmigrantwomenthatwillworkasmaidsforJewish- mainly apoetwhohighlightstherelevanceofdifference andcommonality(Ramraj, ofthe poetry Trinidadian-Canadian Harris,Brand andPhilip. Whereas Harrisis are radicallydivergent. Thus, theconcerns ofgenderand‘race’ linktheproseand authors here exceeds thescopeofthispaper, butitsufficestosaythattheirinterests poets broughttolightbypeoplesuchasLillianAllen. To studydeeplyeachofthese NourbeSe Philip, Olive Senior, Makeda Silvera, AyannaBlack orthedubgroupof Elliot Clarke,Dionne Brand, Claire Harris,Cyril Dabydeen, AfuaCooper, Marlene Caribbean-Canadian writing.Under thislabel wegatherauthorsasdiverseGeorge cultural distanceasasignofunity. tion for many ofhischaracters,Clarkeseemstopointoutthatitsreductionisnotacondi- phen intendstoretain. Through theanalysisofculturaldistancethatseparates toenunciatethatculturaldifference thatthehy- )identification andthestruggle is littlebyreplacedtheproblemsofassimilatedimmigrant,his/her(dis- to thatofthemorepermanentimmigrant. Thus, thewishtoachievematerialgoods Clarke’s ofthediversitythatcharacterisesAfro- novels areaminimalpart It ispossibletotraceinClarke’s workthepathfromwritingofexile Canadianness The Polished Hoe When WomenRule Growing Up Stupid undertheUnion Jack 62 (1994),dedicatedtoSam Selvom, and (1999),where hemixed localBarbadian cuisinerecipesandhis . Onthecontrary, beingCanadianmeanstolive(with)that Storm ofFortune (1992),apro-blacksocialrightspamphlet.Addition- (2002). (1985)and In This City In This (1971)and Eight Men Nine Men Who Laughed (1992)and (1961)(Clarke,1997a:127n9), The Bigger Light 13/06/2006, 12:46 (1980),and Pigtails ‘N’ Breadfruit: The There Are No Elders (1986),acollec- Public Enemies: (1975),tackle A 05.pmd lections col- researches thesubversive potentialoflanguageandsilenceinherprose-poetry the recovery ofthesuppressedstoriesblackpeopleandforthatpurposeshe descendants, afemaleslaveexecuted forrebellionin1824.In turn,Philipaimsat weaves throughseveralcenturiesandcontinentsthegenealogyofMarie Ursule’s All theseresume inhernovel production frequentlydealswithissuesofracism,displacementandsegregation. markers ofrace,gender, classandsexualorientationcontinuallyintermingle.Brand’s and inSilvera’s stories collectionofshort This isespeciallysointhecaseofBrand’s novel scripts. fore, sexualorientationthemostrecentcoreofherproseanddocumentary Silvera, likeBrand, hasfocusedontheexperienceofblacklesbiansmaking,there- 1996: 165),Brand andPhilip adoptamore radicalandcombativestandpoint. African descentauthors,forexampleNeil Bissoondath orHimani Barnnerji, to culture, forexample,wouldallow theentranceinthisgroupofnon-necessarily-of- of thefieldwouldonlybevalidinterms‘race’. The emphasisonCaribbean boom inliterature. In thecaseofAfro-Caribbean-Canadian, constitution Fictions Hutcheon andRichmonddecidedin their been used.First, ‘race’, thentheemphasisonCaribbeanculture andfinally, as the project.So far, asKauppointsout(1996:175),threedifferentcriteriahave cohesionto as non-whiteCaribbean-bornorofCaribbeanorigincouldgivecertain West Indian authorsisconfrontedwiththesameproblem.Onlytheirethniclabel move aside,thecreationthis contradictory ofanthologiesgroupingtheworks centrifugal; thenationalandinternational;regional andtheglobal.Leaving national oneandhighlightsthecontendingimpulsesofcentripetal Tribagonian or Barbadian requirestheprevalenceofregionalimpulseover the be donebymeansofatransnationalcriterion.IgnoringtheiridentitiesasJamaican, these authorswithinthecategory intermsofcolour(Kaup, 1996:175).Incan onlybesupported fact,groupingall tions ago. Beingneitheranexpatriatenorimmigrant,hisaffiliationtothisgroup Caribbean butClarkeisfromNova Scotiawhere hisfamilysettledsevengenera- Clarke isevenmore complex.Alltheauthorsjustmentionedwere borninthe tenable forthedegree ofdiversitytheir textualpractices,thecaseofGeorgeElliot atbest,suppressed atworst. thathasbeendistorted and culturalhistory Kincaid, inthestoriesbyOlive Senior thisalternativemodetriestorecover apersonal and Jean Rhyshascalled«analternativeepistemology» (1997:29).AsinRhysand and loups-garousbringaboutwhatJanette Martin inheranalysisofJamaica Kincaid toandre-elaborated. resorted Voodoo, obeahandthefiguresofsourcriants,jablesses psychological space.In ittheoraltalesoftraditionislandsare continually the storiesrecover analmostmythicalCaribbeanthatfrequently takestheformofa Arrival oftheSnake-Woman Livingstone: An Odyssey ofSilence (1990),togatherthemtogetherwithotherrepresentatives ofthetranscultural If consideringPhilip, AllenorSenior asbelongingtothesamefieldishardly InSenior’s Olive collections short-story She Tries Her Tongue, Her Silence SoftlyBreaks 63 (1989)thereishardlyanymentionofCanada.Instead, At theFull andChangeoftheMoon (1991). Caribbean Other Solitudes:CanadianMulticultural Her Head a Village isinitselfproblematic,andcanonly Summer Lightning In Another Place,Not Here (1989)and 13/06/2006, 12:46 (1994),where the (1986)and (1999),which Looking for (1996) The

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PEDRO MIGUEL CARMONA RODRÍGUEZ 64 hyphenated identityandconsidersCanadianhisonlyidentity.N with itaseriousproblemofunityindiversity(O’Callaghan,1993:10) tions ofthosewritingsanthologized(1996:2;seeClarke,1997b:xi-xxviii). the instabilityofanymargin,whilehighlightingmaterialproductioncondi- Literature In herintroductiontotheanthology celebration ofdiversityintoaparalleltoitscontention(Kamboureli,2000:164). uted totheconceptofminorityasapoliticalandculturalsignifier, thusturningthe to thispoliticalattitude,someanthologiesintenddiminishthemeaningattrib- gards theofficialmulticulturalpoliciesandtheiregalitarianagenda.Asaresponse edition’s axis.Clarke’s structuring wholefictionexhibitsevidentsuspicionsasre- the and Clarkeisaninstance,theauthorsgatheredinanthologyopenlydistrust Clarke, Samuel Selvon, PhiliporBrand inCanada.Significantly, inmanycases, West Indian-Canadian mention justafew him ofbeingaracist(1992:162). nadian women’s writing toconstitutethemorerestricted obstacle appearswhentrying between thesetwometaphoricfigures (1992:27). selecting oneortheother, Philipsaysthattheidealwouldbeadialogicalrelation white hierarchyandthelatterforAfro-Caribbeanfemaleheritage.Ratherthan Abiswa. by theequallyimaginary The former standsforthedominanceofmale, individualshenamesJohn-from-Sussexrepresented bytheimaginary andtheother tochoosebetweentwotraditions, one describes herpersonalsituationastrying «Who’s Audiences &Language»(1992). In Listening?:Artists, thispaper Philip tial readership oftheirworksasMarlene NourbeSe Philipexplainsinheressay concerns. Suchto writeabouttheirparticular achoiceconditionsaswellthe poten- from theCaribbean,whomGodard considersthemostpoliticallyactive. Asian andLatinAmericanorigin(1996:109).Bothgroupsincludeblackwomen and Native-Canadian womenare alsoincludedtogetherwithwomenofSouth East refer totheculturalproductionofagrouplesbiansinwhichChinese-Canadian slaves; USA emigrated toCanadadirectlyfromAfricaorbethedescendantsofrunaway authors whoseoriginisnotnecessarilyCaribbean,thatis,womenwhocouldhave the field. Caribbean-Canadian writing,thediversityofitsformandthemes precludes afirmconstitutionof corpus ofherstudyAfro-Caribbean women’s fiction(1993:10).AsithappensinthecaseofAfro- his writing,sidingthus,withuncle V.S.N of Indian originandlongbasedinCanada,hehasrepeatedlydefendedtheinternationalcharacter of women ofcolour If toconfigurethecorpusofAfro-Caribbean-Canadianbringsalong Their political activity starts withdecidingonalinguisticvariety inwhich Their politicalactivitystarts 5 4 , Smaro Kambourelichallengesminorityrepresentationsbyemphasising Such istheterm withwhichEvelynO’C B Among alltheauthorsmentioned, 64 4 . In oppositionto wouldallow ustoincludealltheseauthorstogetherwith , as Barbara Godard observes, hascometobeemployed, asBarbara Godard to observes, . Termslike African women’s writing Afro-Caribbean-Canadian AIPAUL Making aDifference: CanadianMulticultural ISSOONDATH . B ISSOONDATH ALLAGHAM isespeciallypolemic.Bornin Trinidad achieves certain coherenceinthe achievescertain OURBE doesnotadmitthevalidityof 13/06/2006, 12:46 S E P includetheworkof HILIP Afro-Caribbean-Ca- , themoreinclusive herselfhasaccused 5 , asimilar 05.pmd many transcultural authors who are undervalued bythepresent system. many transculturalauthorswhoareundervalued here, but,generally, Philip’s proposalwouldimplyarelevantimpulsefortheworkof valueismuchmore complexthanwhatcouldbeaccountedfor question ofliterary the Door ofNo Return Stories (1990) wasreprintedin1998byMcClelland andStewart. Her Vintage andKnopf, respectively, andhercollectionofpoems In Another Place,Not Here lishing areturningtheireyestoAfro-Caribbeanwriting.Dionne Brand’s latestnovels in M&S,asithasalsodone field ofpublishing.Similarly, Clarke’s after havingbeenawarded theCasadeLasAmericasPrize forpoetry. poetry, en’s Press afterafirstBritish editionbyHeinemann. Similarly, Philip’s third bookof her firstnovel these authorsasithappenswithPhilip’s works. It wasimpossibletofindapublisherfor small presseslikeMercury, POUIor Williams-Wallace payattentiontotheworkof the popularquotasystemby payingcloseattentiontothequalityofworks publication ofmaterialbytransculturalwriters.Such asolutionshedistinguishesfrom existence ofgrantsforthosepublisherswhoshow anevidentcommitment tothe determined (1992:160).Confrontedwithsuchableakpanorama,sheproposesthe isnotmarket-driven butrace- directly claimsthattheCanadianpublishingindustry 39). The indictmentcontinuesinher«Publish +BeDamned»(1992),whereshe are notinterested andthatBlacks eitherdonot,orareunabletobuybooks» (1992: Canada thatthere isnomarketforbooksaboutBlack people:theybelieve thatwhites (quoted inPhilip, 1992: 161).For Philip, «itis[...]clearlytheopinionofpublishersin andcriticism ofpublishing,review Coetzee hascalled«theideologicalsuperstructure of institutionalpractices»(1996:107)andgood/badbooksare invented by whatJ.M. quality attributedtothework.AsGodard valueisproducedbyaweb putsit,«literary other hand,thegreater thenumberofvolumes publishedthehigherdegree of end, itisthemarketability ofthework whatguaranteesthewriter’s On the survival. fore awakesthepublisher’s interestmoreeasilythanapieceofwritinginpatois.In the English reaches andsecuresformorereaders theunderstandingofworkandthere- spond toherdialectalwritingbutnotworks writteninthestandard, Standard unable tounderstandthework. Whereas thereaderbelongingtohergroupwillre- standard ordialectalvarietyimpliesthatthere willalwaysbesomeonewho Toronto Women’sPress. and O’C try, thequalityofworksautomaticallydiminishes. Such that istheobservation (1988) hasbeenreedited bytheinternationalFirebrand, andherlatest She Tries Her Tongue; Her Silence SoftlyBreaks ALLAGHAN The samedualitymaterialisesattheleveloflanguagesinceselectingeithera Despite the situation that Philip denounces, important majornamesinpub- Despite thesituationthatPhilipdenounces,important 6 When politicalcorrection andpositivediscriminationprevail inthepublishingindus- Harriet’s Daughter (1994:626)madeabout (2001)and 65 and The Polished Hoe (1988)whichwaspublishedinCanadabythe Wom- At theFull andChangeoftheMoon Thirsty Creation Fire The Originof Waves (2002)havesimilarlyentered themainstream . However, itismuchmore commonthat (1990), edited by Ramabai S (1990),editedbyRamabai wasrepeatedlyrejected inCanada and 13/06/2006, 12:46 No LanguageisNeutral The Question Sans SouciandOther are publishedby DE C AIRES PINET A Mapto appeared N forthe 6 . The ARAIN

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PEDRO MIGUEL CARMONA RODRÍGUEZ 66 enunciation in which culture is constructed asknowledgeenunciation inwhichculture isconstructed sity, inotherwords, thedifference betweenanepistemologicalobjectandaprocessof lation iselaboratedoutofthedistinctionbetween culturaldifference andculturaldiver- postulates oftraditionandthepastasimmunetodiscursivepractices.Bhabha’s formu- meaning isproducedonaprincipleofhybridity. It rejects claimsoforiginalityandthe light byHomi Bhabha (1994),thethird spaceisasiteofculturalindecisioninwhich basic forthereconfiguration oftheidentitynon-whiteCanadian.Asbroughtto demystification ofpure origins. theyproposeis The third spaceofculturalintervention includedin Visionnational, theartists 21advocate thehybridisationofculture andthe traditionally havepermittedtheconstitutionofnationalversus number ofrepresentatives hardly ofthesegroups variedinsubsequentconferences.N Canadian population.Apparently, thebasefigurewasnotexact.PEN recognised theerrorbut it wasaffirmedthatAfrican,AsianandNative Americanscomprisedsome6%percentofthetotal rounded bymicro-cultures»(Philip, 1992:155) the invariablerepresentation ofCanadiansocietyasa«dominantwhitegroupsur- visible minorities government’s decisiontoincludeafixed percentageofmemberstheso-called ofliberalpluralismforhomogenisation»(1993:158).Forstructure Vision 21,the multicultural policyofOttawaandexposeditaswhatBarbara Godard hascalled«a of the6%solutioncondemnedmathematicalestimationbroughtaboutby appreciation ofthestrategicpossibilitiestermex-centric. Their questioning should notbeforgotten: Vision 21. The labourofthisgrouphasresultedinan promotion ofAfro-Caribbeanwritingandculture ingeneral,thereisanamethat words were neverpublished (P «6%Solution»submitted thearticle to Torontonian newspaperin response toPEN buther representing ofthearchaic»(1994:35). authorityintermsofthe artifice butastrategyof a pastnessthatisnotnecessarilyfaithfulsignofhistoricalmemory comes toberepeated, relocatedandtranslatedinthenameoftradition,guise opposition past/present,since,asBhabha states,in«signifyingthepresent,something tradition andthetimeofapoliticsnegotiation,whichproblematisesbinary a conflictbetweenthepastandpresent, betweentheteleologicalnarrative of ofculture(1994:35). monocentric view The enunciationofculturaldifferencepresents ofresistance toa ofanarticulation initselfpart follow andthenegationofcertitude, enunciation producesadivisionbetweenthedemandformodeloftraditionto cultural authorityandsupremacyareaffectedbytheenunciationofdifference. This 34). However, thescarcetheorisationonborder hashardlytouchedhow issuesof ings andvaluesare(mis)read orsignsmisappropriated»,intheso-calledlimits(1994: boundariesofcultures,where mean- main problematicappearsat«thesignificatory If theworkofsmallfoundationsandpublishersmustbepraisedfortheir According to Bhabha, contemporary debates on culture agree on thatthe debatesoncultureAccording agreeon toBhabha, contemporary oppositionsthat Rejecting either/ordefinitionsandtheestablishmentofbinary 7 On 27 On th inculturalactsisdirectlyconnectedwiththefixationofcultures, 66 ofDecember1989,the HILIP , 1992:159). Toronto Star publishedanotebyPEN Canadainwhich 7 . 13/06/2006, 12:46 able (Bhabha, 1994:34). OURBE other S E or non- P HILIP 05.pmd «displaced, used as strategic fulcrum andexposedasirreducible»«displaced, usedasstrategicfulcrum (1993:152). ally producesandreproduces centres andmarginswhich,asBarbara Godard says,are cultural subjectinfavouroffragmentationandhybridisation,thethird spacecontinu- of anauthorisedsubjectculturalknowledge (1994:36).Displacing thecentred enunciation ofculturaldifference underminesthecoherent andsynchronicevolution the ‘I’ofenunciationrequires thecontinuousdisplacementof‘non-I’, the and languagethatimpingesaswellintheformationofmeaning.In thesamesensethat caused bythefactthatactofenunciationisgoverned bythe Bhabha affirmsthatcultures cannever bedualistic(1994:36). This impossibilityis of nation,culture andanyeasilydeterminedidentity impulses production thatexceeds andchallengesthepedagogicalperformative moving boundaries,inathird spacethatcontinuallyreplenishesalongacultural dian writingispopulatedbysubjectsintransit,livingonthehyphen,between the othersofourselves»(Bhabha, 1994:39).In thatsense,Afro-Caribbean-Cana- tween —— (1994): tions andtheirpedagogicalpolitics»(Moore-Gilbert challenges manyoftheassumptionstraditional‘mainstream’ culturalconfigura- hybridisation «allows commonalityanddifferencetocoexistinamannerwhich preted. Challengingtheunityofthesesymbolsinfavouraperpetualprocess endowed withaninherentfixed meaningbutarecontinuallyre-read andre-inter- tion ofculturaldifference. The third spaceuncovers thatculturalsymbolsare not as Bhabha temporalityoftheenuncia- proposes,are demystifiedbythedisruptive disjuncture proposesfluidityinsteadofthestabilitynationalmarkers,thosethat, of thetextAfro-Caribbeanliterature. In perpetualtransit,their discourseof be includedinandoutofthemastertextCanadianliterature, butalsoinandout boundaries ofnationalculture,raceandgender. Their doublecodeallows themto their strategicposition natureoftheculturallocation.Fromendless processthatreveals theconstructed it, thearchaiccultural ofthethird space.In muchtheoutcomeofdisruption and culturalcodesisvery late thedecentringofhis/herexpressionandexperience. The mixtureoflinguistic C B B HABHA ROWN ARMONA isthespaceforformationofanti-nationaliststoriestofinally«emergeas , Lloyd. B.(1989): , Homi K.(1990):«Introduction:Narrating theNation». Fiction, K. Bhabha,London,Routledge. 1-7. As thedualitypast/present isinvalidated,sothatofself/other, inasmuchas This destabilissation gives the diasporic artist abasisfromwhichtoarticu- This destabilissationgivesthediasporicartist Marlene Nourbese Philip’s EarlyPoetry», R ODRÍGUEZ The LocationofCulture, Parkersburg (Iowa), CaribbeanBooks. , Pedro Miguel(2005):« 67 El Dorado andParadise: CanadaandtheCaribbeaninAustin Clarke’s essences in-between aretransformedandproducedanewinacircular, WORKS CITED London,Routledge. , manyAfro-Caribbean-Canadianwriterscross Was It There or Was It Here Revista deFilología . et al Nation andNarration, ., 1997:62). The 23:49-64. 13/06/2006, 12:46 : Transculturalin Visions différance ofwriting Ed. Homi Ed. in-be-

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PEDRO MIGUEL CARMONA RODRÍGUEZ 68 O’C L K W P —— (1992): —— (1997b):«Introduction». P N K G R C M M K —— (2000): —— (1996):«Writing Resistance:Black Women’s Writing inCanada», L C RATT HILIP AWSON AMORE AMRAJ EEFER AUP AMBOURELI LARKE HAMCY ODARD ARAIN ARTIN OORE ALCOTT ALLAGHAN , Monika (1996):«West Indian-Canadian Writing: CrossingtheBorder fromExiletoEmigra- , Mary Louise(1992): , Mary , Marlene ConductedbyBarbara NourbeSe Carey», (1991):«Secrecy andSilence:AnInterview , Janice Kulyk (1991):«From Mosaic toKaleidoscope», , Victor (1996):«West Indian-Canadian Writing inEnglish», , GeorgeElliott (1997a): -G , DenisedeCaires andEvelynO’C , Jeanette (1997):«Jablesses, Sourcriants, Loups-garous: ObeahasAlternativeEpistemology in , Alan(1995):«Postcolonial andthe‘Settler’Theory Subject», , Jean (1992):«Transculturation, naissanced’unmot», , Myriam J.A.(1997): , Barbara (1993):«Marlene NourbeSe Philip’s Hyphenated Tongue or, Writing theCarib- , Rinaldo(1999):«TheDesiretoBelong: The Politics of Texts andtheirPolitics ofNa- Dangaroo Press. 625-34. Tryptique. 43-47. Michael LacroixandFulvio Caccia.Paris, Presses delaSorbonne Nouvelle/ Editions West CoastLine New Delhi, Creative Books.106-115. and Gender inCanadian Women’s Writing, tion», ers», tion», Canadian Studies Books inCanada. London, MacMillan Caribbean. et al Ed. Winfried Siemerling, Toronto, ECWPress. 171-193. ture, ronto: McClelland xi-xxviii. &Stewart. Philadelphia, TempleU Ed. RaoulGranquist, Amsterdam, Rodopi. 151-175. bean DemoticbetweenAfricaandArctic», ronto, TSAR. 61-79. ronto, TSAR. 56 (Fall): 20-36. the Writing ofJean RhysandJamaica Kincaid», ILBERT , Smaro (1996):«Introduction», Scandalous Bodies:DiasporicLiterature inEnglishCanada ., London,Longman.1-72. Frontiers: Essays and Writings andCulture onRacism , Evelyn (1993): Ed. Smaro Kamboureli, Toronto, Oxford U.P. 1-16. Into theNineties: Post-Colonial Women’s Writing, Writing Ethnicity: Cross-Cultural ConsciousnessinCanadianandQuébécoisLiterature, , Bart , Bart Floating theBorders: New ContextsinCanadianCriticism, 68 et al 22:110-128. . (1997):«Introduction», 20.6:17-21. 13 (Spring): 163-168. Imperial Eyes: Travel Writing and Transculturation, Women Version:by to WestWomen,Fiction Approaches Indian Theoretical Eyeing theNorth Star: Directions inAfrican-

Searching forSafeSpaces: Afro-Caribbean Women Writers inExile, «Clarke vs. Clarke: «Clarke vs.Clarke: Tory ElitisminAustin Clarke’s Fiction», Short niversity Press.niversity ALLAGHAN Making aDifference: CanadianMulticultural Litera- (1994):«AnglophoneCaribbean Women Writ- Eds. CoomiS. Vevaina andBarbaraGodard, Postcolonial Criticism, Major Minorities:English Literatures in Transit, World Literature Written inEnglish Eds. AnnaRutherford Métamorphoses d’une utopie, Books inCanada . Stratford (On), 13/06/2006, 12:46 , Don Mills (Ont.),Oxford U.P. The International Journal of Essays onCanadian Writing Intersexions: Issues ofRace Eds. Bart Moore-GilbertBart Eds. Ed. Nurjehan Ed. Aziz, To- London,Routledge. 20.6:13-16 Mercury Press. et al ., London, Eds. Jean- Eds. 36.1:3-29. . To-